Smokeout [Hardcover]

S. V. Date (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2000

The St. Petersburg Times called S. V. Date the "star pupil" of Carl Hiaasen, and Hiaasen himself agreed: "Speed Week is good, twisted fun, cheerfully subversive. The chamber of commerce should hate it, which is the highest possible compliment for any Florida novel."

Now Date returns with Smokeout, and if the powers that be hated the first one, the second one will send them to bed with the vapors. A tobacco bill has been introduced into the Florida state legislature, and on its passage rests the livelihoods-and, in some cases, the lives of many of the state's finest denizens. Soon, ruthless executives, venal politicians, sexy lobbyists-and that rarest of breeds, a few honest citizens-reach critical mass as the campaign comes down to its final frantic days, prompting skulduggery, mayhem, heroism ...and maybe even true love.

Filled with razor-sharp characterizations and pinpoint observations, Smokeout is a delight from start to finish-one might even say addictive.

"Funny, fast-moving farce."--Kirkus Reviews

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Florida politics are always good for a laugh, as plenty of caper writers from Carl Hiaasen to Laurence Shames can attest. S.V. Date aspires to that pantheon, but if Smokeout is his best effort, he has a way to go before he's included in that number. If this is satire, it doesn't go far or farcical enough, although it manages more than the requisite amount of snickering at small-time politicos and influence peddlers who owe their souls, such as they are, to powerful corporate interests.

In this case, the interest that's handing out the bribes and other largesse is Big Tobacco, in the person of one of the scuzziest CEOs in recent history--a fellow who will stop at nothing, including murder, to arrange the veto of a piece of legislation that could cost his industry gazillions. The lobbyists he's paid off to get the bill killed are equally awful, including one who plants a minicam in the ladies' john just for kicks. There are two white hats in this somewhat jumbled tale--a young woman lobbyist who abandons her ideals for a paycheck but sees the light just in time, and a woman legislator who turns out to be the book's most sympathetic character. The level of sexual innuendo to which every woman in the book is subjected makes one wonder if Date really hates the fair sex or has simply never heard of sexual harassment laws. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly

In this edgy, ripped-from-the-headlines novel, there's a crucial vote on Big Tobacco coming up in the Florida legislature, and the outcome will decide whether or not tobacco companies can be legally sued for damages. At the center of this legislative hurricane is State Senator Dolly Nichols, whose principled stand on individual rights has always prompted a pro-tobacco voting record. But that's not good enough for Bartholomew Simons, president and CEO of Roper-Joyner Holdings (RJH), who wants to make sure that his tobacco company in particular comes out the winner. He also needs to save his own buttDthere's an incriminating memo circulating with his name on it, and he wants it destroyed. The search for the memo is played out against an orgy of arm-twisting, backstabbing, blackmailing and backroom lobbying, involving a cast of media hustlers, a female lobbyist with Playboy pictures in her past and libidinous legislators. A baker's dozen of subplots converge in a wild and woolly finale that teeters on the edge of farce. But thanks to Date's animated characters, who are quirky without being cartoonish, and impeccable narrative timing, the fast-moving plot never veers out of control. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1ST edition (November 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399146490
• ISBN-13: 978-0399146497
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,294,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nonstop Action, January 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Smokeout (Hardcover)

I have read Date's two previous books "Final Orbit" and "Speed Week" with each being better than the previous. After reading Smokeout, I can only wait for his next novel to arrive.

Smokeout is a high paced book that picks up more and more momentum as the story continues. The nonstop action made it hard to find a point to put down the book. Date's development of his characters and situations is such that I felt like I was in the Florida capital at the scene of the crimes.

I would not have believed that the story line in Smokeout was based on fact if I hadn't heard NPR's Fresh Air 11/9/00 interview with Date. If you have 15 minutes and the patience for NPR to launch the file, it really is worth listening to.

I highly recommend Smokeout as a read for the New Year.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Florida Recounted, December 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Smokeout (Hardcover)

Once again, S.V. Date, with brilliant wit and flawless style, captures the essence of those who make up Florida's political and social scene. As he did in "Final Orbit" and "Speed Week," here too he creates characters that are more like caricutures of those who impact Florida politics. This is all done with his usual stylistic brilliance and entertaining plot twists.

1.0 out of 5 stars Like dental pain, January 22, 2007

By 

Scott Freutel "Puccini" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smokeout (Hardcover)

This book is excruciatingly bad: forced, predictable, obvious, and riddled with cliches, most of them about Florida. Providing I had a relatively competent dentist to do the procedure, I'd rather have a couple of teeth drilled than read this book all the way through. And yes, I am over the age of 13; is the author?