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Up in Smoke
A sizzling, twisting crime thriller about a deadly business!
Smoking kills – but a bullet is quicker…
Anti-smoking activist Susan Farrell agrees to spy on Big Tobacco. She discovers too late who she can trust – and who she can’t.
Tobacco boss Tony Burton ends up fighting for his company's existence, and his own life, in this fast-paced crime thriller. Will he win or lose?
On a roller coaster ride between London, Birmingham, Paris and Shanghai, this sensational thriller shines a spotlight on the deadliest business of all.
Smoking kills – but a bullet is quicker…
Anti-smoking activist Susan Farrell agrees to spy on Big Tobacco. She discovers too late who she can trust – and who she can’t.
Tobacco boss Tony Burton ends up fighting for his company's existence, and his own life, in this fast-paced crime thriller. Will he win or lose?
On a roller coaster ride between London, Birmingham, Paris and Shanghai, this sensational thriller shines a spotlight on the deadliest business of all.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2013
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
A.A. Abbott
22 books78 followersWho doesn’t love a page-turner packed with mystery, twists and suspense? Those are the books I yearn to read, and I enjoy writing them, too. I’m British thriller writer A.A. Abbott – known to friends as Helen – and I believe a good read is one of life’s greatest pleasures. As a city girl, I've lived and worked in London, Bristol and Birmingham, so it’s no surprise that my books are often set there.
Like 10% of us, many of my family are dyslexic. While I'm not, I want my books to be enjoyed by readers with dyslexia and visual impairment too. That's why I publish my thrillers in a LARGE PRINT dyslexia-friendly edition as well as the standard paperback and ebook versions. Don't forget, when you’re reading an ebook, you can adjust the font on your Kindle to suit your needs. Some titles are published in a conventional large print font too. Bright Lies is also available as an audiobook, recorded by amazing voice actor Eilidh Beaton.
I like speaking to book groups, business networks and social circles, and reading my thrillers and short stories at live fiction events and on Zoom. If you're a book blogger, litfest organiser, reviewer or simply adore books, I'd love to hear from you.
I'm a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Bristol Fiction Writers' Group, and Birmingham's New Street Authors.
Find out more about the books I love to read and write, and get free short stories, at https://aaabbott.co.uk
Like 10% of us, many of my family are dyslexic. While I'm not, I want my books to be enjoyed by readers with dyslexia and visual impairment too. That's why I publish my thrillers in a LARGE PRINT dyslexia-friendly edition as well as the standard paperback and ebook versions. Don't forget, when you’re reading an ebook, you can adjust the font on your Kindle to suit your needs. Some titles are published in a conventional large print font too. Bright Lies is also available as an audiobook, recorded by amazing voice actor Eilidh Beaton.
I like speaking to book groups, business networks and social circles, and reading my thrillers and short stories at live fiction events and on Zoom. If you're a book blogger, litfest organiser, reviewer or simply adore books, I'd love to hear from you.
I'm a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Bristol Fiction Writers' Group, and Birmingham's New Street Authors.
Find out more about the books I love to read and write, and get free short stories, at https://aaabbott.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 30, 2017
Years ago when I was working as a temporary secretary in London, I went for a job interview at a Major Tobacco Company. They had plush offices full of well-dressed people and a quiet, businesslike atmosphere. To this day I don’t know why I went to the interview: talked into it by someone at an agency I suppose, and simply thought it would be an interesting experience of an industry I’d not so far worked in. But the Major Tobacco Company turned out to be more sensitive than I’d realised. What was my opinion, they asked, of smoking? Well, I said – having, by now, decided that I’d made a big mistake going there – it’s as good a way to kill yourself as any.
I didn’t get the job. And after reading A A Abbott’s Up In Smoke I think I had a lucky escape. The book is an entertaining smorgasbord of boardroom and bedroom shenanigans, washed down with lashings of Bolly. I particularly liked the fact that it’s partly set in Birmingham – being a Midlander myself – which made a pleasant change from everything being centred in London. I also like the corporate setting. A fast-paced, page-turning read.
I didn’t get the job. And after reading A A Abbott’s Up In Smoke I think I had a lucky escape. The book is an entertaining smorgasbord of boardroom and bedroom shenanigans, washed down with lashings of Bolly. I particularly liked the fact that it’s partly set in Birmingham – being a Midlander myself – which made a pleasant change from everything being centred in London. I also like the corporate setting. A fast-paced, page-turning read.
December 30, 2017
I wanted to read this after hearing the author speak at a recent bookshop event, in which her passion for her writing and her energy shone through. I could see that her business background, managing financial matters for big name companies, would provide heaps of inspiration and ideas.
After hearing her talk, I wasn't surprised to find out that this book is a pacy and energetic thriller set in the tobacco industry, doing for the cigarette business what the TV series "Dallas" did for the oil industry: exposes its cut-throat and ruthless nature against the backdrop of a breathtakingly extravagant lifestyle.
It's a fast romp with a huge cast, and as such can't delve into huge character development, but that's fine - there's enough here to differentiate the characters and explain their motivations, without slowing the pace. Also, the author cleverly avoids heaping all the blame on the tobacco execs - the morals ad ethics of some of the characters in her anti-tobacco lobby are at times equally dubious!
While tobacco is an obvious "villain" to portray, I'm sure there are lots of other industries which operate in similar ways. It certainly made me glad I no longer work in the business world!
A fun read that's both escapist and thought-provoking, great for on the beach or to convince any office worker that they haven't had such a bad day after all!
After hearing her talk, I wasn't surprised to find out that this book is a pacy and energetic thriller set in the tobacco industry, doing for the cigarette business what the TV series "Dallas" did for the oil industry: exposes its cut-throat and ruthless nature against the backdrop of a breathtakingly extravagant lifestyle.
It's a fast romp with a huge cast, and as such can't delve into huge character development, but that's fine - there's enough here to differentiate the characters and explain their motivations, without slowing the pace. Also, the author cleverly avoids heaping all the blame on the tobacco execs - the morals ad ethics of some of the characters in her anti-tobacco lobby are at times equally dubious!
While tobacco is an obvious "villain" to portray, I'm sure there are lots of other industries which operate in similar ways. It certainly made me glad I no longer work in the business world!
A fun read that's both escapist and thought-provoking, great for on the beach or to convince any office worker that they haven't had such a bad day after all!
April 25, 2020
This book wasn’t what I was expecting at all. It went in surprisingly different directions. Initially I thought that there were too many threads, that the author had had a number of good ideas and had tried to put too many into one book, but she does a great job of masterfully brining them all together. The plot is interesting and brings the characters to life.
One of the things I like about this book is that most of the chapters are short as I hate stopping mid-chapter. If you are the sort of person who can only read in short bursts, this book is ideal for you. Having said that, if you prefer to read in longer stints, it will also work well for you as well as, though you can stop at the end of each chapter, you’re not going to want to.
One of the things I like about this book is that most of the chapters are short as I hate stopping mid-chapter. If you are the sort of person who can only read in short bursts, this book is ideal for you. Having said that, if you prefer to read in longer stints, it will also work well for you as well as, though you can stop at the end of each chapter, you’re not going to want to.
May 30, 2019
This was a great look inside the tobacco industry. The author makes sure she doesn't stereotype her characters. The people running the tobacco company aren't all big, bad meanies, and the people trying to stop them are not all sweet, charming individuals. There's good and bad on both sides, and people who have their own agendas. I loved the multi-faceted aspect of this story. It's not just the activists against big tobacco. Others are trying to get in on the operation. There's plenty of action to keep your attention and wonder how it will all turn out I know I certainly didn't expect some of the final results. A highly entertaining story.
April 2, 2016
Up In Smoke is the debut novel from thriller author AA Abbott.
Having read her later two novels, After The Interview and The Bride's Trail, I enjoyed returning to her original work to see where it all began. It tells the story of Susan, one of the few good characters, who seeks revenge on a major tobacco company after her husband dies from lung cancer.
By now, I knew what to expect from Abbott and I was not disappointed. Up In Smoke contains all of her trademark authorial motifs: shady corporate deals, the use of Birmingham and London as backdrops to the action, and a vast international cast with varying moral codes.
The characters are always a great reason to pick up an Abbott novel. Most of them are so unsympathetic and unlikeable that they capture your interest, which is why people are so addicted to shows like Game of Thrones and House of Cards. Up In Smoke is like an entire novel of Lannisters and Underwoods!
The ever-present symbol of cigarettes is appropriate because these characters are filthy and rotten, like the cancer-sticks which they aggressively smoke.
Abbott writes from a kaleidoscope of perspectives, quickly switching between chauvinists, adulterers, addicts, smugglers, murderers and corporate spies. This mixture of anti-heroes and outright villains makes for compulsive reading because readers will never be sure who to root for, so you can just sit back and let the corruption unfold.
Abbott is generous with her ideas and does not miss an opportunity for debauchery, whether it be smuggling, seduction, sexual harassment, sabotage, strip clubs, vandalism, exploding packages, psychotic ex-wives or just plenty of sex and violence. You will never be bored.
Up In Smoke is like a pack of cigarettes: an addictive guilty pleasure.
Having read her later two novels, After The Interview and The Bride's Trail, I enjoyed returning to her original work to see where it all began. It tells the story of Susan, one of the few good characters, who seeks revenge on a major tobacco company after her husband dies from lung cancer.
By now, I knew what to expect from Abbott and I was not disappointed. Up In Smoke contains all of her trademark authorial motifs: shady corporate deals, the use of Birmingham and London as backdrops to the action, and a vast international cast with varying moral codes.
The characters are always a great reason to pick up an Abbott novel. Most of them are so unsympathetic and unlikeable that they capture your interest, which is why people are so addicted to shows like Game of Thrones and House of Cards. Up In Smoke is like an entire novel of Lannisters and Underwoods!
The ever-present symbol of cigarettes is appropriate because these characters are filthy and rotten, like the cancer-sticks which they aggressively smoke.
Abbott writes from a kaleidoscope of perspectives, quickly switching between chauvinists, adulterers, addicts, smugglers, murderers and corporate spies. This mixture of anti-heroes and outright villains makes for compulsive reading because readers will never be sure who to root for, so you can just sit back and let the corruption unfold.
Abbott is generous with her ideas and does not miss an opportunity for debauchery, whether it be smuggling, seduction, sexual harassment, sabotage, strip clubs, vandalism, exploding packages, psychotic ex-wives or just plenty of sex and violence. You will never be bored.
Up In Smoke is like a pack of cigarettes: an addictive guilty pleasure.
October 4, 2015
This gripping tale of industrial espionage is underpinned by a moral core, focusing on smoking: its supporters and detractors. As in all good stories, things are not quite as straightforward as the characters believe them to be. Neither are the people themselves all they seem. As ever, A. A. Abbott writes with such authenticity, one can only wonder where in the world she hasn't been or what profession she hasn't practised! A smokin' hot read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews