Smokeheads
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Review
'A taut and efficient thriller . . . it's also so permeated with the love of whisky that the fumes seem to seep from the very pages.' -- The Herald
'Nifty thriller.' -- Sunday Herald
'What starts as a drink-and-drugs socked piece of superior lad-lit turns into a ferocious thriller reminiscent of Straw Dogs . . . you won't want to stop reading.' -- Independent on Sunday
'This is a hugely atmospheric thriller soaked in the spirit of life on the outer fringes of the British Isles: Local Hero in reverse, a Scottish Straw Dogs laced with whisky and gore . . . Sip and savour.' -- The Times
'It will have you laughing and wincing in equal measure as thanks to the passion with which Johnstone writes about his main subject you are left punch-drunk by the whisky fumes that rise from the page.' -- Guardian
'In a drug, sex and booze-fuelled weekend, a whole barrel of trouble is brewing for this eclectic mix of friends. With some gruesome imagery and delightful descriptions of aged whiskies, Smokeheads is undoubtedly 'man material', although that's not to say that this action-packed, black comedy thriller would not have general appeal. Written with acute attention to detail and wily wit, it's an easy read that'll make any Smokehead reach for another.' -- Press Association
'This is a brilliant and disturbing tale that is perfect for people who love the blacker side of crime fiction . . . A well-written, whisky-fuelled nightmare. Johnstone leads you into it gently enough, then swiftly bashes you over the head with a sherry cask and runs off, leaving you with the peaty memory of a fine Ardbeg on your lips but wondering what on earth has happened and how it could all have gone so horribly wrong. Settle yourself down with this book one evening and you are in for a real malt-soaked treat.' -- eurocrime.co.uk
'Smokeheads is a crime novel. Not the kind of crime novel you d find in an airport bookshop though - this isn t the book for casually passing the time on a beach. This is the book for locking yourself in your room, turning your phone off and forgoing sleep until you ve finished it. To use a common term, it s a page turner . . . it's wickedly funny, with Johnstone proving himself to be an expert in black humour . . . whilst extreme things do happen, Smokeheads is also full of subtle and clever musings on modern Scotland . . . Johnstone certainly has gotten somewhere with Smokeheads: he s written a clever, funny, endlessly exciting novel and proven that quiet jaunts up to remote distilleries don t always end with just a souvenir from the gift shop.' -- Strathcylde Telegraph
'All of [the characterisation] gives the book depth, but if you are of a more shallow persuasion, worry not. The action comes hard and fast and you ll find the pages turn at a fair lick. In his third novel, Doug Johnstone shows he is a skilled writer. His prose is pared down, highly effective and at times dips into the poetic and the world he creates on the island of Islay is deeply convincing. This book has cult movie adaptation written all over it.' --crimesquad.co.uk --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
'Nifty thriller.' -- Sunday Herald
'What starts as a drink-and-drugs socked piece of superior lad-lit turns into a ferocious thriller reminiscent of Straw Dogs . . . you won't want to stop reading.' -- Independent on Sunday
'This is a hugely atmospheric thriller soaked in the spirit of life on the outer fringes of the British Isles: Local Hero in reverse, a Scottish Straw Dogs laced with whisky and gore . . . Sip and savour.' -- The Times
'It will have you laughing and wincing in equal measure as thanks to the passion with which Johnstone writes about his main subject you are left punch-drunk by the whisky fumes that rise from the page.' -- Guardian
'In a drug, sex and booze-fuelled weekend, a whole barrel of trouble is brewing for this eclectic mix of friends. With some gruesome imagery and delightful descriptions of aged whiskies, Smokeheads is undoubtedly 'man material', although that's not to say that this action-packed, black comedy thriller would not have general appeal. Written with acute attention to detail and wily wit, it's an easy read that'll make any Smokehead reach for another.' -- Press Association
'This is a brilliant and disturbing tale that is perfect for people who love the blacker side of crime fiction . . . A well-written, whisky-fuelled nightmare. Johnstone leads you into it gently enough, then swiftly bashes you over the head with a sherry cask and runs off, leaving you with the peaty memory of a fine Ardbeg on your lips but wondering what on earth has happened and how it could all have gone so horribly wrong. Settle yourself down with this book one evening and you are in for a real malt-soaked treat.' -- eurocrime.co.uk
'Smokeheads is a crime novel. Not the kind of crime novel you d find in an airport bookshop though - this isn t the book for casually passing the time on a beach. This is the book for locking yourself in your room, turning your phone off and forgoing sleep until you ve finished it. To use a common term, it s a page turner . . . it's wickedly funny, with Johnstone proving himself to be an expert in black humour . . . whilst extreme things do happen, Smokeheads is also full of subtle and clever musings on modern Scotland . . . Johnstone certainly has gotten somewhere with Smokeheads: he s written a clever, funny, endlessly exciting novel and proven that quiet jaunts up to remote distilleries don t always end with just a souvenir from the gift shop.' -- Strathcylde Telegraph
'All of [the characterisation] gives the book depth, but if you are of a more shallow persuasion, worry not. The action comes hard and fast and you ll find the pages turn at a fair lick. In his third novel, Doug Johnstone shows he is a skilled writer. His prose is pared down, highly effective and at times dips into the poetic and the world he creates on the island of Islay is deeply convincing. This book has cult movie adaptation written all over it.' --crimesquad.co.uk --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Book Description
A wild trip to the Scottish Highlands, Doug Johnstone's debut on the Faber crime list is a classic violent thriller, doused with black humour
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good story with a few gruesome bits based on something out of the ordinary way. I like this author and would recommend this and his other books.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not the usual genre I go for, however I chose this book as it was set in Scotland - Having read other reviews where the characters were not deemed very likeable, I would say this adds to the story as they are shown flaws and all and not intended to be likeable. Almost felt the claustrophobic atmosphere of the Island and the close knit community. This book hooked me in. It was well written and had a lot of twists and turns and I enjoyed it immensely.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Smokeheads are what the denizens of peaty Scottish isle of Islay call the whisky chasing outsiders. I put off readingthis book for ages as I thought it would be some Irvine Welsh wannabe. Well I was pleasantly surprised. The tale of 4 disparate 30 something whisky loving friends odyssey to Islay. Throw in obnoxious local cops and a number of twists and turns. The plot is suprisingly tense relying on the usual cliffhanger short chapters. Whilst at times gory and at others funny it is an easy read and great fun.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
nothing whatsoever to recommend this gore-fest
Four old school pals go on a jaunt to try whisky tasting on Islay, but things go badly wrong.
The first third of the book is all scene setting, establishing the characters,... Read more
The first third of the book is all scene setting, establishing the characters,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by L. Bretherton
A poor man's Irvine Welsh
I decided to read this book after reading an approving comment from Irvine Welsh in the inside cover. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Jack Ward, Ireland
Smokeheads
Not really my cup of tea I quite enjoyed the beginning it was funny in the mould of Christpher Brookmyre but rapidly descended into a bit of a testosterone fest which my partner... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ms Anne C. Dickson
OK if you just expect pulp.
a quartet of ill-matched (and poorly written) old schoolmates go on a whisky tasting holiday on a Scottish isle, where the locals don't take kindly to them there outsider folk. Read more
Published 12 months ago by A. Miles
You can taste the peat
It took me a little while to get into this book, which is more like a slightly extended short story. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Alec
Enjoyable Punchy
I read this book over the course of 4 evenings as it's not overly long and consists of short, punchy chapters. Read more
Published 12 months ago by T. SMEDLEY
Whisky and bloodshed...a fast paced thriller with plenty of bottle!
First published in March of 2011, Scottish author (cum freelance journalist, songwriter and musician) Doug Johnstone's third novel 'Smokeheads' is certainly a well-targeted and... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Chris Hall
a wee dram would help!
An easy to read not overly worthy story that is straightforward in narrative and description. 4 lads go off to the Scottish island of Isay famous for distilleries, sheep and... Read more
Published 13 months ago by pete
The Wilds of Scotland
Having sailed around some of the more remote Scottish islands I can attest that there are several whisky distilleries that you can visit. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Sam
Very black tale of drugs and whisky on a Scottish island
When four whisky loving university friends, now in their late thirties, take a trip to the remote Scottish island of Islay, world famous for its single malts, they plan on having a... Read more
Published 13 months ago by AR
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