326 Pages
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Ashley White is desperate. An ill-advised investment in cryptocurrency has left him in financial meltdown, with the bank threatening to repossess his home and a wife that knows nothing about the mess he is in. A new quiz show called ‘The Duel’ is about to hit the TV screens, offering a mouth-watering 2 million pounds to the winner. The show is to be hosted by Patrick Reed; the scandal hit presenter who hopes it will revive his flagging career. Ashley hopes the show can be his way out of his financial problems, and does all that is necessary to appear, even when those things have murderous intent.
An interesting thriller set in the world of TV production in general and quiz shows in particular. Not so much a "murder mystery" it's more of a "will he get away with it."
Firstly I know you should never judge a book by its cover, however I thought the cover of this book didn't try to attract my attention or allure. It looks a bit generic? Anyway onto the narrative.
A meaty tale in many respects but I was left with sensation of being slightly unfulfilled at the end. It would take me a while to work out why?
The parts of Ashley White are written in the first person. Other parts, included those of Patrick Reed (the quiz show host) are written in the third person. Apart from Ashley the other main character is Patrick. So are they Protagonist and Antagonist?
Well, no not really. They are not in any conflict with one another, although both face challenges elsewhere in their lives.
So are they good guy and bad guy? Again no, not really. They are both a couple of wrong uns but for differing reasons.
So, then is one of them a bad guy who we secretly wish to win out in the end? Again, no not really. To be one of these characters, we have to have some reason to be on their side. eg. Tom Ripley in the Talented Mr Ripley murders his way to the upper strata of society, but we inwardly cheer him on because he is the under dog, cast aside by society. No one cares about him. But he appreciates fine art, literature, food and cultures far more than the aristocracy that continually keep him down. He deserves his place at the top table, and the people he kills dont. In this way we sympathise for his position and in a skewed way his morality. I found I didn't sympathise with Ashley. He was just as sleazy and morally corrupt as Patrick. It felt like the tale had two villians and no heros.
The setting of TV production was interesting. The author has had some dealings being a guest on TV quiz shows and his insight into the power politics that goes into making a tv show I found interseting.
Without giving anything away, there is a nice little hook at the end which could lay the ground work for a possible sequel.
Since a young age I had always craved this recognition. Growing up, I had always felt like an invisible soul who was never really part of the cool crowd. Even my own parents never really pushed me, or complimented me on many things, so as an adult I was determined to prove them all wrong and make that “invisible kid” the most famous person in the country.
I’d always been a glass-half-empty type of person. Moaning about a TV show might seem like a trivial thing, but to me it probably masked a deeper problem. I was a distant person, someone who found it hard to express my feelings, someone who was far more negative than I was positive.
‘You were clearly much closer to her than your father, though, wouldn’t you agree?’ ‘Aren’t all sons?’
If he could pull it off, then surely I could. It was just like work, be on top of your brief and you could pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. If I was prepared, I could bamboozle anyone, so I was sure a couple of TV researchers would be no problem. I hoped…
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The Winner by David Baldacci
Bad Show: The Quiz: The Cough: The Millionare Major by Bob Woffinden and James Plaskett.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind by Chuck Barris
Stephen Havard currently works in the IT industry and lives in Swansea with his wife and two children, he also has two older stepchildren. An avid quiz obsessive he has appeared on many TV quiz shows, these include: Pointless, Revenge of the Egghead, Eggheads, 15-to1 Only Connect and The Chase.
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