Lots of my friends and I have thrown "fictionalized" stories around via email and campfire, all centered around some Destiny Unbound like saga, anti-heroes traipsing around the nation in search of....something.
I can't bring myself to judge a book by a page or two but I will say that I'll take a "phish lot scene murder mystery whatever this is" novel over another fucking Alex Cross book any day. Even if the truth is stranger than fiction (and when isn't it?)