From Publishers Weekly
Granger's November Man series has been consistently entertaining andinteresting, far surpassing much of the work done in the espionage genre. This addition to the list maintains that consistency. The story begins when Hanley, former boss of the now-retired Deverauxcode name Novemberis carted off to a mental hospital on the orders of his superiors. This triggers a sequence of deadly events that brings November back into action, pitting him against a deadly female Soviet operative and ultimately leading him to a Soviet sleeper agent high within the American security community. Cross-cutting between November's return to the U.S. from Europe and Hanley's desperate attempts to keep his sanity, the book builds almost perfectly to an exciting finish. Despite telegraphing the identity of the "mole," Granger is mostly on the mark and is approaching the class of le Carre, although he lacks some of that writer's subtlety and psychological insight. 50,000 first printing; $100,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Coldly effective but suspicious American spy-runner Hanley inadvertently fouls up a deeply embedded Russian mole's scenario when he warns "sleeping" agent Devereaux ("November") that something has gone amiss in R Section. Rudely forced out of retirement in Lausanne by two hit men, the calm, collected, and utterly cynical Devereaux enlists the aid of former contacts in determining the truth of Hanley's allegation. Crisp style, well-mannered prose, and inexorable tension characterize this worthy addition to the successful November Man series ( The Zurich Numbers ). Granger once again displays his winning talent for manipulating traditional elements of intrigueincluding here a luscious Russian lady spy with charismatic eyes and an isolated insane asylum (run by nuns) for unwanted agents. Highly recommended for public libraries. Rex E. Klett, Anson Cty. Lib., Wadesboro, N.C.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. The best November Man book so far By Christopher Gwyn on April 3, 2006
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. The best November Man book so far By Christopher Gwyn on April 3, 2006
Format: Hardcover
Bill Granger's November Man series in the 80's was the pinnacle of espionage fiction at that time. Having read all 7 of his books featuring R Section agent Deveroux, code name November, this one was the best yet. A tightly woven plot focusing on the forced institutionalization of Section Operations head Hanley draws November back into The Game which he thought he had successfully disappeared from in the last novel, "Hemingway's Notebook". Hanley's knowledge of NUTCRACKER, a spy exchange program has made him expendable to those in power. With a cryptic phone call to Deveroux, Hanley's strange message that "there are no spies" causes Deveroux's new life to unravel, forcing him to seek out old ally/nemesis, Denisov in order to find out what is going on. With beautiful Russian assassins and Traitors in his own government, November must rescue Hanley and put the pieces together in this puzzle of international intrigue. Once again Granger's concise characterizations carry the day as thia fast moving story reaches it's exciting conclusion. Also, there is a surprising twist at the very end involving one of Deveroux's most hated enemies. Spy fiction at it's best by the underappreciated but always dependable Bill Granger. His best.
Sending feedback...
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Format: Hardcover
Another installment of the November Man series, Bill Granger really holds his own in the spy genre. Borrowing from such literary styles as Trevanian, John Le Carre and William Goldman, Granger is able to entertain the reader with solid prose and visual description. This story begins in Switzerland as American agent Devereoux (code name November) has been retired from the spy game, only to be brought back by the game itself...(I think this is how most spy books begin, the main character is retired and forced into returning). The story carries an interesting government conspiracy and elements of suspense. And my favorite, a plot twist at the end that you won't see coming. An entertaining read, I strongly recommend this book just for the fun of it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment