Customer Reviews

No Enemy But Time: A Novel of the South

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Reprising characters from his intriguing debut novel, "Delirium of the Brave," Georgia based writer William Harris adds another star to the pantheon of reader pleasing tales set in Savannah.

Savannah....just the name evokes mystery, intrigue, and long buried secrets. Readers will find all and more in "No Enemy But Time," a story spanning World War II years to the present. Imagine Savannah's coastal region: Driftwood Beach, Back River, Uncle Moses's Cabin, Sister Mystery's Cabin and what might have occurred if a spy had been stationed there during the war.

In this finely crafted narrative Francis Collins, a member of the IRA, agrees to spy for the Nazis. Following a rigorous training regime he is transported by submarine to the borders of Savannah with orders to contact a fellow German agent. Their goal? The destruction of a shipyard. When this plan is scuttled and arrests are made, Collins decides to immerse himself in his assumed American identity and disappear.

In later years he becomes a power in the local political and social scene, and a bulwark of support for a young politician.

As chance would have it one day the young politico is out driving when he discovers a downed submarine. The sub is not just a curiosity but the repository of dark puzzles from the past which, if brought to light, could destroy.

Harris is an author who knows his setting and his suspense. He weaves a satisfying Southern spell so surely that readers may wonder, "Is this fact or fiction?"

- Gail Cooke

Reprising characters from his intriguing debut novel, "Delirium of the Brave," Georgia based writer William Harris adds another star to the pantheon of reader pleasing tales set in Savannah.

Savannah....just the name evokes mystery, intrigue, and long buried secrets. Readers will find all and more in "No Enemy But Time," a story spanning World War II years to the present. Imagine Savannah's coastal region: Driftwood Beach, Back River, Uncle Moses's Cabin, Sister Mystery's Cabin and what might have occurred if a spy had been stationed there during the war.

In this finely crafted narrative Francis Collins, a member of the IRA, agrees to spy for the Nazis. Following a rigorous training regime he is transported by submarine to the borders of Savannah with orders to contact a fellow German agent. Their goal? The destruction of a shipyard. When this plan is scuttled and arrests are made, Collins decides to immerse himself in his assumed American identity and disappear.

In later years he becomes a power in the local political and social scene, and a bulwark of support for a young politician.

As chance would have it one day the young politico is out driving when he discovers a downed submarine. The sub is not just a curiosity but the repository of dark puzzles from the past which, if brought to light, could destroy.

Harris is an author who knows his setting and his suspense. He weaves a satisfying Southern spell so surely that readers may wonder, "Is this fact or fiction?"

Anyone who read Delirium of the Brave is no doubt delighted to find that this book is finally available--and every bit as intriguing and engrossing as Dr. Harris' first effort. The characters are intense, the story-telling first rate and the haunting romance of Savannah is brought to life in a way that only a true son of the south can do. Highly recommended.

Delirium of the Brave and Wassaw were great books especially if you are from that part of the country while No enemy but time was quite slow when compared with the other two

When I reviewed DELIRIUM OF THE BRAVE, I mentioned that even though there were significant problems with that title, I was looking forward to reading NO ENEMY BUT TIME and had hopes that Mr. Harris' writing style would improve with his second effort. I am sad to say that the same problems present themselves here.

Harris can't decide what he wants the book to be - is it an espionage thriller, historical fiction, or a generational saga? The narrative and point of view skip all over the place, hooking the reader on one line of thought and then changing it, leaving dissatisfaction in their wake. A few characters from DELIRIUM OF THE BRAVE make token appearances in NO ENEMY BUT TIME, but their participation in the story is not interesting or believeable. The dialogue continues to be trite, as well; at times I was unsure if I was reading a novel from a large press or something straight out of a Harlequin Romance.

I love Savannah, and I enjoy reading novels using this stunning City as a backdrop. Having now read two of Mr. Harris' novels set there, I don't feel a need to check into any others from this particular author.

Mr. Harris again Uses Savannah, GA. as his back ground combining fact and fiction, using some characters from his previous work "Delirium of the Brave". Having grown up in Savannah I find his work very entertaining.

No one doubts this gentleman knows his territory.I've walked the streets,squares and forts of Savannah.He does fine with that part.I think the book needed to be much longer.Maybe then he could have explained the combination of monster,hero and civic dynamo that the main actor is.People were too black and white,pardon the pun.Too one dimensional.I kept wanting more.Some plot lines just petered out,some people just fell off the map,so to speak.I wanted more CHARACTER in my charactors.I enjoyed the book,glad I read it.

If you frequent the local shops of Tybee Island and Savannah, you find a plethora of self-published novels by local writers all trying in their own small way to hatch the next MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL,

That is what NO ENEMY BUT TIME reads like. How a major publisher ever put its imprint to anything this poorly written is beyond me.

After reading the author's first work, I kind of knew what to expect. The setting of the novel (Savannah, GA) is lovely. The plot follows the life of a spy and his settling into "common" life after WWII. This is a novel about the past and its impact on the present.

Wm. Harris picks up with characters from his last novel Delirium of The Brave. His writing isn't bad, but at times he over works his characters. In addition, Harris walks a thin line between reality, fact and fiction. Having grown up just outside of Savannah in the late 40s and practicing law there in the early 1970s, I've heard some of his story before. Aside from a few editing and plot problems, the book is ok. However, I'd rather spend my money and time elsewhere.