North from Calcutta [Hardcover]

Duane Evans (Author), Deborah Rhoney (Editor), Mike Ball (Editor), Greg C. Gillam (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2009

In a gripping story torn from today's headlines, Tarek Durrani, a westernized Pakistani intelligence officer races to stop an attack against India by a Kashmiri terrorist group. A successful attack could mean war between India and Pakistan, with possible nuclear ramifications. Of more immediate concern to Tarek, the attack also will take the life of Sahar, the hypnotically seductive Indian architect, who has cracked the combination to his soul.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great tale of today's espionage and terror... Both 'what it's like' and 'what it could be.'" --Ambassador Cofer Black, former Chief of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center

"I'd recommend the writers of '24' pick this guy up; he could make for some amazing scripts for season 8!" --T.C. Robson Book Shelf Reviews

"Duane Evans is pioneering a new approach to the genre of espionage, intrigue and adventure novels. His handling of a Muslim hero, a Hindu heroine, in a setting of Islamic extremist activity is superb and destined to be the pacesetter for other writers in this time of explosive terrorist threat." --Richard Blake, Reader Views

"CIA spymaster pens India-Pakistan thriller." --Chidanand Rajghatta, The TIMES OF INDIA

"Taken from what could be tomorrow's headlines, the author takes us deep into the underside of Pakistan's intelligence services, where nationalism clashes with Islamic fundamentalism, as radical elements plot against India - with nuclear war hanging in the balance. Plot twists, well developed characters, settings that bring you the feel and smell of South Asia, this is a page-turning, exciting ride." --Gary Schroen, former senior CIA officer and National Best Selling author of "First In"

"Intriguing, action packed page-turner... I hope he writes a sequel!" --K. DeLise "kedrocks"

"Evans may be a talent to watch in the future, a bright light in a crowded and often lusterless espionage lit market." --Kevin L. Nenstiel "omnivore," Amazon TOP 1000 Reviewer

"At once entertaining and informative, North From Calcutta is an elegant example of espionage fiction." --Hayden Peake, Author, Curator for the CIA's Historical Intelligence Collection

"A well-written story that could be out of today's headlines... the reader will learn much... about the danger that a spy... endures." --Cy Hilterman

"With just the right blend of romance, intrigue, vengeance, and heroism, Evans' freshman debut will appeal to a wide audience." --Vera A. Pereskokova, luxuryreading.com

"The book serves as a primer for South Asian dirty politics - or is 'dirty politics' a redundancy? Don't miss this great read. It's only a shadow away from today's headlines... I highly recommend it." --Lou Novacheck

"His plot (and plots within plots) is extremely complex and the politics involved in this story is mind-boggling." --Debra Gaynor, Book Reviews By Debra

"This is a thrilling action tale (with a little romance)... I enjoyed it so much... I wouldn't hesitate to recommend." --Carole Colbert, Carole's Book Blog (UK)

"I really appreciated a terrorist storyline that shows that there are Muslims who do not support Fundamentalist dogma... I loved the authenticity of the book." --Brooke Bonett, The Bluestocking Guide Review

"Duane Evans has used his experience at the CIA to make number of situations "edge of the seat" moments and his knowledge of South Asia - not only the geopolitical scene but also the cultural and religious aspect - adds more depth to the story.

North from Calcutta is must read if you are looking for a great novel that is engaging, masterfully written with a storyline that is substantive and close to reality." --Bhumika Ghimire, Associated Content, UPI-ASIA

"If you like espionage thrillers and you are looking for a change in venue for spy exploits... or if you liked THE INCREMENT by David Ignatius... you will enjoy NORTH FROM CALCUTTA." --Plants and Books

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Pecos Moon LLC (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981945406
• ISBN-13: 978-0981945408
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,373,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Hero, May 23, 2009

By 

Slugg (Sequim, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North from Calcutta (Hardcover)

Beginning with Ian Fleming, who all but invented the genre, the very best Spy Novelists have been insiders who'd served as intelligence officers before they turned to writing. The greatest of them were also game changers, like John Le Carre, whose Spy Who Came in From the Cold rescued the Spy Novel from the "light entertainment" category and turned it into a hard-edged, gritty, reality-based literary form. I believe Duane Evans meets those pre-conditions for greatness: he is a distinguished, former CIA insider... who has written a book that deserves to become a genre game-changer.

North from Calcutta begins with a firefight "... in a remote valley deep in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province," and then roars ahead pedal-to-the-metal until a nuclear holocaust has been averted and the world for a while is once again safe from fanatical Islamic extremists. Evan's prose is honed-to-the-bone readable; his understanding of the history and cultures of the Pakistan-Kashmir-Afghanistan conflict zone is both profound and informed by the years he lived there while working for the CIA; and, last but not least, he's a gifted story-teller...

All good... but how could North from Calcutta qualify as a game changer? Well... consider this: Evans' hero is a Muslim, Tarek Durrani, an operative for the Pakistani Intelligence Service, who is rendered in such historical/cultural detail, and with such psychological authenticity, that I couldn't help but recognize his humanity and become enwrapped in his story.

Getting an American fan of spy novels to care about a Pakistani operative? That's surely different, and quite a trick to pull off, and Evans has done it. The only other popular Spy Novelist I've read who has successfully attempted this kind of literary sleight-of-hand is Barry Eisler whose Rain novels with their Japanese-American hero also break the stereotype of the modern intelligence operative as a blue-eyed, corn-fed white boy working for either the CIA or MI6. The difference between Eisler and Evans, however, is that Rain is still recognizably an American, albeit an exotic one, while Evans' hero is completely something-other-than-WASP-American.

Fleming, Le Carre, Eisler... that's daunting literary company to claim for any writer of popular fiction, let alone one who has just published his first book. And in truth, it remains to be seen if Evans can win enough readers to validate my assertion that he is a game-changer.

This, however, is undisputable: North from Calcutta is timely, engrossing, and well written enough to bear the weight of such praise... and deserves best-seller status. The book has made me a Duane Evans fan... who's hoping that North from Calcutta will be just the first in a series of novels which eventually will lift the name of Tarek Durrani up to the same level of literary renown as achieved by Fleming's James Bond, Le Carre's Smiley, and Eisler's John Rain.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars North from Calcutta, June 3, 2009

By 

Dale Hamby - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: North from Calcutta (Hardcover)

Duane has written a timely and very enjoyable book. It is refreshing to read a book that looks through the eyes of Southwest Asians rather than Americans. I am certain we can expect more great suspense thrillers from this new author. Great read!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jack Bauer, meet Duane Evans., May 26, 2009

By 

Lori Robson "Robbsong" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: North from Calcutta (Hardcover)

Nuclear bomb? Check. Evil leader bent on instigating war? Check. Beautiful woman? Check. Optimistic overweight sidekick? Uh...check.

North from Calcutta follows Tarek Durrani, a Pakistani intelligence officer, to London, Bangladesh, Dubai, the Himalayas, and a few other places in attempt to stop a plot to cause a world-changing war between Pakistan and India, as well as save the woman he's hopelessly fallen in love with. Seems like a typical action/adventure, 'save-the-world-before-it's-too-late' kind of tale, but it's really not.

While meeting with architect Advani (his last name; his first is way too long to even attempt to spell) about the plans of a dam named Farakka Barrage built north of Calcutta (hence the book's name), he meets Advani's beautiful daughter Sahar and falls head over heels. But after obtaining the plans he needs for Farakka Barrage, Durrani learns of a plot to blow the dam and pin it on Pakistan. Worse still, a commencement ceremony at Farakka Barrage is to take place with both Advani and his daughter present, putting them as well as hundreds of others in the possible line of fire. It's no wonder Durrani call on his connected, jolly and plump sidekick Habibi to help in stopping the plot's execution.

To be Evans' first novel, he writes like a veteran. Could definitely be owed to his own personal experience as a CIA operative, but even still, he uses all the right words to describe the situation in just enough detail to keep the reader enthralled and begging for more. I'd recommend the writers of 24 pick this guy up - he could make for some amazing scripts for season 8!

- T.C. Robson