There Are No Spies [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Bill Granger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

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.

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 417 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Pr (August 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089621821X
• ISBN-13: 978-0896218215
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,852,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sly novel which holds interest, April 30, 2004

By 

Scott Watch (Vancouver, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: There Are No Spies (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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best November Man book so far, April 3, 2006

By 

Christopher Gwyn (over there) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: There Are No Spies (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.

4.0 out of 5 stars An above average Cold War thriller., June 9, 2010

By 

Michael G. "mikefromrochester" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: There Are No Spies (Paperback)

The plot of There Are No Spies by Bill Granger takes the form of a complex puzzle. The reader knows that something disconcerting is happening. But the who, what, why and how of it remain a complete mystery to the reader until the very end.

The novel's protagonist, Devereaux, a retired American spy (code named November), suddenly finds himself the center of unwanted attention as his former intelligence agency, the highly secretive R Section, is about to implode. As Devereaux is pursued by trained assassins from either side of the Iron Curtain, R Section's Director of Operations is involuntarily committed to a sinister psychiatric hospital hidden in the far reaches of Western Maryland.

Using strong, forceful writing, Granger succeeds in imbuing There Are No Spies with a pervasive feel of impending disaster. A feel made all the more effective because the source, substance and purpose of the threat are kept hidden from the reader. Highly recommended to fans of the genre.