The Infant of Prague (Mass Market Paperback)

by Bill Granger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The eighth "November Man" novel (There Are No Spies et al.) has colorful characters, a wonderfully complex plot, great pace and some nice throwaway humor. Devereaux, semi-retired from the super-secret "Section," is called back to help deliver a Czech defector in Brussels. On the same day the delivery goes horribly awry, Anna Jelinak, a teenage Czech movie star touring the U.S., sees a TV film of a weeping Infant of Prague statue and she defects on a live Chicago newscast. Devereaux is held by his old, sadistic enemy Col. Ready, who plans to sell the defector, a Prague movie entrepreneur who knows "everything" about everybody, to the Czechs and Devereaux to the Russians. A thuggish, Mob-connected Hollywood producer, obeying the orders of his boss, a vile TV network chairman, has Anna kidnapped, and Devereaux is forced into a deal to rescue her in exchange for his own and his lover Rita's lives. Movie-making in Prague (as a way to launder Mob money and to deal arms to Afghan rebels), CIA corruption, TV network sleaze and secret family ties are all involved and readers will delight in Granger's deft unraveling of the skeins in this terrific page-turner.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Switzerland-based U.S. secret agent Devereaux, the November Man, is given the seemingly simple assignment of escorting a Czech defector through Belgium. Both are kidnapped by his old enemy Colonel Ready and "sold" to the Czech secret police. Unfortunately the "buyer" is the father of a child movie star who has defected in Chicago. Devereaux is released to get the child, and his girlfriend, Rita, is held hostage to his success. This is a confused and confusing book, which hinges on an arms-smuggling and money-laundering arrangement between the CIA and the corrupt head of a TV network. Knowledge of the characters and events of previous November Man books will help readers' understanding. John North, Ryerson Polytechnical Inst., Toronto
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Warner Books (November 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446347809
• ISBN-13: 978-0446347808
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,398,808 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From the back cover>>>, July 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Infant of Prague: A November Man Novel (G K Hall Large Print Book Series) (Hardcover)

In the majestic silence of Chartres cathedral, Deverauz - code name November Man - recieves his assignment: help Czechoslovakia's cultural liaison cross over to the West. A hard enough hob, even without the added complication of an act of God. For in a humble Chicago parich church, the sacred statue of the Infant of Prague is found weeping real tears. A visiting Czech chold star actress, transfigured by the wondrous event, declares, on live television, her intent to remain in America in the name of Christ and freedom. Only an operative as cynical and seasoned as the November Man can sense the sinister link between two dramatic, yet apparently unrelated defections. And it will take a miracle to get him throught it alive.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who Was That Eccentric Englishman, July 7, 2000

By	Loren D. Morrison "amateur_reviewer" (Los Angeles County, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Granger begins this novel by introducing an eccentric Englishman who has been hanging around the Cathedral of Chartres for over 30 years. In that time he has become an expert on every aspect of the cathedral and, on his own volition, conducts English Language tours of the cathedral. No one knows where he came from or what motivates him. Pretty intriguing, huh? The only problem is that after this setup he disappears from the book. Unless I'm missing some very obscure connection, he has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. I can only surmise that, in Granger's original concept, the eccentric Englishman did play a part but, as the plot evolved in a different direction, he became extraneous but was somehow left in the book. It is not unheard of for a plot to veer off in a different direction as a book or play is being written. Even understanding how this can happen, I still found this plot abberation to be distracting.

This said, I did enjoy the book. Granger's novels make good use of persona that we already know from previous novels. Our protagonist, Devereaux, also known as The November Man, is some one we've met in previous novels. There's no problem, however, if you haven't read other Granger novels. Each stands alone just fine.

Devereaux, officially dead, and therefore non-existent, is an agent for the equally non-existent Section R. His would be nemesis, Colonel Ready, is, in all respects a cunning and ruthless foe, who is more than up to the task. Ready is obsessed with seeking revenge against against Devereaux for an incident in a previous novel (explained fully in this novel).

Devereaux is only called upon to perform difficult missions for which he is particularly suited. It, therefore, seems strange to him when he is asked to to escort a defector out of a neutral country under seemingly simple circumstances. He's right, too. He has been set up by Ready and the simple task nearly costs him his life. As it is, he is caught up in the middle of two defections; the one he was handling, and a second which involves a 14 year old Czechoslovakian actress who. while on tour in America, sees a television newscast about a religious miracle involving a weeping statue of the infant of Prague. This "miracle" has occurred in a small church in Chicago. She believes this to be a sign to her and she decides to defect.

The two seemingly independent defections are somehow connected in a way that Devereaux finally figures out. He is placed in a position where he must return the young actress to the Czechs or the life of the woman he loves will be forfeited. I think that one should read the book to find out how this is resolved.

There is a final showdown between Devereaux and Ready that feels a little anticlimactic but couldn't be left out or the book would seem unfinished. Again, I think that you should read the book to understand this ending.

I liked the fact that Devereaux is no superman capable of superhuman feats, he feels fear and depression just like the rest of us. He is of superior intellect, but so are a few others including, particularly, Colonel Ready.

In spite of my complaint at the beginning of this review, I think that this is a superior piece of Cold War Spy Fiction, and that anyone who enjoys that genre will enjoy THE INFANT OF PRAGUE.

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex and distinguished stylings of Granger, April 13, 2006

By	Christopher Gwyn (far away) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is for readers who have followed The November Man for at least the previous 3 novels. If you are thinking of reading a November Man novel for the first time, don't start with this one. Go back to "Schism" and start from there. That being said, this is probably the most complex and convoluted November Man novel. R Section agent Deveroux/November is given the seemingly simple assignment of helping in the defection of a Czechslovokian gossip gatherer on a train in Brussels. Everything goes wrong and Deveroux is captured. Meanwhile, a Czech child film star is in Chicago and is profoundly affected by the apparent miracle of a statue called The Infant Of Prague that has begun to shed tears at a Catholic church in Chicago. The girl decides to defect during an interview on television and becomes a lightning rod for various underworld characters, evil television executives, CIA, the Czech Secret Police,and other nefarious characters.

Deveroux manages to escape from the clutches of the evil Colonel Ready only to be coerced once again to do someone elses bidding while his girlfriend, Rita Macklin, is held hostage by the Czech Secret Police. There are so many plot twists and different do-badders involved that it would take 20,000 words to cover it all. To sum it all up, the book ends with the inevitable but somewhat underwhelming final confrontation between Deveroux and Colonel Ready. As a previous reviewer stated, this is somewhat anti-climactic but vital for the reader to know how this turns out.

This one is not the best in the November Man series but still a worthy entry nonetheless.