The Infant of Prague: A November Man Novel

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. (November 17)