Tue 30 Jun 2015
Reviewed by Barry Gardner: BILL GRANGER – Drover.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Reviews[7] Comments
BILL GRANGER – Drover. Jimmy Drover #1. William Morrow, hardcover, May 1991. Avon, paperback, May 1992.
Bill Granger is the author of the four book Chicago Police series of quite a few years ago (originally published as by Joe Gash, and underrated in my opinion, though one won an Edgar), and the very successful November Man spy series, which now runs to twelve.
This book introduces his third series, and is about a well-known sportswriter unfairly banned from sportswriting because of alleged contacts with the underworld. The second in the series, Drover and the Zebras, has already been released.
Jimmy Drover now lives in Santa Cruz, and makes his living investigating various aspects of the sports world for the owner of a Las Vegas book As the story opens, he goes to the aid of an old flame whose husband has killed himself because of gambling debts. Shortly after, an old gangster acquaintance from Chicago contacts him with a story about someone planning a major fix in the NFL, and offering Drover help with his lady’s problem in return for assistance with his own. The plot thickens, bubbles, and boils over.
Granger creates interesting characters, and tells their story in his usual highly professional manner. Drover and his friends are reasonably engaging (particularly the ex-fireman, Black Kelly, naturally), and the villains — who include professional gamblers, government agents, and Chicago commodity traders — are truly scuzzy. Good, but not great.
The Jimmy Drover series —
1. Drover (1991)
2. Drover and the Zebras (1992)
3. Drover and the Designated Hitter (1994)
Note: There were 13 books in Granger’s “November Man” series, one more than when Barry wrote this review.
June 30th, 2015 at 1:03 pm
I remember buying the first Drover book, but I’ve never read it. I’m not so sure about the other two. It sounds now as though it would be a series I’ve enjoy reading.
But I have never owned any of the November Man books. I must have passed them by as just another ordinary spy series.
Here’s what the SPY GUYS AND GALS webste has to say about the series:
http://www.spyguysandgals.com/sgshowchar.asp?id=631
“Deveraux, codename the November Man, is an agent for the CIA.
[…]
“He is extremely good at his job, which makes him valuable, but he doesn’t suffer well the fools and incompetents above him, which makes him undesirable. It makes the series delicious. Also making the series something to read are two recurring characters.
“The first is Rita, the reporter that Deveraux meets, fights with, falls in love with, leaves, reunites, and everything in between. She is beautiful, gutsy, individualistic, and worth Deveraux coming home to, even if some times he doesn’t know it.
“The other is Henry McGee, one of the greatest villians ever created for a spy series. […]”
There was also a NOVEMBER MAN movie made not too recently, starring Pierce Brosnan. It shouldn’t be too hard find a copy of the DVD.
June 30th, 2015 at 8:14 pm
As a Chicagoan, I remember Bill Granger as one of my all-time favorite newspaper columnists. At one time or another he wrote for both major Chicago newspapers, as well as some of the minor ones.
Granger started his novel-writing career while doing three to five columns a week for the Sun-Times, the Tribune, and later the Daily Herald (that’s a suburban daily based in Arlington Heights, where many writers who’d talked themselves off the city dailies wound up).
Mostly, Bill Granger wrote a general interest column, although he had brief stints as a TV critic; he was one of the few to hold that position who ever made even a token effort to learn something about the business before writing about – which may be why he didn’t keep the job for very long.
Granger and his wife Lori wrote a book whose title I can’t recall, about their struggles with local educational systems over their son Alec, who had been misdiagnosed as either autistic or learning-disabled; it’s at least as thrilling as any suspense novel Bill ever wrote.
In 2000, Bill Granger suffered a major stroke which ended his writing careers; he spent the last years of his life in hospice care, eventually passing in 2012.
Just thought you’d like to know …
June 30th, 2015 at 9:17 pm
Mike
I knew a little bit about Bill Granger’s background as a newspaperman and the health problems he had before his death, but a hometown perspective makes it mean a lot more. Thanks!
July 1st, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Granger and Ross Thomas both came from the newspaper game and it showed it the way they handled narrative and prose so coolly. Granger established himself as a favorite rapidly with NOVEMBER MAN (the film is based on a later book in that series, and one of the best thrillers of last year with a stunner performance by Brosnan). Netflix subscribers can watch it there.
Drover is probably closer to Granger’s Chicago roots, and fun for that. He’s one of the best thriller/mystery writers of his kind of the era ranking with Thomas Perry and Ross Thomas. I would kill if there was one writer other than Barry Eisler in the genre today half as literate, capable, and gifted.
July 3rd, 2015 at 8:11 am
Just by coincidence, I reviewed the DROVER series here: http://georgekelley.org/forgotten-books-318-drover-by-bill-granger/
I’ve read all of Bill Cranger’s fiction (I’ll have to track down that non-fiction title mentioned above). The NOVEMBER MAN series is underrated. David is right about the movie version.
July 3rd, 2015 at 2:00 pm
Hmm. You posted that review back in May. You’re right, George. That is some coincidence. I like that list line you wrote: “If you’re a fan of sports mysteries, you’ll enjoy the Drover series.” I don’t care for horse-racing mysteries very much, but I can even read a golf mystery, and golf bores me to tears.
July 3rd, 2015 at 4:59 pm
I think Art Scott is partial to golf mysteries, too.