Bill Granger (June 1, 1941 – April 22, 2012)[2] was an American novelist from Chicago specializing in political thrillers.[3] He also wrote under the pseudonyms Joe Gash and Bill Griffith. He worked at the Chicago Tribune and other Illinois newspapers.[4]

Bill Granger
BornJune 1, 1941
Died22 April 2012(2012-04-22) (aged 70)[1]
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationBA in English
Alma materDePaul University
Occupation(s)Writer and novelist
Years active1966–2000
Known forwriting
SpouseLori Granger
ChildrenAlec Granger
AwardsEdgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Public Murders (1981) and UPI Best Newspaper Columnist in Illinois (1984)

Some of his thrillers are Public Murders (1981), The November Man,[5] Schism[6] and The Shattered Eye.[7]

Early years

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Born June 1, 1941, in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, William F. Granger lived most of his life in Chicago, on the city's South Side. He attended St. Ambrose Catholic School until 1955. Next, Granger attended DePaul University, where he was a student newspaper editor of The DePaulia. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1963.[8] During his student years he was a copy boy with The Washington Post, where he met his wife Lori.

Military service and writing career

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From 1963 to 1965, Granger served with the United States Army before his writing career that span from the 1960s to 2000 with several Chicago newspapers:[8]

Novels

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The November Man series

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  • 1979 The November Man
  • 1981 Schism
  • 1982 The Shattered Eye
  • 1983 The British Cross
  • 1984 The Zurich Numbers
  • 1986 Hemingway's Notebook
  • 1987 There Are No Spies
  • 1988 The Infant Of Prague
  • 1988 Henry McGee Is Not Dead
  • 1990 The Man Who Heard Too Much
  • 1990 League Of Terror
  • 1991 The Last Good German
  • 1993 Burning The Apostle

Drover series

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  • 1991 Drover
  • 1992 Drover and the Zebras
  • 1994 Drover and the Designated Hitter

Others

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  • 1980 Sweeps
  • 1981 Public Murders (Edgar Award winner)[1]
  • 1982 Queen's Crossing
  • 1982 Time for Frankie Coolin (as Bill Griffith)

Later years and death

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Granger had a stroke in January 2000, and ended his writing career. From 2002 to his death he lived in the Manteno Veterans Home; the immediate cause of death was a heart attack, although he had suffered a series of strokes since the 1990s.[1] He is survived by wife Lori and son Alec.[2]

In 2001, Lori Granger gave the DePaul University Special Collections and Archives a collection of documents and correspondence, including personal documents, photographs, and childhood items, related to her husband's career as a journalist and novelist.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Dennis Hevesi "Bill Granger, Journalist Turned Author of Fiction, Dies at 70", The New York Times, 5 May 2012
  2. ^ a b "Former Daily Herald columnist Bill Granger dies". DailyHerald.com. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  3. ^ Wells, Robert W (January 2, 1983). "Motivated by Fear, Bill Granger is writing—and selling—books". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 10.
  4. ^ Granger, Bill (March 20, 1983). "The Great Chicago Tavern Contest". The Chicago Tribune. p. G36. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012.
  5. ^ Granger, Bill (1986), Warner Books ISBN 0-446-32876-6
  6. ^ Granger, Bill (1988), (1st ed.), Random House Value Publishing ISBN 0-517-54491-1
  7. ^ Granger, Bill (1982), (1st ed.), Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-517-54742-2
  8. ^ a b c Bill Granger papers, DePaul University Special Collections and Archives. Accessed 21 February 2017.