LJ Ross Chooses a Classic Spy Thriller for May's Book Club
Northumberland-born LJ Ross is the bestselling author of the DCI Ryan murder mystery series. Each month, she shares an exclusive Book Club pick with Living North
This month's LJ Ross Book Club pick is a satirical classic spy thriller, poking fun at the British intelligence services and the agents who work for them.
Graham Greene
Our Man In Havana
First published in 1958, the story is a satirical look at the British intelligence services, and their eagerness to believe reports from local informants. The storyline was heavily influenced by Greene’s own tenure in counter-espionage at MI6, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, where he learned that agents who relayed fictitious reports could garner expenses and bonuses to supplement their salaries. One such person, a Spanish double agent based in Lisbon who went by the name of Garbo, provided ample inspiration for Greene’s protagonist, James Wormold.
LJ’s Thoughts:
‘It is notoriously difficult to write comedy, but, as with so many things, Graham Greene managed to create a darkly comedic world of farcical espionage, blended seamlessly with reality so that both reader and fictional character alike seem never to know which carries the prevailing wind in any given chapter. His stories are always a joy to read, because they require very little effort to fall into; the prose is flowing and graceful, but, more than this, Greene’s unparalleled ability to observe humanity and detail its foibles with compassion is what sets him apart from others of his genre. If you haven’t picked up one of his books before, this is as good a beginning as any of his works, because you won’t be disappointed with any of them!’
