At the Ann Arbor District Library there are many great books, and many terrific authors. With the advent of summer, many of us find that we have more time to read and are looking for current, popular books to captivate us. However, sometimes, during that quest for the novel, we may overlook some gems that are not so new, not in the media spotlight, not on our lists. This is particularly the case if the author has been deceased for a number of years.

One such author, Graham Greene (1904-1991), offers a variety of different works for different tastes. Greene wrote both what could be considered literary works, such as The Heart of the Matter, which focus more on the prose, character, and theme, and others he termed 'Entertainments' which read more like genre fiction, particularly mystery or suspense.

Greene worked surreptitiously as a spy for the British Government for a majority of his active writing career (being a writer was considered quite a good cover, by his government). Greene often remarked that the spy novels of Ian Fleming and the like poorly reflected the real nature of secret service. His experience often bleeds onto the page in works such as The Quiet American, The Confidential Agent, or Our Man in Havana.