The Irregular: A Different Class of Spy

As a boy, he spied for Sherlock Holmes. As a man, he must save the Empire.

London 1909: The British Empire seems invulnerable. But Captain Vernon Kell, head of counter-intelligence at the War Office, knows better. In Russia, revolution; in Germany, an arms race; in London, the streets are alive with foreign terrorists. Kell wants to set up a Secret Service, but to convince his political masters he needs proof of a threat - and to find that, he needs an agent he can trust. The playing fields of Eton may produce good officers, but not men who can work undercover in a munitions factory that appears to be leaking secrets to the Germans.

Kell needs Wiggins. Trained as a child by Kell's old friend Sherlock Holmes - he led a gang of urchin investigators known as the Baker Street Irregulars - Wiggins is an ex-soldier with an expert line in deduction and the cunning of a born street fighter. 'The best', says Holmes.

Wiggins turns down the job - he 'don't do official'. But when his best friend is killed by Russian anarchists, Wiggins sees that the role of secret agent could take him towards his sworn revenge.

Tracking the Russian gang, Wiggins meets a mysterious beauty called Bela, who saves his life. Working for Kell, he begins to unravel a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the munitions factory.

Fast-paced, action-packed, full of twists and violent, sometimes poignant shocks, THE IRREGULAR: A DIFFERENT CLASS OF SPY marks the arrival of a brilliant new writer.

“H.B. Lyle has found the golden thread between Bond and Holmes in a thriller which engages on every page”

A flavoursome smorgasbord that features not only Holmes but also Winston Churchill, this is irresistible stuff - Barry Forshaw, Guardian

A good deal of excitement and some enjoyable riffing on both the history of espionage and the Conan Doyle canon, with cameos of everybody from Winston Churchill to Mr Holmes himself... the book is a treat - Sunday Express

Impressive period detail and sharp dialogue add charm to the strong plot - Daily Mail

An exciting, action packed adventure ... Lyle has chosen an interesting and highly engaging way to take the Sherlock Holmes legacy in a new and thrilling direction - Shots

It is hard to generate something new in such an avalanche of well-worn tropes, but H.B. Lyle has managed to do that quite cleverly in The Irregular - Crime Time

H.B. Lyle lives in South London with his partner and their twin daughters. After a career in

feature film development, he took an MA in creative writing - then PhD - at the University of

East Anglia, an experience which led to the creation of The Irregular. He also writes screenplays

and teaches undergraduates.

As a boy, he spied for Sherlock Holmes. As a man, he must save the Empire. London 1909: The British Empire seems invulnerable. But Captain Vernon Kell, head of counter-intelligence at the War Office, knows better. In Russia, revolution; in Germany, an arms race; in London, the streets are alive with foreign terrorists. Kell wants to set up a Secret Service, but to convince his political masters he needs proof of a threat - and to find that, he needs an agent he can trust. The playing fields of Eton may produce good officers, but not men who can work undercover in a munitions factory that appears to be leaking secrets to the Germans.Kell needs Wiggins. Trained as a child by Kell's old friend Sherlock Holmes - he led a gang of urchin investigators known as the Baker Street Irregulars - Wiggins is an ex-soldier with an expert line in deduction and the cunning of a born street fighter. 'The best', says Holmes.Wiggins turns down the job - he 'don't do official'. But when his best friend is killed by Russian anarchists, Wiggins sees that the role of secret agent could take him towards his sworn revenge.Tracking the Russian gang, Wiggins meets a mysterious beauty called Bela, who saves his life. Working for Kell, he begins to unravel a conspiracy that reaches far beyond the munitions factory.Fast-paced, action-packed, full of twists and violent, sometimes poignant shocks , THE IRREGULAR: A DIFFERENT CLASS OF SPY marks the arrival of a brilliant new writer.

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