The Irregular, by H.B.Lyle, Book Review

A different class of spy (guest reviewer Sylvia Campbell)

Let me make it clear, I am all for bloody murder but loathe dystopian science fiction and, just as much, Dickensian poverty, filth and misery. It´s just not my thing. So when a crime book featuring poverty stricken street urchins in miserable turn of the century London was put into my hands I was not full of the joys of reading. Trust me, when I first opened the covers this book, the first crime novel by H. B. Lyle, it was an exercise of duty. After page 3 I could not put the damn thing down. I hunkered down with it every free minute of the day, delayed turning out the lights at night until my eyes went on strike and snuck it out of my bag in every queue I had to stand in. 

Following the story of Wiggins, former street urchin and leader of the ´Baker Street Irregulars- clever, poor and trained by Sherlock Holmes- was addictive. Wiggins, now a hardened former soldier, street fighter and reluctant bailiff with a heart is recruited by the head of counter-intelligence at the War Office. And as the story unfolds the links with the future are made clear. But you will just have to read it to figure it out. Just make sure you have plenty of free time.

If you need to prepare for work, complete your tax return, attend your own wedding… whatever it is you really need to do – don´t pick up this book before a deadline.

Author: H.B. Lyle

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, published May 2017

Price: £ 17.99 hardcover