My Adventures, A German Spy in Britain

Set during the First World War, ‘My Adventures, A German Spy in Britain’ is a collection of short stories narrated by secret agent, Heine. While he might have been sent to London by German Intelligence, intelligence is not his strong point. Armed with a Chilean passport and posing as a reporter for the Chinese New Bureau, the hapless Heine sets about uncovering any secrets he can. However, his natural cowardice and penchant for missing the obvious make his task much harder than necessary. A light-hearted and fun read for fans of the ‘Smithy’ series. Born in London, Edgar Wallace (1875 – 1932) was an English writer so prolific that his publisher claimed that he was responsible for a quarter of all books sold in England. Leaving school at the age of 12, Wallace made his first steps into the literary world by selling newspapers on the corner of Fleet Street. He worked as a war correspondent after joining the army at age 21, which honed his writing abilities. This led to the creation of his first book ‘The Four Just Men.’ Wallace is best remembered as the co-creator of ‘King Kong,’ which has been adapted for film 12 times (most notably directed by ‘Lord of the Rings’ director, Peter Jackson, and starring Jack Black and Naomi Watts). However, he leaves behind an extensive body of work, including stories such as ‘The Crimson Circle’ and ‘The Flying Squad’.