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The Aristocracy
“What you've got to understand is that men like him are the aristocracy in here. The armed robbers and contract killers. They're a breed apart.”
Darren Sinfield, the most notorious inmate at Lower Marston maximum-security prison, has gone over the wall and is thought to be holed up in nearby Avonford, a decaying town with a squalid underbelly.
The intelligence officer tasked with hunting him down, Declan Rennard, was an Avonford man himself back in the day. But times have changed. He used to know where the bodies are buried. Now he’s in danger of becoming one of them.
To catch a criminal, Dec is going to have to start thinking like one and that means entering his own dark history to engage in a twisted game of cat and mouse with a man who plays it better than anyone.
But unearthing the past will lead him into some dangerous places - the brutal world of organised crime, the dirty secrets of the security establishment and an inverted skyscraper under central London that is home to all the stories Britain would rather forget...
Darren Sinfield, the most notorious inmate at Lower Marston maximum-security prison, has gone over the wall and is thought to be holed up in nearby Avonford, a decaying town with a squalid underbelly.
The intelligence officer tasked with hunting him down, Declan Rennard, was an Avonford man himself back in the day. But times have changed. He used to know where the bodies are buried. Now he’s in danger of becoming one of them.
To catch a criminal, Dec is going to have to start thinking like one and that means entering his own dark history to engage in a twisted game of cat and mouse with a man who plays it better than anyone.
But unearthing the past will lead him into some dangerous places - the brutal world of organised crime, the dirty secrets of the security establishment and an inverted skyscraper under central London that is home to all the stories Britain would rather forget...
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A dark and disturbing story of revenge and retribution.
"The Aristocracy" opens in London, in 2007. British Intelligence officer Declan Rennard is beginning another day at the office, already moaning about having to cover for less capable colleagues, and winding up his boss. Said boss soon informs him that he's being sent back into the field- not just the field, but his old home turf. It seems Darren Sinfield, notorious inmate at Lower Marston maximum-security prison, has escaped and is thought to be holed up in nearby Avonford, a decaying town with a squalid underbelly, and Rennard's hometown.
And so a dark, disturbing, and not-too-pretty story unfolds as Rennard returns to the place he thought he had left behind forever. His job of locating Sinfield requires him to make contact with people he would prefer stayed in his past, and as his investigations deepen, the reader slowly learns of Rennard's past, from childhood to life as an undercover operative. We learn of the things he has done to get on - many of which will come back to haunt him.
Rennard is clearly damaged goods. He is a haunted, brooding individual, but highly intelligent. He carries guilt from long ago, stemming from his ability to rise out of the mire that was Avonford, to things he was required to do to survive. Much of the story takes place in Avonford, a dismal place in southwest England, which is painted in all its depressing glory, and the reader quickly realises why a young Rennard would want to leave it all behind. It is populated with old chip shops, pubs and would-be gangsters. The writing is noir-ish, the tone dark, but it moves along well, and there's even a Quiller-like feeling that old-time fans will like.
Fans of the author's previous books will find this a major change in direction - no more historical, wartime adventure, this is a more-or-less contemporary tale of one man's path to salvation. It's a hard read in places, but worth your time.
"The Aristocracy" opens in London, in 2007. British Intelligence officer Declan Rennard is beginning another day at the office, already moaning about having to cover for less capable colleagues, and winding up his boss. Said boss soon informs him that he's being sent back into the field- not just the field, but his old home turf. It seems Darren Sinfield, notorious inmate at Lower Marston maximum-security prison, has escaped and is thought to be holed up in nearby Avonford, a decaying town with a squalid underbelly, and Rennard's hometown.
And so a dark, disturbing, and not-too-pretty story unfolds as Rennard returns to the place he thought he had left behind forever. His job of locating Sinfield requires him to make contact with people he would prefer stayed in his past, and as his investigations deepen, the reader slowly learns of Rennard's past, from childhood to life as an undercover operative. We learn of the things he has done to get on - many of which will come back to haunt him.
Rennard is clearly damaged goods. He is a haunted, brooding individual, but highly intelligent. He carries guilt from long ago, stemming from his ability to rise out of the mire that was Avonford, to things he was required to do to survive. Much of the story takes place in Avonford, a dismal place in southwest England, which is painted in all its depressing glory, and the reader quickly realises why a young Rennard would want to leave it all behind. It is populated with old chip shops, pubs and would-be gangsters. The writing is noir-ish, the tone dark, but it moves along well, and there's even a Quiller-like feeling that old-time fans will like.
Fans of the author's previous books will find this a major change in direction - no more historical, wartime adventure, this is a more-or-less contemporary tale of one man's path to salvation. It's a hard read in places, but worth your time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Declan Rennard is an intelligence officer on the hunt for escaped prisoner Darren Sinfield. A man whose reputation is legendary.
He’s on the hunt for Darren in his own backyard, the notorious town of Avonford.
A place Declan knows very well from his own past, a place where he used to know who’s who, and where the bodies were buried.
To catch his quarry he going need to think like him, or he might end up as one of those buried bodies.
With both parties having a dark past, this will be the ultimate game of cat and mouse, exposing the brutal underbelly of organised crime and its links to the establishment of the country.
This the third book by Patrick Worrall and maybe his best so far.
The story is gritty, dark and totally absorbing. The characters are on point and the location of the story is excellent.
I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
He’s on the hunt for Darren in his own backyard, the notorious town of Avonford.
A place Declan knows very well from his own past, a place where he used to know who’s who, and where the bodies were buried.
To catch his quarry he going need to think like him, or he might end up as one of those buried bodies.
With both parties having a dark past, this will be the ultimate game of cat and mouse, exposing the brutal underbelly of organised crime and its links to the establishment of the country.
This the third book by Patrick Worrall and maybe his best so far.
The story is gritty, dark and totally absorbing. The characters are on point and the location of the story is excellent.
I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a captivating and highly original thriller featuring a tarnished hero in intelligence officer Declan Rennard who has seen action throughout the world and has a murky background and is haunted by nightmares about some of the scrapes he previously got into.
He is sent to find a high profile and violent escaped prisoner who goes back a long way with Declan and comes from the same Midlands sink town.
He re engages with characters from his past and is given the opportunity to exorcise his demons.
The writing and plotting is taut and tense and in Declan, Worrall has created a memorable character who hopefully will reappear in what could become an established series
He is sent to find a high profile and violent escaped prisoner who goes back a long way with Declan and comes from the same Midlands sink town.
He re engages with characters from his past and is given the opportunity to exorcise his demons.
The writing and plotting is taut and tense and in Declan, Worrall has created a memorable character who hopefully will reappear in what could become an established series
June 29, 2026
This was a really good read, kept me interested the whole way through, i could visualise the scenes the writing was on point. I would definitely be interested in more from this author, i think the plots can be slightly more refined and tightened with less - the random descriptions of the plants and Dec almost tuning out, I know it was meant to show his mental state but it sometimes distracted from the plot and the plot was thick, I struggled a couple of times to remember exactly which subplot I was reading. I think Roxanne was a bit of a non character and maybe not needed. Overall solid 4 stars
June 11, 2026
Certainly original, compelling , morally complex and superbly written.The best book of this year so far.
A legend of the security services gets sent to his old home town to track a escaped prisoner and unearths a horrifying conspiracy of abuse and paedophiles.
The superb plotting is totally believable, and the moral quagmire he finds himself in utterly compelling.
What do you do to protect the service, everything and anything, no matter the personal cost.
Patrick Worrall is a fantastic new author.
A legend of the security services gets sent to his old home town to track a escaped prisoner and unearths a horrifying conspiracy of abuse and paedophiles.
The superb plotting is totally believable, and the moral quagmire he finds himself in utterly compelling.
What do you do to protect the service, everything and anything, no matter the personal cost.
Patrick Worrall is a fantastic new author.
August 23, 2026
Three and a half stars.
Decent thriller which breaks no new ground.
Fairly standard; ex alcoholic secret agent suffering from p.t.s.d is forced to choose between duty and his past.
After breaking out from a maximum security prison with a little help from the inside a deranged crime lord can only be stopped by our man with a connection to the past.
An easy read which held my attention but isn't likely to stay long in the memory.
Average.
Decent thriller which breaks no new ground.
Fairly standard; ex alcoholic secret agent suffering from p.t.s.d is forced to choose between duty and his past.
After breaking out from a maximum security prison with a little help from the inside a deranged crime lord can only be stopped by our man with a connection to the past.
An easy read which held my attention but isn't likely to stay long in the memory.
Average.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews