Jago Hale is a freelance investigative reporter.
He is also a man with a history, largely kept very quiet, of working on behalf of and with the assistance of British Intelligence.
When we first meet him he is a widower in his late 30 or very early 40s, living with the sole companionship of a large dog (breed unknown) named Chobi, a pet obtained within the past year to help deal with the loss of his wife. She had perished as the victim of a hit-and-run while crossing a London street, the nature of which was mysterious at the time.
Hale is able to operate as a freelancer because he does not need the income. He is set very well for the rest of his life from the funds his wealthy spouse had left him but there is never a doubt he would trade every penny to have her back.
That new-found wealth does, however, give him the ability to pick and choose his assignments, though he probably could have even before the inheritance due to his already firmly established reputation having won the prestigious Pulitzer some time back.
That renown has also helped quite a bit in his occasional side job of assisting the Crown with certain assignments totally off-book. This includes putting his life on the line many times, often in the figurative trenches with SAS troops also seconded to the Intelligence departments. Using his journalistic credentials to explain his presence in hot spots around the world has helped a lot. Being able to handle himself in highly dangerous situations and defend himself when needed is also a very useful asset.