After the traumatic events of Scorpia Rising, it looked very much like Alex had finally been allowed to go back to the life of an ordinary boy, moving to the States to live with his friend Sabina Pleasure and her parents. The Man with Eleven Fingers starts with a rare glimpse into what Alex was like when his housekeeper – and later his closest friend – Jack Starbright first arrived in a house in Chelsea to help look after a truculent seven-year-old, then moves onto the case of Freddy ‘Fingers’, a man on trial for a massive case of embezzlement. Well, it was when Walker Books asked me to polish some pre-published short stories that I realized I’d rather missed my reluctant teenaged spy. All the stories in this collection are set when Alex is 14, before the worst of his tangles with Scorpia and his own deranged clone, Julius Grief.

This is the latest book in the Alex Rider series and is my second favourite, with Scorpia being my first choice. In my view, Smithers is the only person in MI6 who never manipulated or lied to Alex and, as his creator revealed in Scorpia Rising, there’s a lot more to Smithers than meets the eye – or do I mean a lot less? Without telling you the ending, you will be surprised about how it ends and you will certainly want to read more books by this author! Rupert Degas's narrations are marked by his versatile and emotive voice, creating a captivating and enjoyable listening experience.We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform, so if you choose to subscribe your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.

It was an exciting book and I was really keen to find out what was going to happen next and wanted to keep reading on. I thought the book had a really good plot line, with the stories being set in lots of different places.And Alex’s concerns about some dubious chocolate bars lead to one of the few times he actually contacts Mrs Jones and Alan Blunt of MI6 of his own accord. This collection of thrilling adventures features familiar and new assailants from the best-loved world of Alex Rider, and also includes three never-before-seen stories. High Tension is the shortest story in the book, set in the south of France on a day when Alex tries out parasailing, and naturally, things don’t go entirely to plan, forcing him to put his skills and training to use to get out of a dangerous situation, that for once has nothing to do with anyone deliberately trying to kill him. There are half a dozen stories I’ve written over the years for newspapers and magazines, and they wanted to bring them together. Ever since MI6 recognized his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger.

Secret Weapon is the book that Alex Rider’s fans have to thank for the continuation of the young spy’s highly entertaining adventures. In Alex in Afghanistan, he has to undertake a perilous journey that only someone of his age – and size – would be able to accomplish, but despite all the promises, nothing is ever simple where his missions are concerned. By submitting a review you grant us the right to display and use it in any way; please read our General Legal Notices for full details. The title story, Secret Weapon, pits Alex against someone from his past, a dangerous drug dealer with a grudge against the boy who was responsible for him ending up in prison.From a routine visit to the dentist that turns into a chase through the streets of London, to a school trip with a deadly twist, no day has ever been ordinary for the teenage super-spy. Anthony Horowitz announced in March 2016 that he will be publishing a collection of Alex Rider short stories.