Ever since MI6 recognized his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. It demonstrates a cynical willingness to exploit a young boy, and shows that, in essence, Alex’s whole relationship with Ian Rider was based on a series of lies, a hard lesson for him to learn and an even harder one to look back on, although there is an alternative explanation that maybe Ian was simply giving his nephew the skills needed to survive if Ian ever accidentally brings his work home.

Ever since MI6 recognised his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. 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. 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. The book contains three new adventures as well as the previously published stories, and in writing those, Horowitz realised that there were still more tales he could tell, and so the series continued, and in a very satisfactory manner, too, proving that follow ups aren’t always a mistake. I thought the book had a really good plot line, with the stories being set in lots of different places.

This is the latest book in the Alex Rider series and is my second favourite, with Scorpia being my first choice. Then, several years later, his publishers suggested the idea of tidying up some short stories he’d written, published as bonus features and other extras, and Secret Weapon was the end result. For Alex Rider fans or readers who enjoy short action adventure stories this book contains a collection of seven explosives stories about teen action hero Alex Rider. 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? Anthony Horowitz announced in March 2016 that he will be publishing a collection of Alex Rider short stories.

It wasn’t going to be enough for a whole book, so I’m writing the other half as a sort of novella to give it the paper-length it needs – and I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I am, but it’s actually going very well. Secret Weapon is the book that Alex Rider’s fans have to thank for the continuation of the young spy’s highly entertaining adventures.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. 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.

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.An essential collection of seven explosive Alex Rider stories by number one bestselling author, Anthony Horowitz. This book was good because I enjoyed finding out more about the character of Alex Rider and his determination to solve problems in a fearless way. 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.

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!Anthony has written over 40 books including the bestselling teen spy series Alex Rider, which he adapted into a movie that was released worldwide in 2006. The young spy is less traumatised, and there is a lighter tone to some of the stories, such as the delightfully entertaining Tea with Smithers, which provides some insights into the behind the scenes life of MI6’s gadget inventor, Q to Alex’s Bond. There is lots of adventure from the very start of the story, with plenty of action to keep me entertained. The story contains all Horowitz’s trademark ingenuity when it comes to planning and plotting and, as usual, showcases Alex’s own abilities to the full, as does the final story in the collection, Spy Trap, in which Alex ends up in a secretive hospital, treated by people who claim to be looking after him following a car accident, but he quickly has his doubts about their motives.