Secret Weapon (Alex Rider)

Product Information

The story points up how Alex was trained by his uncle, himself a spy in the employ of MI6, from a very early age to follow in what was effectively a family profession. 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.

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?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.

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.Ever since MI6 recognised his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. 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. Secret Weapon is the book that Alex Rider’s fans have to thank for the continuation of the young spy’s highly entertaining adventures.

There is lots of adventure from the very start of the story, with plenty of action to keep me entertained. 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! In truth, I thought I must have run out of action sequences, secret gadgets and plots to destroy the world. An essential collection of seven explosive Alex Rider stories by number one bestselling author, Anthony Horowitz. 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.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. Secret Weapon is a collection of seven explosive adventures featuring familiar and new assailants from the much-loved world of Alex Rider, including three never-before-seen stories.

Rupert Degas's narrations are marked by his versatile and emotive voice, creating a captivating and enjoyable listening experience. This variety kept me interested and entertained although I would say that I prefer the format of a full length story than the shorter stories as you can get into them more.

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. 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. There are half a dozen stories I’ve written over the years for newspapers and magazines, and they wanted to bring them together. 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.