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Will Tony wriggle away or end up being hooked? And will his Russian paymaster get caught in the net? When you are told by your teachers that you are no good at anything and you are feeling lonely and worthless, to discover you actually have a skill is very important,” he says. “For me, that skill was telling stories, which I did in the dormitory after lights out. It was always the same story, really. Two boys at the school escape every night and go off and have an adventure of some sort.”
Tony’s a cold fish… and no missed hake! Tony Stafford, a slippery eco-protester, is hired by a scheming Russian salmon farmer to batter his competitors. The Russian wants to keep his friends close but his anemones closer while Tony, rising to the bait, ditches his current girlfriend, Kim, for an old High School sole mate starring in panto. He is certainly prolific. So much so that he’s not entirely certain how many books he’s written. It may be “54 or 55,” he says. He is the author of the bestselling Alex Rider series, often described as James Bond for YA readers. But he has also written, with the blessing of the Fleming estate, three very well-received Bond novels. The most recent of those, With a Mind to Kill, was published in May. It is clear the author has put a lot of work into this, and it's a good effort. Nobody gets it right first time, though there are a few digs at the author's fishy past which impart the feeling that this is more of a therapeutic exercise that had culminated in a story. In this episode, there's a tech genius missing in action and the Diamond brothers want to solve the case - the only trouble is that they're being hounded by a gang who aren't much fun to be bothered by. It is investigative fiction at it's most fun - you'll have to suspend your disbelief, but you had to for Scooby Doo too and that was always a winner!
I'm a big fan of the Diamond Brothers detective series so I was very happy when a new adventure was published - the first novel since South by South East (1991) and the first story of any length since The Greek Who Stole Christmas (2007). The proceeds of this new book are going to charity.
where she becomes the subject of vitriol and abuse. Nobody has done more for literature and literacy in this country. And I think her charity work is extraordinary.” His first TV gig was on Robin of Sherwood, the 80s reinterpretation of the Robin Hood myth that added a generous dollop of pagan mysticism. With its theme tune by Clannad, it retains a cult following to this day. He is also a journalist and for a long time was a dependable right-of-centre voice for Conservative-supporting newspapers – though not any more. Endlessly light-hearted and ludicrous, this pair are perfect for KS2 and KS3 readers who like fast-paced stories with mysteries and jokes. There are Alex Rider references for Horowitz fans too. Would love to see this made into a TV series. Horowitz found himself in the news a couple of weeks ago when, at the Hay Festival, he criticised “cancel culture” and the culture of fear he believes it engenders.
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Horowitz says he “discovered” he was a writer at the prep school to which he was sent at the age of eight. He hated it and was frequently beaten by the headmaster. Even decades later, a visit to the place provoked a physical reaction and he found himself breathless and sweating, with his heart racing.
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