There is lots of adventure from the very start of the story, with plenty of action to keep me entertained. 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. 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. 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. In truth, I thought I must have run out of action sequences, secret gadgets and plots to destroy the world.

If you are under 16, please obtain your parent/guardian’s permission before submitting or ask your parent/guardian to submit on your behalf. 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. 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. 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.Rupert Degas's narrations are marked by his versatile and emotive voice, creating a captivating and enjoyable listening experience. 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. Ever since MI6 recognised his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. 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. Ever since MI6 recognized his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger.

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? 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.

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. I thought the book had a really good plot line, with the stories being set in lots of different places. Anthony Horowitz announced in March 2016 that he will be publishing a collection of Alex Rider short stories.

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. 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 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.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 are half a dozen stories I’ve written over the years for newspapers and magazines, and they wanted to bring them together. Alternatively, we suggest that you visit your local library and request to borrow a copy from a friendly librarian, if you cannot find the book on its shelves. 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.