Product Description

Teenage superspy Alex Rider is enlisted by the national security services again - this time for a routine reconnaissance mission at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. But before long, Alex finds himself caught up in a terrifying chain of events that leads from the Chinese Triad gangs in London to an undercover assignment in Cuba. Alex begins to make chilling links between suspicious deaths, an illegal nuclear weapons deal and the plans of his host, Russian General Sarov, for the future of the world...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2718 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
"Horowitz has become a writer who converts boys to reading." Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times * "Horowitz will grip you with suspense, daring and cheek - and that's just the first page!... Prepare for action scenes as fast as a movie." The Times on Point Blanc * "Done with enormous style, fun and suspense. Wannabe James Bonds will be completely hooked and eager for more." The Guardian on Point Blanc * "A hugely entertaining, fast-paced book which more than deserves five stars." www.cool-reads.co.uk on Point Blanc

The Guardian
Done with enormous style, fun and suspense. Wannabe James Bonds will be completely hooked and eager for more.

Cool Reads website
A hugely entertaining, fast-paced book which deserves more than 5 stars.

Customer Reviews

Skeleton Key
I fully recommend Anthony Horowitz's new Alex Rider book, Skeleton Key. It is action-packed and reads just like watching an adventure film. This is a great sequel to 'Stormbreaker' and 'Point Blanc'. Anthony Horowitz makes me never want to put his books down because he is such a great author. This time, MI6 persuade Alex to find out who is trying to sabotage the Wimbledon tennis championships. Then a murderous Chinese triad gang try to kill him. He is forced to hide out at an island called Skeleton Key. General Sarov is an insane Russian who plans to change history with a nuclear bomb. Only Alex can stop him with some brilliantly disguised gadgets, such as a mobile phone that works underwater and has an aerial that shoots out a drugged needle when dialing '999'. Sarov's henchman, Conrad, doesn't making it easy for Alex. The teenage spy comes face to face with a great white shark, battles against a triad gang member on a jet ski, tries to blow up a classic motor yacht, and loads more... This is not as thrilling as the excellent 'Stormbreaker', but it is still one of the best books I've read.

A series that gets better with each book
For parents of boys who've given up on books, the Alex Rider series is a godsend. Here the reluctant teenage spy foils a Triad betting scam while working undercover as ball-boy at WImbledon, out-manoeuvres an assassin on his surfboard at Cornwall and survives a shark attack and a killer cave that kills two adult CIA spies. Ultimately, he saves the world... The tension is wicked, and so are the great jokes. More, please!

Sparkly... very sparkly.
Teen spy Alex Rider is more Harry Palmer than James Bond, a reluctant agent who just wants to get on with his life. But author Anthony Horowitz has other plans for him, pitting him against villains with delicious names like Herod Sayle and Dr Grief and forcing his fourteen year old hero - Buffy-like - to save the world more than once.

The pace of Alex Rider's third adventure 'Skeleton Key' is so compulsive that is almost impossible to put down. Thoroughly researched and extremely well-written, with evocative settings and great baddies, this is a brilliant adventure for kids aged 10 and up. And there are plenty of 'in-jokes' for us grown ups, too.

Plus, I like the book's cover. As Dustin Hoffman says in Rain Man: 'Sparkly... very sparkly.' I want sparkles on MY next book!