Anthony Horowitz announced in March 2016 that he will be publishing a collection of Alex Rider short stories. 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.

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 title story, Secret Weapon, pits Alex against someone from his past, a dangerous drug dealer with a grudge against the boy who was responsible for him ending up in prison. For fans of the series, Secret Weapon is an excellent and varied collection, showcasing Alex’s talents and problem-solving abilities, interspersed with some rare domestic moments, including his huge fear of dentists! There are half a dozen stories I’ve written over the years for newspapers and magazines, and they wanted to bring them together.I thought the book had a really good plot line, with the stories being set in lots of different places. 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.

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. 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. 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. This is the latest book in the Alex Rider series and is my second favourite, with Scorpia being my first choice.

Ever since MI6 recognised his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. 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. Ever since MI6 recognized his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger.