along at full tilt from page to page.”
Books for Keeps
“One of the funniest books of the year.”
Young Telegraph
ANTHONY HOROWITZ is one of the most popular contemporary children’s writers. Both The Power of Five and Alex Rider are number one bestselling series enjoyed by millions of readers worldwide.
When Anthony launched the Alex Rider series he created a phenomenon in children’s books, spurring a new trend of junior spy books and inspiring thousands of previously reluctant readers. Hailed as a reading hero, Anthony has also won many major awards, including the Bookseller Association/Nielsen Author of the Year Award, the Children’s Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards, and the Red House Children’s Book Award. The first Alex Rider adventure,
Stormbreaker
, was made into a blockbuster movie in 2006.
Anthony’s other titles for Walker Books include the Diamond Brothers mysteries;
Groosham Grange
and its sequel,
Return to Groosham Grange; The Devil and His Boy; Granny; The Switch
; and a collection of horror stories,
More Bloody Horowitz
. Anthony also writes extensively for TV, with programmes including
Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, Collision
and, most recently,
Injustice
. His latest novel,
The House of Silk
, is a brand new Sherlock Holmes adventure, written with the endorsement of the Conan Doyle Estate.
Although abandoned by both his sons, Anthony Horowitz continues to live in Clerkenwell with his wife, Jill Green, and the ghost of his dog, Lucky. You can find out more about Anthony and his books at:
www.anthonyhorowitz.com
www.alexrider.com
www.powerof5.co.uk
“Anthony Horowitz is the lion of children’s literature.”
Michael Morpurgo
“Horowitz has become a writer who converts boys to reading.”
The Times
“A first-class children’s novelist.”
TES
Other Diamond Brothers books
The Falcon’s Malteser
Public Enemy Number Two
South By South East
The Blurred Man
I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
The Greek Who Stole Christmas
The Alex Rider ™ books
Stormbreaker
Point Blanc
Skeleton Key
Eagle Strike
Scorpia
Ark Angel
Snakehead
The Power of Five ™ series
Raven’s Gate
Evil Star
Nightrise
Necropolis
Oblivion
Other books by the same author
The Devil and His Boy
Granny
Groosham Grange
Return to Groosham Grange
The Switch
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously. All statements, activities, stunts, descriptions, information and material of any other kind contained herein are included for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied on for accuracy or replicated as they may result in injury.
First published 2002 by Walker Books Ltd
87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ
Text © 2002 Anthony Horowitz
Cover illustration © 2007 Martin Chatterton
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4063-4248-2
www.walker.co.uk
Michelle Betham
Peter Handke
Cynthia Eden
Patrick Horne
Steven R. Burke
Nicola May
Shana Galen
Andrew Lane
Peggy Dulle
Elin Hilderbrand