Alex Rider #5: Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz

This book is the fifth in the Alex Rider series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Scorpia has created a secret weapon called the Invisible Sword, and they're threatening to use it to kill thousands of children in London. They've also convinced Alex to join their organization by showing him video of MI6 killing his father. Alex attends Scorpia's training facility, and his first mission is to kill Mrs. Jones from MI6. Alex doesn't feel he can intentionally kill anyone, but Mrs. Jones was the person who ordered the shooting of his father. Alex gets caught between the two competing groups and is the key to stopping the Invisible Sword. Niles, a ruthless assassin for Scorpia, is prepared to kill Alex if he doesn't complete his mission.

Alex is bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball as he learns new truths about his father. The plot keeps you guessing as Alex trains to become an agent for Scorpia. It doesn't seem true, but there he is at their camp, excelling at all of his classes. The reader is also constantly wondering how the Invisible Sword works, especially after it kills eighteen people, under military protection, in the middle of the afternoon. It's also a mystery as to how it can be stopped once the secret is discovered. Of course, Alex has a deadly showdown with Niles during the climax of the story. It was an entertaining book.