Reluctant MI6 agent Alex Rider is relaxing in the south of France until a sudden, ruthless attack on his hosts plunges him back into a world of violence and mystery ? and this time, MI6 don?t want to know. Alex is determined to track down his friends? attackers, even if he must do it alone. But it?s a path that leads to a long-buried secret ? and a discovery more terrible than anything he could have imagined.