Small time crook Leon Tarasov, a Russian immigrant, has had a low profile since he and brother Nikola entered Britain in the fifties. Always a little shady, they benefited from a riot in their neighbourhood in 1981 that enabled them to buy a pub that soon became a notorious hangout for petty criminals. After a collapse following the death of his brother, Leon fell into heavy debt but somehow pulled himself back together – he not only paid all his outstanding debts but bought a second pub.
Two CHERUB agents are going to move into an apartment on the estate and try to get close to Leon’s children and his nephew and niece. Because of their similarity in appearance, James and older agent Dave have been selected for the mission.
James is overjoyed to be involved – always short-tempered, all his friends are shunning him because of an outburst of anger in the aftermath of being dumped by his girlfriend. James smacked and shoved Andy, a new, already traumatised eleven-year-old recruit and it’s not just his friends who are taking action – Andy’s being guarded by a couple of huge sixteen-year-olds, admin are punishing him and compelling anger management classes, and Lauren’s only allowed to speak to him because she’s his sister.
It’s this aspect that sets the CHERUB series above most rank and file YA series – not only is the protagonist flawed but he is seriously flawed (in a way that is understandable to readers), and is called on it, and the seeds for this were sown from the beginning of the series. As Lauren tells James, unless he learns to handle his temper he’ll have no friends and he’ll “end up battering [his] wife and children some day,” an accusation that shocks James but which is an accurate prediction.
Of course, this aspect is woven into the broader plot of The Killing rather than being its focus, and getting to the bottom of what happened, including the death thirteen months earlier of a young drug addict, is complex and satisfying. Muchamore continues to deliver strong plots, realistic action (in both training exercises and on the ground), and strongly developed characters. Though more satisfying if read in order, enough of the framework is included that a neophyte would also enjoy reading The Killing as a stand-alone novel. It’s a good thing the series is in such high demand that I have to reserve them in advance or I’d be hard pressed not to finish them all in one sitting. - Alex
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