The Fall

This was a big step-up in the series for me - the first third in particular being excellent spy novel material. The snowy Russian setting, shadowy characters surrounding James with undecipherable motivations and slow and fast-paced action made for an entertaining read. The remainder of the book returns to CHERUB campus and makes the story feel a bit smaller, even though it's introducing a conspiracy. There are definitely a few characters who get more depth and backstory added to them, but it just doesn't feel as good as the first half. Lauren gets her first solo mission linked to the exciting self-contained opening chapter. It definitely ends in grim circumstances, with the novel briefly but effectively touching on human trafficking. Whilst James initially has to deal with social issues, the book's ending was unexpected in this aspect and is one of many reasons to read the next CHERUB novel.