Russian Roulette: The Story of an Assassin (Alex Rider)
The final Alex Rider title is a companion to the first (Stormbreaker, 2001), focusing on Scorpia assassin Yassen Gregorovich. Prior to his mission targeting Alex, Yassen reminisces about his life: the anthrax deaths of his parents; his journey to Moscow where he falls in with pickpockets; and his kidnapping by Vladimir Sharkovsky, a wealthy businessman responsible for the death of Yassen’s parents. When Sharkovsky is gunned down, Yassen convinces the assassin to rescue him, leading Gregorovich to the Scorpia organization and eventually special training with double-agent John Rider, Alex’s father. As many can attest, Horowitz is a master of the YA spy thriller. He creates intriguing characters that readers care about, places them in exotic locales, forces them into perilous circumstances (for example, John Rider in the Amazon removing a target and a black widow spider with one bullet), and doles out relevant clues at a steady pace, ensuring that the suspense never flags. Although some may miss the clever gadgets used in the earlier novels, this makes a satisfying conclusion to a terrific series.      HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A national “Alex Rider Villain Tour,” dedicated website, and app ought to build further interest on top of the already existing demand. Rider should ride out on top. Grades 6-9. --Kay Weisman