Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

Skeleton Key
  • Rated 0 stars
Read Skeleton Key
Alex Rider: Book 3

Skeleton Key (2002) (edit title/settings)

by Anthony Horowitz (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

Working as a secret agent for Britain's most exclusive agency, Alex Rider thinks he's seen it all. He's been shot at by international terrorists, stood face-to-face with pure evil, and saved the world -- twice. All before his fifteenth birthday. But Alex is about to face something more... read more

Summary edit see section history

At the request of MI6 agent John Crawley, Alex becomes a ball boy at Wimbledon. There, he finds that the Chinese Triad gang "Big Circle" is fixing matches. He foils the plot, but soon becomes a target and barely survives an attempt on his life while surfing on vacation with a friend, Sabina... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

At the request of MI6 agent John Crawley, Alex becomes a ball boy at Wimbledon. There, he finds that the Chinese Triad gang "Big Circle" is fixing matches. He foils the plot, but soon becomes a target and barely survives an attempt on his life while surfing on vacation with a friend, Sabina Pleasure. For his safety, both MI6 and the CIA send him with CIA agents Tom Turner (Glen Carver in the US version) and Belinda Troy to the Cuban island of "Cayo Esqueleto" (Spanish for "Skeleton Key") to investigate General Alexei Sarov. Alex learns that Sarov recently purchased nuclear material, and the CIA is concerned about what will happen next.

To enter Sarov's mansion, Turner and Troy go scuba diving. When they do not return, Alex dives as well and is captured by Sarov's henchman, Conrad. Sarov tells Alex that he plans to detonate the nuclear bomb at Murmansk (Мурманск in Russian), in an abandoned shipyard of nuclear submarines. The nuclear fallout will force President of Russia Boris Kiriyenko out of power and lead to Russia reclaiming glory lost during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Sarov also wishes to adopt Alex as his son, as he reminds Sarov of his own son who was killed in action in Afghanistan whilst serving in the Soviet army.

When the plane they are traveling in stops at Edinburgh Airport, Alex uses a stun grenade (courtesy of Smithers at MI6) to distract Conrad. A security guard called George Prescott, however, grabs Alex's phone as he tries to call the police. Sarov quickly recaptures Alex and kills Prescott. At Murmansk, Sarov plants the bomb and ties Alex up due to his earlier escape attempt. Alex escapes; Conrad tries to kill him, but Alex avoids Conrad and kills him with a giant magnetic crane used to lift the bomb. (Conrad had numerous pieces of metal inside his body, which were powerfully attracted to the magnet.) He then removes the detonation card from the bomb. The Russian army arrives and starts fighting Sarov's men. When Alex tells Sarov that he would rather die than become Sarov's son, Sarov commits suicide.

In the final chapter of the novel, it is revealed that when Alex explained his predicament to George Prescott, Prescott took the phone from Alex but he never hung up. As a result, the police hear the conversation but don't believe Alex. When Prescott's body is found, the police are notified. The police then alerted MI6 and the Russians. Alex is depressed after having seen Sarov shoot himself. Alex's friend from Wimbledon, Sabina Pleasure, visits Alex and invites him on holiday with her family in France for a couple of weeks, cheering Alex up

Characters edit see section history

  • Alex Rider: Age 14, works for MI6 as a spy. Is fluent in three languages. And is skilled in many activities, such as martial arts, scuba diving, mountain climbing and others
  • Alexei Sarov: Former Russian general and the villain of this book.
  • Belinda Troy: CIA agent that works with Alex for the mission.
  • Conrad: Works for Sarov
  • Glen Carver: CIA agent that works with Alex for the mission.
  • Mrs. Jones: She is the Assistant of Operations of MI6. (Alan Blunt is her boss.)
  • John Crawley: he works for the MI6.
  • Sabina Pleasure: Alex's friend. He met her at the Wimbolton Games as a ball girl.
  • Vladimir Savor: General Sarov's son. Killed in war at the age of 16.
  • Ian Rider: Alex's uncle.
  • Jack Starbright: Alex's housekeeper and friend.
  • Boris Kiriyenko: Russian President
  • Alan Blunt: The Head of MI6. Emotionless, and never had feelings for employed spies. Alex's boss.
  • Joe Byrne: vice-president for the Secret Operations of CIA.
  • John Crawley: director of one of the MI6 offices.
Show all 15 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “It will be like 2 weeks in the sun or a paid vacation”
    Alan blunt
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • But then, he thought, most politicians are small and shabby, the sort of people who have been bullied at school. That’s why they become politicians.
    Highlighted by 60 Kindle customers
  • Worse than that, they were prepared to lend him out, like a library book.
    Highlighted by 57 Kindle customers
  • “Just make sure you keep your hands on the right balls,” he said.
    Highlighted by 49 Kindle customers
  • But Sarov had no intention of destroying a city. His target was the entire world.
    Highlighted by 45 Kindle customers
  • The sun hovered briefly on the horizon, then dipped below. At once, the clouds rolled in—first red, then mauve, silver, green, and black, as though all the colors in the world were being sucked into a vast melting pot. A single frigatebird soared over the mangroves, its own colors lost in the chaos behind it. The air was close. Rain hung waiting. There was going to be a storm.
    Highlighted by 36 Kindle customers
  • next thing I knew, you’d simply vanished and I didn’t even get so much as a thank-you card.”
    Highlighted by 31 Kindle customers
  • umbrellas laid out like measurements on a ruler. Miami was at the southernmost tip of the continental United States,
    Highlighted by 29 Kindle customers
  • pilot had long, black hair, deep brown eyes, and a thin scar running down the side of his face.
    Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers
  • term ends. And you’re coming too. We’ve got some friends who’ve
    Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers
  • IN THE DARK NIGHT CAME
    Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers
Show all 11 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

England, Russia

Organizations edit see section history

  • MI6: The British intelligence agency.
  • CIA: American intelligence agency that "borrows" Alex
  • Mi6: Brutus agency

First Sentence edit see section history

NIGHT CAME QUICKLY to Skeleton Key.

Table of Contents edit see section history

1. In the Dark
2. Math Point
3. Blood and Strawberries
4. Cribber
5. Two Weeks in the Sun
6. Not so Special Agents
7. Death of a Salesman
8. Passport Control
9. Brotherhood Square
10. The Devil's Chimney
11. The Crusher
12. The House of Slaves
13. Heartbeat
14. The Nuclear Dustbin
15. Security Nightmare
16. The End of the World
17. After Alex

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 3 of 13 in Alex Rider. (standard series)

Preceded by Point Blank, and followed by Eagle Strike.

This is book 46 of 216 in Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 (2011). (authoritative list)
This is book 150 of 200 in BBC 'Big Read' Top 200 Novels, 2003. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Anthony Horowitz (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Walker Books
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: July 8, 2002
ISBN: 0142401021
Page Count: 324

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.H7875 Sk 2003
  • Dewey: 828.914

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Lot's of violence.

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Ninth Orphan
  • Jimmy Coates: Assassin?

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Stormbreaker
  • Point Blank

We’re hiding the glossary entries, themes, errata, links to supplemental material, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

~*Summer*~ Lumos!

You were just viewing this book on ~*Summer*~ Lumos!’s shelf.

 

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close