Skeleton Key (novel)
 Second edition cover | |
| Author | Anthony Horowitz |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Alex Rider series |
| Genre | Adventure, Spy novel, Mystery |
| Publisher | Walker Books (UK) |
Publication date | 8 July 2002 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 324 pp (first edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-14-240102-1 (first edition, paperback) |
| OCLC | 54953320 |
| LC Class | PZ7.H7875 Sk 2004 |
| Preceded by | Point Blanc |
| Followed by | Eagle Strike |
Skeleton Key is the third book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2002, and in the United States on April 28, 2003.
Summary
The book opens with three men landing their plane on the fictional island of Skeleton Key, Cuba. They meet with General Alexei Sarov and attempt to blackmail him into giving them $1 million or they will go to the American authorities, following a deal to supply General Sarov with uranium. Assuming this to be a threat, General Sarov kills them by tricking the plane, causing it to fall into a crocodile-infested body of water.
Meanwhile, after the events of Point Blanc, Alex Rider is visited by John Crawley at school. Crawley offers him tickets to Wimbledon, but Alex learns he must go undercover as a ball boy following suspicion of a break-in. Alex notices a suspicious looking Chinese guard and decides to investigate, but the guard lures him and attempts to kill him. Alex knocks out the man and learns that he was a member of the Chinese Triad gang "Big Circle" and was attempting match fixing, via a remote control disguised as a mobile phone and a drugged water cooler. Alex is targeted by the triad gang, as another, higher-ranking member makes a second attempt on his life while surfing on vacation with Sabina, whom he befriended at Wimbledon, in Cornwall. Sabina manages to save his life before he drowned. For his sake, both MI6 and the CIA arrange to send him with CIA agents Tom Turner (renamed "Glen Carver" in the US version of Skeleton Key) and Belinda Troy to Skeleton Key to investigate General Sarov. The two CIA agents would pass off as his parents. The CIA is concerned about the actions of Sarov since he intends to meet the Russian president, Boris Kiriyenko.
En route to Skeleton Key, the 'family' of Alex, Turner and Troy stop in Miami. The two CIA agents are obviously unhappy about bringing Alex and they attempt to keep as much information from Alex as possible, clearly discrediting him, much to Alex's frustration. Turner meets a criminal known as 'the Salesman' on a boat called the 'Mayfair Lady', suspecting that the Salesman was involved in a deal with Sarov. The Salesman, however, is aware of Turner's true identity and plans to have him shot dead and dumped in the sea when they are one hour out of the harbour. Alex sneaks aboard the boat and sets fire to it, causing a distraction. A firefight ensues, where Alex escapes with Turner. However, the captain attempts to run them over: the boat suddenly explodes, killing everyone on board. Although his life is saved, Turner is far from grateful: he scolds Alex for causing the explosion, and Alex tries to defend himself, insisting he wasn't responsible. (It is later revealed that Conrad, Sarov's main henchman, planted an explosive on the boat due to the fact the Salesman may contact American Intelligence, following the deaths of his three couriers.)
Arriving in Skeleton Key, Alex notices a Geiger counter in a Game Boy Advance console he was given by the 'parents' that is designed to pick up nuclear radiation. Alex learns that Turner and Troy were, in truth, sent to the island to search for a nuclear bomb. The two CIA agents then reluctantly revealed that they suspect Sarov of constructing a nuclear bomb using the uranium bought from the Salesman, and tell their plan to infiltrate the residence of Sarov - the Casa de Oro. They intend to scuba dive into a cave and break into the house. Alex goes with them but stays on the boat while Turner and Troy go underwater. When they do not return, Alex dives in alone and, after a close encounter with a shark, discovers a mechanical spear trap that impaled Turner and Troy, which kills the shark as well. When he resurfaces, Garcia, the boat driver, has been killed and Alex is captured by Conrad, who drugs him unconscious. Alex finds himself in a sugar factory lying down on the conveyor belt where Conrad interrogates him. Alex lies to him but Conrad knows the truth and activates the belt, causing Alex to head toward a pair of crushers. Despite finally telling him the truth about the bomb, Conrad decides to kill him anyway, but General Sarov stops the machine at the last second. Alex, overwhelmed that he was inches near death, passes out.
Alex wakes up in the Casa de Oro and demands to know what Sarov wants with him who tells Alex he will tell him in time. The next day, Sarov tells him how he had a son named Vladamir who was killed in the war in Afghanistan by an enemy sniper. The General tells Alex how he wishes to adopt him as he shares many traits with Vladamir, due to their similar physical appearance and common traits, such as patriotism. He then has Alex moved to the slave house, when President Kiriyenko arrives. Alex attempts to escape the mansion by hiding in the trunk of a limousine following a lunch meeting between Sarov and Kiriyenko. He is however caught by Sarov thanks to a heartbeat detector. The general spares Alex's life yet again but punishes him through psychological torture. He was then taken back to the slave house. At dinner later that evening, Sarov drugs Kiriyenko and his guests; the drug makes them all lose consciousness, and they are then moved to the slave house. He then has the finished nuclear bomb loaded onto Kiriyenko's private Presidential jet, whose pilots serve Sarov. The plane, with Sarov, Alex, Conrad and a small security team takes off from the island, heading to Murmansk via Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador and Edinburgh.
On the flight to Russia, Sarov tells Alex that they are heading to Murmansk, which contains a shipyard of nuclear submarines. He then outlines his plan to Alex: When they reach Murmansk, he will detonate the bomb which will cause a massive explosion and a nuclear fallout. Russia will be blamed and they will turn to their President. Sarov will then release edited footage from an interview exposing Kiriyenko as a lazy, drunken idiot who says he can't deal with the issue, ousting him from power and showing he is dead from heart failure. Russia will go back to communism, with Sarov in power, while others in northern Europe dies from the nuclear fallout. Sarov will then instigate wars all over the planet, until the entire world is under a Communist government. The plane makes a fuel stop in Edinburgh, where Alex uses a disguised stun grenade (courtesy of Smithers at MI6) to escape the plane while it had landed, incapacitating Sarov and Conrad temporarily. Alex then runs to one of the terminal buildings and attempts to call the police but is stopped by a security guard named George Prescott. Despite Alex's efforts to convince Prescott of the situation, Sarov recaptures Alex and Prescott is killed by Conrad. They continue their flight to Murmansk.
At Murmansk, Conrad plants the bomb on a submarine, while one of Sarov's men restraints Alex, with handcuffs, to a handrail close to the submarines, Sarov approaches him and felt apologetic for wanting to kill him, before leaving. Alex sets himself free by using expanding bubble gum (again supplied by Smithers). Conrad sees Alex is on the loose and fights with him, while the Russian army and navy arrive and initiate a firefight against Sarov's men. Conrad outmatches Alex and comes dangerously close to killing him. However, Conrad (who has numerous pieces of metal inside his body following an incident where an explosive he was carrying blew up, nearly killing him) is caught by the crane's electromagnet passing overhead, lifting him into the air. Alex takes control of the crane, dropping Conrad's body into the sea and removing the nuclear bomb from the submarine. He then removes the detonation card from the bomb, only to be told to put it back by a reappearing, injured Sarov; Alex instead throws the card into the ocean. When Alex rejects becoming Sarov's son, Sarov commits suicide in front of him.
In the final chapter of the novel, it is revealed that when Alex explained his predicament to George Prescott, his office heard their conversation through Prescott's radio, which was still turned on. Initially, they didn't believe Alex, but when they discovered Prescott's death, they immediately notified MI6, who in turn warned the Russians. Alex is depressed after everything he has been through, but Sabina approaches him and invites him on holiday with her family in France for a couple of weeks, which cheers Alex up.[1]
Graphic novel
In 2009 a graphic novel adaptation of Skeleton Key was released through Walker Books. This version altered some elements from the original novel, such as eliminating the attack on Alex while he was surfing in Cornwall, as well as having Sabina, already friends with Alex, attending Wimbledon as a spectator.
Reception
Critical reception for both versions of Skeleton Key was mostly positive, with Booklist giving the novel version a positive review.[2] The print version of Skeleton Key was named as one of ALA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers for 2004.[3] The School Library Journal has given praise for both editions of the story, calling the print version "rip-roaring" while recommending the graphic novel as a pick for "reluctant readers".[4][5]
References
- ↑ Horowitz, Anthony (2002). Skeleton Key. p. 288.
- ↑ "Review: Skeleton Key". Booklist. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ↑ "ALA Book Picks 2004 (Young Adult)". ALA. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ↑ "Review: Skeleton Key". BookVerdict (SLJ). Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ↑ "Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers: 33 Titles". Library Journal. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.