Alex Rider has ninety minutes to save the world. Relaxing in the south of France with his friend Sabina Pleasure and her family, reluctant MI6 agent Alex Rider is finally able to be like any ordinary 14-year-old. Until a sudden, ruthless attack on his hosts plunges him back into a world of violence and mystery - and this time, MI6 don't want to know. Especially when Alex tells them that Damian Cray - celebrity, human rights campaigner and the man behind Gameslayer, a state-of-the-art new games console - could be involved. Alex is determined to track down his friends' attackers, even if he must do it alone. But it's a path that leads to a long-buried secret - and a discovery more terrible than anything he could have imagined.