Black Friday is the fifteenth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, and the third book of the Aramovseries, the sequel series to the best-selling original CHERUB series, which was published between 2004 and 2010. This carries on from the series featuring long-standing central character James Adams. The series has a new central character called Ryan Sharma. The original CHERUB series was centered on James Choke, or James Adams (his CHERUB name), a child secret agent, and it follows his recruitment to his retirement. As the series progresses, it also involves his younger sister and his friends as they carry out missions worldwide. The Aramov series is centered on Ryan Sharma, a new agent. The book was released in September 2013.
Plot
Six months after the events of the previous novel, the American intelligence community has effectively seized control of the Aramov Clan and its smuggling operations, and plans to wind down the clan's activities while gathering intelligence on their clients. Ryan Sharma and Yosyp Kazakov have infiltrated the Aramov Clan and act as the clan's liaison with the Islamic Department of Justice (IDoJ), an Islamic terrorist organisation. The IDoJ use the clan to smuggle explosives into the United States, but evade a joint TFU-FBI operation to arrest the IDoJ militants upon arrival. Ryan and Kazakov accompany the IDoJ to a safehouse, and learn of the IDoJ's plot to drive trucks loaded with the explosives into crowded malls on Black Friday. Ryan manages to escape and raise the alarm, but Kazakov is captured and subsequently killed when the IDoJ blow up the safehouse with him inside. The IDoJ plot is thwarted, but several civilians are killed when two of the trucks detonate. The American intelligence community, worried about the political implications of their control of the Aramov Clan being revealed, order that the clan's smuggling operations be stopped within the coming months, rather than the years-long timeframe initially hoped for. Ryan is also told that he is being pulled from the mission. He successfully argues for six weeks to continue gathering intelligence at the clan's compound the Kremlin, ostensibly to finish the mission, but in truth Ryan has fallen in love with Kremlin resident Natalka.
Amy Collins has also infiltrated the clan, posing as the girlfriend of Josef Aramov, who is now effectively leader of the clan but is being directed by Amy. Amy sets up a sting operation to have clan aircraft caught smuggling weapons, giving a pretext for the clan to stop further smuggling operations; to Ryan's horror, Natalka's mother is one of the pilots arrested in the sting. Amy is approached by Leonid Aramov's ex-wife Tamara, who has deduced that Amy is working for the intelligence services. Fearing that Leonid will track her down after the clan ceases operations, Tamara offers to help the authorities bring Leonid to justice. To this end, Tamara and her young son Andre flee the Kremlin to Dubai, while Ryan gives their location to Leonid's spy within the Kremlin, who passes this on Leonid. Ex-CHERUB James Adams, who is going through a rough patch with his girlfriend Kerry Chang, begins working at CHERUB and is approached by chairwoman Zara Asker to give self-defense training to Andre during a layover in England. Leonid arranges for Tamara and Andre to be flown to his new home in Mexico.
James is recruited to work on the operation to bring Leonid to justice. James learns that Leonid is planning to sell a cache of shoulder launched missiles (PGSLMs) to a local cartel and then use the proceeds to retire to Trinidad. Ted Brasker and Ethan Kitsell (now going by his birth surname Aramov) confront Leonid's lawyer, who explains that Leonid and Gillian Kitsell/Galenka Aramov bought out a weapons manufacturer who had lost a contract to produce PGSLMs. Whereas Leonid planned to sell the missile designs on immediately, Galenka had paid Jane Oxford to steal PGSLMs from a rival contractor and recreated the technology used, allowing her mass-produce the missiles. Leonid had killed Galenka both to avoid ceding control of the clan to her after Irena Aramov's death and to take possession of the PGSLMs. Tamara kills Leonid and flees with Andre, while James steals a PGSLM Leonid had stored in his apartment and uses it to destroy the factory containing the PGSLMs and their production line. James returns to his apartment en route back to campus, and discovers that Kerry has left him for a new boyfriend. Back in Kyrgyzstan, the clan ceases operations and the Kremlin and its airstrips are destroyed. Ryan is forced to bid farewell to Natalka and returns to campus, where he commiserates with James.
In the epilogue, clan matriarch Irena succumbs to her cancer, while Josef and clan enforcer-turned informant Dan begin new lives in America. Tamara and Andre return to Russia, and Ethan is taken in by Ted. Natalka is taken in by her aunt in Russia, but is kicked out for shoplifting and sent to a reform school. Despite the overall success of the TFU's operation, the unit is disbanded and Dr D and Brasker are forced to retire. Zara Asker announces her plans to retire as chairwoman in 2016, with her husband Ewart the favorite to succeed her. James and Amy begin working for CHERUB and the FBI respectively. Kerry splits with her new boyfriend and makes plans to visit James at CHERUB after graduating university.
John Patrick Ryan Sr. (Hon.) is a fictional character created by author Tom Clancy and featured in his Ryanverse novels, which have consistently topped the New York Times bestseller list over 30 years. Since Clancy's death in 2013, four other authors, Mark Greaney, Grant Blackwood, Mike Maden, and Marc Cameron, have continued writing new novels for the franchise and its other connecting series with the approval of the Clancy family estate.
Red Rabbit is a spy thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and released on August 5, 2002. The plot occurs a few months after the events of Patriot Games (1987), and incorporates the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Main character Jack Ryan, now an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, takes part in the extraction of a Soviet defector who knows of a KGB plot to kill the pontiff. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Robert Muchamore is an English author, most notable for writing the CHERUB and Henderson's Boys novels.
CHERUB is a series of teenage spy novels written by English author Robert Muchamore, focusing around a fictional division of the British Security Service called CHERUB, which employs children, predominantly orphans, 17 or younger as intelligence agents.
The Recruit is the first novel in the CHERUB series, written by Robert Muchamore. It introduces most of the main characters, such as James Adams, Lauren Adams, Kyle Blueman, and Kerry Chang. It was released in the United Kingdom by Hodder Children's Books on 30 April 2004, and by Simon Pulse in the United States on 30 August 2005.
Maximum Security is the third novel in the CHERUB series of books, written by Robert Muchamore. In this novel CHERUB agents James Adams and Dave Moss infiltrate a maximum security prison in Arizona to get to the son of an international arms dealer.
Man vs Beast is the sixth novel of the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore.
Divine Madness is the fifth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. In this novel, CHERUB agents James, Lauren, and Dana go to Australia to investigate a religious cult called the Survivors.
Mad Dogs is the eighth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. In the novel, CHERUB agents infiltrate a violent street gang.
James Robert Anthony Adams is the main character in the first series of the acclaimed book series CHERUB by British author Robert Muchamore. Upon joining CHERUB he changed his surname to Adams. He ended his CHERUB career wearing a black T-shirt, which is the most elite colour granted. At the end of his CHERUB life, he returns to his "Choke" surname and switches his two forenames around, to become Robert James Choke. However, he is still referred to as James in later books. He made an appearance in the third book of the second CHERUB series, Black Friday and is a mission controller in the fourth book of the second CHERUB series, Lone Wolf. He also made an appearance in the last book, New Guard.
The Sleepwalker is the ninth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was released in February 2008. The book features Lauren Adams and Jake Parker in the lead roles, investigating an airline crash that a mentally disturbed boy called Fahim claims was caused by his father. Meanwhile, James Adams has a subplot doing work experience with Kerry Chang at a fast food restaurant. This is the first CHERUB book to feature Lauren in the lead role, with James' story as a subplot.
The General is the tenth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. The primary action of the novel is set in the Nevada desert during a joint training exercise of American and British troops.
Brigands M.C. is the eleventh novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was released on 4 October 2008. A blue-cover edition of which only 8,499 copies were made was also produced. The special editions were only sold in W.H.Smith in the United Kingdom. Of developing the plot Robert Muchamore said:
"I also like to mix the books up, so while The General was very much a story about CHERUB agents and training, Brigands is totally focused on the story of a boy called Dante and a huge mission to infiltrate and bring down a dangerous biker gang".
Shadow Wave is the twelfth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was published by Hodder Children's Books (ISBN 9780340956472) on 26 August 2010, and features the final mission of the long-standing central character James Adams. A limited edition of Shadow Wave, with an orange cover, was made available exclusively at W.H.Smith. Details of Muchamore's plans to create a small three-book series called "Aramov" without James, were revealed via a secret website detailed on the back pages of all copies of the book.
The Aramov Clan are the titular family of fictitious smugglers and bandits of Robert Muchamore's Aramov series. The clan is based in the remote Kyrgyzstan, with their base, known as 'The Kremlin' situated on the outskirts of Bishkek. The Kremlin is located in a steep rigged valley, to prevent being detected by radar. The clan is dismantled at the end of Black Friday.
People's Republic is the thirteenth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It was published by Hodder Children's Books (ISBN 9780340999196) on 4 August 2011, and shows the beginning of the Aramov series. This carries on from the series featuring long-standing central character James Adams. The series has a new central character called Ryan Sharma. Ryan is twelve years old and is just about to be sent on his first big mission to Kyrgyzstan.
Lone Wolf is the sixteenth and penultimate novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, and the fourth book of the Aramov series. It was released on 1 August 2014.
New Guard is the eighteenth and final novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, and the fifth and final book in the Aramov series. It was published on 31 May 2016.
Line of Sight is a techno-thriller novel, written by Mike Maden and released on June 12, 2018. It is his second book in the Jack Ryan Jr. series, which is part of the overall Tom Clancy universe. In the novel, Ryan has to avert a sinister plot by Serb extremists to provoke war between NATO and the Russians in the Balkans. It debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list.
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