Plot
A plane crashes over the Atlantic, killing all 345 passengers on board, including the wife, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren of former CHERUB chairman Dr. Terrence "Mac" McAfferty. A distressed 12-year-old boy, Fahim Bin Hassam, calls the air crash investigation hotline and attempts to implicate his father Hassam, but gives in to his fear and hangs up before he can relay any significant information. However, details of the call reach Mac. The call, combined with the recent disappearance of Hassam's wife Yasmin, Hassam's brother Asif's presence on the no-fly list, and the disaster's proximity to the anniversary of 9/11, make Mac suspicious.
Lauren Adams and Jake Parker are sent on a mission to befriend Fahim and discover the truth behind the plane crash, with Mac acting as mission controller. Lauren and Jake plant listening devices in the Bin Hassam house, but they are discovered by Hassam, who takes Fahim to a safehouse while he plans his escape from the country. He also reveals to Fahim that he killed Yasmin for threatening to go to the police after the plane crash. Fahim is able to alert Lauren and Rat (who was visiting Lauren), who follow Asif to a warehouse and incapacitate him before using his phone to trace Fahim's location. Fahim attempts to flee but is caught by Hassam. When an armed response team arrives, Hassam holds Fahim at knifepoint, but Jake attacks Hassam, allowing Fahim to escape. Hassam, unwilling to spend the rest of his life in prison, claims to be armed and is promptly shot dead. Back at the warehouse, Mac discovers that the plane crash was not an act of terrorism as was suspected, but instead caused by expired aircraft components that Hassam and Asif had altered to look new before using their shipping business to transport the parts for a smuggling gang. Asif is arrested for his complicity in the conspiracy. Fahim is taken in to start life at CHERUB, but when surveillance footage shows that he sleepwalks and talks in his sleep about things he has done, CHERUB chairwoman Zara Asker states that it is too dangerous to send him on missions because he might blow his cover. Instead, Fahim is adopted by Mac. As Mac goes to break the news to Fahim, he shows Lauren a farewell message written by his grandson moments before the crash.
Meanwhile, to his dismay, James Adams is assigned work experience at a local chicken restaurant with Kerry Chang. They befriend their colleague Gemma, but during a night out James sees Gemma's boyfriend Danny assaulting her and knocks him out. On the last day of their work experience, Gemma shows up with a black eye, while Danny arrives with a baseball bat and tries to goad James into attacking him by assaulting Gemma. Kerry, enraged, grabs the bat and brutally beats Danny. Zara uses her influence to help the two escape prosecution, but gives them decorating duty as punishment. While working together on their punishment, Kerry kisses James and offers to have sex with him. To his surprise, James decides to remain loyal to Dana and declines.
Robert Kilgore 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.
Class A, published as The Dealer in the United States, and as The Mission for 5000 prints, is the second book in the Robert Muchamore's novel series CHERUB. It continues the story of teenager James Adams and his fellow CHERUB agents as they try to bring down a drug gang led by Keith Moore. The book was originally to be called Drugs, Cars and Guns, but this was changed so as to sound more appropriate for children. It received generally good reviews although not as many awards as its predecessor, The Recruit. It is followed by Maximum Security.
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.
The Killing is the fourth novel of the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. The book chronicles the adventures of the CHERUB agents investigating a small-time crook who suddenly makes it big. Muchamore named the book after the film The Killing. The novel was generally well received, but, unlike its predecessor, received no awards.
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 career, 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.
Dark Sun is a World Book Day novella in the popular CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. It fits into the series between The Sleepwalker and The General.
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.
Black Friday is the fifteenth novel in the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore, and the third book of the Aramov series, 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, 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.
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.
