The Inside Job

January 1, 2016

Gr 4-8-In The Doublecross (Bloomsbury, 2015), 12-year-old super spy Hale Jordan discovered that SRS, the agency that employs his whole family, is actually evil. In this sequel, Hale and the ragtag team of spies who call themselves the League plot to take down SRS any way they can. The trouble is that the League is comprised of five kids and two adults in a decrepit building filled with antique equipment, while SRS is a massive international organization with endless resources. The League's first plan is to infiltrate the Swiss Bank where SRS houses its money, but they soon realize that SRS funds are constantly being moved from one account to another by a bank employee named Hastings. When they confront Hastings, they learn that SRS is blackmailing him by threatening to reveal that his prize show dog, Annabelle, is not actually a purebred. Hastings promises to help the League, but only if they recover a set of valuable jeweled books that were stolen from his family. What follows are a series of madcap adventures involving a clown, a high-speed chase in a golf cart, a gold heist, an iguana, and the giant lovable dog Annabelle. Like the first book, this is a funny, smart spy adventure with strong characters and clever twists. Pearce does an excellent job of weaving the characters' internal struggles into the plot: Hale and the other League members who defected from SRS grapple with how to be a "good" agency, even while using methods they learned from their enemy; Hale faces unsettling news about his parents' criminal past; and several characters must cope with the fact that their parents chose "the mission" over their children. Although Hale lacks the physique and athleticism of a conventional hero, he always manages to escape sticky situations using his wits and the unique skills of each of his fellow agents. VERDICT This strong, satisfying sequel will leave middle grade fans eager to read more about Hale's adventures.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2016
After leaving the evil spy organization they were raised in, 12-year-old Hale and his younger sister, Kennedy, are determined to bring down the nefarious Sub Rosa Society, find their MIA parents, and save the world.The siblings join up with the remaining members of the League, a once-great counterspy organization. The group decides that the best way to hit SRS is financially, which means a trip to Switzerland. While the group of misfits may be short on manpower and funding, they are long on creativity and heart. Beatrix and Ben handle the tech and the gear, while their uncle Stan is in charge of outfitting everyone. Fellow former SRS members Walter and Agent Otter (he and Stan are the nominal grown-ups) round out the crew. But while Hale loves not being the butt of everyone's fat jokes anymore, he still misses his old life at the SRS headquarters. Hale is not the typical chiseled spy but rather a short, round, slightly neurotic, and supersmart hero with complicated feelings and a kind heart. (Judging by the cover illustration and the absence of cues to the contrary in the text, Hale and the others are likely white.) Issues such as body image, belonging, and loss are handled with a light touch. This sequel will continue to thrill fans of the series.Wacky and action-packed. (Thriller. 9-12)

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July 1, 2017
Twelve-year-old heavyset hero Hale (The Doublecross) and his motley team of fellow spies are determined to destroy the criminal Sub Rosa Society and find Hale's still-missing parents. To do that, they decide to strike at SRS's finances, hidden in a moving Swiss bank account. This sequel is packed with goodhearted fun and zany action, its protagonist full of heart and spirit.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)