Brigands M.C.

The whole opening was brilliant - a slowburn approach to CHERUB, building Dante's life and family then reminding the readers of how agents are initiated on campus. It was a smart retrospective way to incorporate the character. Unfortunately, the book seems to drag as it goes on, with James, ‘John' and Laurens' infiltration of the biker gang becoming increasingly unexciting. The return of white-shirt McEwan was interesting, his character is dangerously fun and he is given something of an arc. The third act of the story really shines, with James lost in exciting chaos reminiscent of that in this entries predecessor ‘The General', and a renewed focus in Dante's revenge plot. Overall, although the agents are definitely growing older and behaving like it, there's a feeling that this book was holding itself back as we see its unexpected mission result.