Running Out of Time

Alex and his dad are on the run across Europe. His dad was caught stealing classified documents that he plans to use to expose the truth about their country’s brutal totalitarian government, but to get to safety they must put their lives in the hands of dangerous people smugglers. The only thing on their side is Alex’s extraordinary ability to pause time, which enables him to see where one decision or another might lead.  

But when Alex gets separated from his dad on the channel crossing, he finds himself on his own, an illegal unaccompanied refugee. He needs to find out what happened to his dad and get the stolen documents out into the world, but who can he trust to help him? Caught between two groups of bad guys, it’s a race against time to try and save his future.  

This action-packed, fast-paced thriller ticks all the boxes for an edge-of-the-seat read whilst also exploring contemporary political topics such as migration and people smuggling. Alex’s time-stealing ability adds an extra level of intrigue and jeopardy, plus there’s a really brilliant story twist towards the end. Great for fans of Alex Rider or the Cherub series.