The New Recruit

By S.J. Wills

A teen boy gets recruited by a top-secret agency targeting dangerous crime rings in this first book in the Python middle grade thriller series that's Alex Rider meets City Spies.

Zac Thorne is a traitor.

Growing up with a dad who runs the biggest crime organization in the country hasn't been easy. But even Zac has his limits and breaks the number one rule: never snitch. Now his own family wants him dead, his past identity has been erased, and he's under witness protection. Zac's unique circumstances catch the attention of PYTHON, a top-secret agency that is recruiting teenagers who have close and personal knowledge of the world's most dangerous crime circles. Zac is their newest recruit.

Zac's first mission? Gather intel on a crime ring operating in a shiny new mall. When the team's mission goes sideways, the newly acquainted teens find themselves entrenched in a lethal game of cat and mouse. As they fight to make it through the night, Zac and his team learn more about each other, and Zac is forced to confront the ugly truth of those he cares about most. Will Zac be able to betray everything he thought he knew for the chance at finally feeling like he belongs?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H58R4CKZ
• ISBN13: 9798347119042
• Release Date: March 2027
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Length: 256 Pages
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher