Point Blanc

In Point Blanc, the antagonist Dr. Grief has been secretly replacing the teenage sons of billionaires attending his boarding school with genetically engineered clones who will follow his commands. By controlling these clones, Grief plans to eventually seize control of the vast business empires and fortunes owned by their wealthy families. Alex Rider uncovers this scheme after being sent undercover to the school by MI6.

Point Blanc is the second book in Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, following Stormbreaker (2000) as the first installment. The series should be read in publication order, as each book builds on Alex's relationships with MI6 handler Mrs. Jones and his guardian Jack Starbright. The main series runs through eleven novels, with later entries including Scorpia and Never Say Die.

Yes, the events of Point Blanc were adapted as the second season of the Alex Rider television series, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and on IMDb TV (later Amazon Freevee) in the US. The TV adaptation stars Otto Farrant as Alex Rider and modifies certain elements of the original novel's plot for the screen. The show's second season covering Point Blanc aired in 2021.

Alex Rider is 14 years old in Point Blanc, having been recruited by MI6 at the start of the series in Stormbreaker. In this second installment, MI6 sends him undercover as the rebellious son of a billionaire to infiltrate the Point Blanc academy in the French Alps. His age is central to the premise, as the mission specifically requires a teenage operative who can blend in with the school's students.