The Nightmare Vortex

Spy Force #3

by Deborah Abela

Evil Mr Blue is back. And this time he's wriggled his reptilian way right to the heart of the Academy of Spies. The world's greatest spy agency is holding its annual awards dinner, which means that the world's greatest spies are all in one place. Unfortunately their dazzling dinner is being held in a hotel that was built on top of a dormant volcano . . . dormant, that is, until Mr Blue found a way of waking it up. Now only Max and Linden can stop the whole thing going sky high. Will their super spy training help them save the day (and the dinner)? Or will Max's fear of heights spell the end for Spy Force.

Genres: Childrens, Espionage, Adventure, Fiction

Paperback

First published March 3, 2003

About the author

Deb knew she wanted to be a writer when she was 7 years old. Her first story was about a man made out of cheese. It wasn’t very good. She’s had much more practice writing since then and strangely enough her first writing job was for a kids’ show on channel Ten called “Cheez TV”. After 7 years of writing scripts about everything from llamas to bungy jumping and how to go to the toilet in outer space, Deb wrote her first novel - Max Remy Superspy Part 1: In Search of the Time and Space Machine.

It’s about a feisty girl called Max and her best friend Linden who travel the world as secret agents fighting bad guys. It’s an action packed series based on loads of adventures Deb had, just after she left school. She’s slept beside alligators, been harassed by monkeys (and who hasn’t) was almost
traded for a camel and was thrown in jail at gunpoint, twice.
Deb still claims her innocence to this day.

Together with sport icon Johnny Warren, Deb also created
the Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend) series. It’s about a
young boy called Jasper and his best friend Lil, who love
their soccer and dream of being soccer legends, just like
Johnny. Deb lives in Sydney with her partner Todd, who
is almost as cute as Linden.

Reviews

[Rogerio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is always fantasized to the maximum. Max is still an impossible personality as well as having a very unbalanced self-esteem. Ups and downs are frequent in her mood and people around her pay the price. The only way she takes ownership of herself is by feeling either a failure or a great success. However little, seems an improvement in her character is about to come forth... but not in this book.

[Mella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must have read this series a million times as a kid. I was even lucky enough to meet the author and have my books signed. I love Max. She's such a perfect example of the awkwardness of growing up and trying to be yourself and not knowing who that is and making friends and falling in love and all the happiness and fear and anger and insecurity of being a tween. Max is totally relatable and very likeable - even if she can be grumpy and standoffish and mean. In fact I liked her more because of it. She was experiencing all the crazy emotions I was - and she was a spy. Alex Rider was cool and all and the Cherub kids were awesome but they had nothing on Max.

I loved her friendship with Linden ( - he was so nice and you can see why she develops a crush on him - but I adored her relationship with Toby) and Toby and the relationship she builds with her aunt and uncle. Spyforce is everything you want a secret spy agency to be with weird and wonderful gadgets and fun and crazy missions.

Yes, for an adult it can be simplistic - but as a kid it's everything you want to read - funny and entertaining. Fantastic series. Solid 4-5 stars overall.

Frankly I want the author to revisit Max - as a young adult/older teen. I would love to read about an older Max and Linden and Toby and see what trouble they get into as high school emotions take over. Please Deborah Abela?

[Dayna Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The third installment in the Spy Force series. Eleven-year-old Max and her friend Linden head to the Spy Force Awards Banquet, as waiters. After barely passing her Spy Force training Max had been hoping for a real mission. As fate would have it, the evil Blue is set on destroying all spy agencies in the world and only Max can save the day. A cute series for young girls.

[Abi]

REALY GOOD