Naïve and totally unprepared, Quentin James is taken from the only life he knows and placed within a School for Young Spies where he must unmask the Undercover Agent and crack the code of the encrypted message to prove the innocence of his parents. 

SYNOPSIS:

GENRE: FAMILY /ADVENTURE

QUENTIN JAMES (12) is a young boy on the outside looking in. His parents are important international spies, “making the world a safer place,” as they tell him often, and so have little time for him. For Quentin, making them proud is uppermost in his mind. So he bares the estrangement, forgives the forgotten Birthdays, Easter and Christmases whilst living his whole young life at:

Gladwell School for Boys.

Initially excited by his parents coming to Parents’ Day, Quentin is disappointed when they fail to show. Later, in the Common Room, Quentin and the other boys gather around the Xbox, each trying their hand at a new computer game “Escape from Colditz” and failing miserably. Quentin stands on a chair at the back of the throng of boys, watching intently. Quentin’s mental ability to solve problems comes to the fore as, later that night, alone, he completes the computer game in one sitting.

Quentin’s world turns upside down.

Quentin’s parents are named within Russian communications and branded traitors.

For his own safety, UNWIN MACPHERSON (31) military, taciturn by training/experience and the school’s head of security, is ordered to bring Quentin to Edgewater, a new school, a new world, a new life, and one that starts dramatically as he and Unwin leave just in time, evading the one man, MR GEORGE COLE, who knows exactly who Quentin is. A very special boy indeed.

Quentin shares a moment of synergy with Unwin as they escape that warms him to this taciturn man.

More surprises as Quentin learns Edgewater is an underwater base as they journey beneath the waves and surface within its moon pool, known only as “the lake” by the students.

Quentin settles into daily spy school life

With his quick mind and an enjoyment of puzzles and strategy games, Quentin finally finds his place amongst his peers as he tackles “spyience” lessons in Code Breaking, Mission Planning and Surveillance classes and slowly grows in confidence.

Quentin makes friends with CLIVE (13) who has an easygoing and affable nature, BLUEY (13) A bright, warm, intelligent, friendly girl with a black belt in martial arts and a knack for lock picking, VICKY (13) Pretty young girl with a winning smile, confident and outgoing, masking insecurities developed from her home life and Quentin’s love interest, and TIM (15) Bright and funny, who arrives at Edgewater at the same time but as a 3rd Year. But also enemies in ZACHERY (13) a bully, and MISS MAGENTA (30s), the History Teacher who takes an instant dislike to Quentin, thanks to his parents being branded traitors, something Quentin is desperate to prove wrong.

But how?

Quentin, on learning someone has broken into the Records Room, investigates, finds a piece of a coded message and gets a fright as he sees a pair of red eyes watching him through the window.

As the term progresses, Quentin seeks out Unwin for news of his parents and the bond between them strengthens.

Quentin enjoys a bit of notoriety as he and his friends win the first House competition in surveillance class and receive a warm welcome back in the common room by the rest of the Lysander Warriors.

Events escalate

During a field exercise with his friends in close quarter surveillance, Quentin spots Mr Graham Cole, and they put their newfound skills to use, tailing him through the town to a bookshop where Quentin discovers Mr Cole is looking for him.

Up on the battlement with Bluey, Quentin sees the red eyes again and gives chase, only to slip. Hanging by his fingertips, Bluey’s quick thinking saves him from certain death. Quentin sees mysterious flashing lights in the darkness and has his first kiss.

After another night mission, Unwin, Quentin and his friends learn Zachery has been sending messages late at night via Edgewater’s internal network, leading Quentin to believe Zachery is the undercover agent.

A passing remark about chemistry makes Quentin realise the partial message uses his father’s secret code. Excited it might lead to the whereabouts and innocence of his parents, Quentin deciphers the message which warns of rogue agents in Belarus.

Sharing this information with Unwin, Quentin learns his parents were last seen in Belarus, but so too were Zachery’s, furthering Quentin’s suspicions.

Realising the flashing lights come from the old tower, Quentin and his friends stake it out and discover Tim is the undercover agent. Tim reveals his mission, to find the cipher for the coded message, and begs for their aid.

Quentin takes his end-of-year exams, which includes an exciting spy mission combining all his spy craft knowledge.

Deciphering the entire message, Quentin’s parents warn of a new world threat and instruction to investigate The Loch of Arthur. Quentin believes this proves their innocence of the charge of Treason.

Convincing Quentin and his friends to help, Tim signals the submarine in the lake that he’s ready to leave the following night, only to be caught by Unwin. Quentin and his friends explain, alarming Unwin but, convinced by Tim that they need to work together, agrees to help.

An exciting conclusion

That night, Quentin realises Tim is pulling a double cross and heads to the old tower, where he hears that Mr Cole is in charge, that Tim and Miss Magenta are working together, and to get him, they plan to kidnap Vicky.

Quentin reveals himself in order to save Vicky.

Clive wakes, realising Tim is pulling a double cross, only to see Quentin has already left. Rousing the girls, Vicky sends Zachery to alert Unwin whilst they head to the lake to save Quentin.

A submarine emerges from the lake. Unwin springs his trap, capturing the sailors ashore and Clive, Vicky, and Bluey row across the lake and board the submarine and rescue Quentin. Clive’s attempt to prevent the submarine from leaving backfires as water quickly floods the submarine. Unable to swim, Vicky calms Quentin’s panic and Bluey helps him to swim out of the sub and up to the surface.

Excitement over, they head back to Unwin’s for debriefing and cake.

*

Quentin and his friends adventures continue as they escape capture at the Loch of Arthur, go on their first official mission whilst spending Christmas with Unwin, narrowly escaping death as Quentin finds and frees his parents in Japan, only to learn they are traitors, and he meets his biological father whilst on a mission to rescue Unwin in the Arctic, before saving London and Edgewater from nuclear disaster.

Then his life really gets exciting...........

*

Being ignored made life lonely for young Quentin, but as an asset, where better to be than at EDGEWATER, THE SCHOOL FOR YOUNG SPIES.

Thank you for your time

Simon