Crocodile Tears characters

Appears from the start

Fifteen now, back at Brookland and spending New Year in Scotland as a guest of Sabina Pleasure's family. He has told MI6 he is finished with them and means it, and his usual difficulty applies: he cannot stand by when something is going wrong in front of him, and doing something about it is what gets him noticed.

Appears from the start

Alex's closest friend, who knows what he really is and has kept it to herself. Her family now live abroad, and she has invited him to spend the New Year with them.

Appears from the start

Sabina's father, an investigative journalist who has recovered from the bomb that nearly killed him and is working again. He is fond of Alex and discreet about him.

First appears in chapter 5

A tabloid journalist with a sharp memory for names and a poor reputation among his colleagues. He notices Alex at the wrong moment, works out what a schoolboy is doing in the middle of so many strange incidents, and sees a story worth a great deal of money.

First appears in chapter 3

The American housekeeper who has raised Alex since his uncle's death, and the person who has to live with the consequences every time somebody takes an interest in him.

First appears in chapter 5

The deputy head of MI6 Special Operations, who is willing to help Alex with his problem and, as always, expects something in return.

First appears in chapter 7

A large, commanding public figure who runs an international aid charity and speaks about the criminal past he has left behind as part of his own redemption. He is a practised fundraiser, at ease with cameras, celebrities and government ministers, and enormously effective at persuading people to give.

First appears in chapter 10

MI6's gadget-maker, who has never yet let Alex go anywhere without something concealed in his belongings, and who continues to worry about him more than the department does.

First appears in chapter 11

The director of Greenfields, a British agricultural research centre working on genetically engineered crops. Proud of his facility and its security, he is happy to show visitors the parts of it he chooses.