Definitely the best CHERUB book yet. This is finally an entry in the series that focuses on one long mission, whilst developing the core cast of characters surrounding James, including Michael, Gabrielle and Bruce. The gang war premise is set up excitingly from the perspective of two agents deep in their mission at the start of the story, and the stakes are instantly real. The gang characters themselves are complex and the plot ties them together, Muchamore rarely losing his reader. There's also a funny cameo from another popular YA spy character. Probably the biggest strength of Mad Dogs was its moral ambiguity, with the plot not tying everything neatly together on a larger scale and James again facing questions of cruelty on-campus and this time within the mission. Left me thinking...