The way the authors of this series blend fact with fiction is absolutely astounding to me. I feel compelled to look up every little "fact" stated to see if it's true or simply part of the Cahill canon, but I stop myself because I REFUSE to destroy the temporary suspension of disbelief with this series (at least until I've finished it). ( )

The saga continues! This is the fourth installment in the series that follows the 39 Clues books, and while they don't quite compare to the first series (in the sense that we've sort of been here, done this to a degree), they're still compelling enough to keep me reading. In this particular installment, Amy & Dan (and several others they've teamed up with) are still on the run from the Interpol agent that's following them... and Vesper One is demanding they steal the most famous diamond in the entire world. Or he'll kill Uncle Alistair. With the rest of their family still in held captive by Vesper One -- and some of them injured and getting weaker by the minute -- everyone's time is running out.

The violence in this series is definitely more overt, and a warning if you're reading this one with young kids -- there's a death in this book, and it's not pretty. But, I think this series will continue to delight kids (and adults, let's be honest) for as long as they can keep churning out quality material with these characters. ( )

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