Beyond the Grave

This was my favorite book in the series so far. It was still filled with some of the same zany antics and cheesy dialog from the previous books, but I really liked the way the story unfolded. Dan and Amy had some serious sibling things to work out between them, and Nellie, their au pair, really took a step up in my estimation too. I appreciate more and more the scenes shown now and then from the perspectives of various opponent Cahills, as we get to see that they're more than just evil villains. And frankly, I'm glad the Holts weren't in this one, because so far, they're just an annoying family of meatheads. Maybe some future book will give me a different view of them though.

You know what I would love? A recap of what clues have already show more been found, because when I think back on the previous books, I'm not sure I can accurately remember which things they found were official Clues and which things were clues to the clues. But while I'm not sure that the mystery and clue part of these books actually make any kind of logical sense and would really work out in real life at all, I'm still enjoying the ride and look forward to continuing the series. show less

This was fast paced and action packed and it was wickedly good. Unlike Alex Rider it's not overly sad and unlike Cherub - I like the main characters. As a reader, I relate to Amy but I love Dan's way of looking at things. They're a great team. Nellie, the au pair, is hilarious. She's laid back and loyal and can speak a seemingly million different languages. The rest of the Cahill family kind of suck, but what's an adventure story without a villain? Or ten? The plot is riveting - the mix of fiction and history is fascinating and I'm flying through the series. They're not particularly long - but then this kind of book never is - or at least never feels like it is. I can't wait to read the rest. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.


Irina's backstory show more is teased at but unlike when I felt momentary feeling for Ian, I still don't like her. I hate that Dan and Amy fight in this one - I wish they'd just have it out instead of being all passive aggressive. As much as I enjoyed the book though, I would've liked to see more of Egypt - tomb raiding and archaeology details/facts/anecdotes, etc. I felt that it was kind of bland on that aspect of the quest - there was lots of danger and action but not as much substance as the previous three books.
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Jude Watson did a fine job of letting us in on a few more Cahill secrets, but some additional mysteries remain. Amy and Dan have found the next clue and have had a near-run-in with the dreaded Madrigals, who have smashed up the Ekat stronghold in Cairo. Allastair Oh has returned from the dead (once again), the Kabras have been led astray to Lake Tash, and Jonah Wizard and his dad are on the way to Morocco after following a false lead. Hot on their trail is bad girl ex-KGB spy Irina, and we have no idea where the Holts are. We gain a little insight into her life, too.

SPOILER ALERT: The mystery code that begins on page 39 says: Alistair was there on the night they died. I believe this statement is referring to Amy and Dan's parents who show more perished in a fire. This implies that either: a) Allastair is responsible for that fire, or b) Alistair knows who killed Amy and Dan's parents. show less

4th book in the series, the stronghold of the 4th branch of the family - and a great adventure in Egypt. This installment is stronger than the previous ones - partially because Watson does not try to fit all of the competition (he mentions everyone but we see only Irina and Alastair (and Jonas for a bit). But we also see an old friend of Grace and we learn more about Grace - the woman that started the competition and who had been mostly a ghost in the story. We get to meet an old friend and the kids receive a message left for them a long time ago.

Egypt is a fascinating country and as all the previous books, this one contains a lot of history - the moved temple of Isis and the numerous tombs; the streets of Egypt with all the bad and show more good. I was in Egypt with my mother 8 years ago and I saw in person most of the places and monuments that they were talking about. In some cases I was waiting for it to happen, knowing where it leads. There is also the usual Cahill fun of course - attempts for assassinations, name dropping and a lot of running around (and I start wondering if Nellie was really where she was at the start of it by chance).

At the end Amy and Dan find their clue but do not find a new clue - so it is not clear where we are going next. Which is unusual. On the other hand we are out of branches of the family so we will see where that leads. And noone knows which branch the siblings belong to. And that is the real mystery of the series - the stories are fun and finding the clues is interesting but I do not really care what they find at the end - we know it is a recipe, they just need to track down what goes inside.

Before this book, I was wondering if I want to continue reading the series but I am back on board. show less

Amy and Dan, with faithful au pair Nellie, travel to Egypt in the fourth adventure in the 39 clues series. I greatly enjoyed this book, more than any other in the series, probably helped along because I love Egypt and its ancient archaeological wonders. My spoiler heavy synopsis is to help me remember the events in the series; if you are reading this review, be warned.

As usual, Amy and Dan are following a vague clue that suggests Cairo could lead them to another big Clue, and once in Cairo they use a combination of luck and skill to trace the trail left by their Cahill ancestors. While hiding from Irina Spasky, they meet Theo, an Egyptologist. He notices that they are attempting to buy a genuine (forged) golden Sakhet that Napoleon had show more once owned, and he offers to take them to a museum that used to house Napoleon's scholars. They agree, and find a tile in the house that bears the Lucian crest, which hides a clue behind it. The clue is cryptic, something about an L. Palace, so they head to Hotel Excelsior, where Alistair Oh had rooms, to try and find time to ponder their newly acquired knowledge. Instead, they discover an Ekhat stronghold, hidden in the hotel, and narrowly escape imprisonment by Alistair's sinister uncle, Bae Oh. As they dash out of the hotel, a strange woman pulls up in car and provides miraculous transportation. They find out that she is Hilary Vale, an old friend of their grandmother, Grace Cahill. She also happens to be Theo's mother, who they reunite with at her house.

While there, they have a few moments of peace to gather their thoughts. The stronghold had furnished further clues, along with its risk of doom. It operated as a museum of Ekhat genius; the children had seen three golden Sakhets on display there, along with the maps hidden inside two of them. The maps are clearly of Egyptian tombs, but the kids need more information. They suspect that the third Sakhet is a fake, since it has no hidden compartment for a secret message. In Hilary's house, they receive a wonderful surprise when she gives them a valuable that Grace asked her to keep for them. It is the third gold Sakhet! Dan figures out how to open it, and they discover yet a third map of an Egyptian tomb. Along with this treasure, Grace also delivers to them, via Hilary, a Christmas card and a travel book to Egypt filled with Grace's own notes. Dan combines the sketches of the three maps and discovers the one true map hidden in them all; Theo informs them that it is a map of Queen Nefertari's tomb. Clues in the tomb lead them to the Temple of Isis, but not before they are marooned and escape a hungry crocodile, and to a double cross, which prompts a double cross of their own. Just another day in the topsy turvy world of Amy and Dan Cahill.

With a different author for each new book in the series, the tone and atmosphere of the successive books can change, even if plot points and character development are charted out ahead of time. I look forward to reading other books by Jude Watson (the writers in the series may write more than one book, just not in order), because his writing style pulled me and anchored me in the story. I saw more character development in this book, sympathy for even the worst characters, and a depth to personality that was more rare in the last two books. The action is still nonstop, and often over the top, but is balanced with the maturing interactions between Amy and Dan, a romantic spark from Nellie, and insight into the humanity that Irina Spasky is trying to lock away. The mystery is built up, as well, as Bae Oh seems to be working for the mysterious men in black. Even the Madrigals register their ominous appearance by the end. Complete everything with the setting - Egypt, where mysterious treasure hunts through history left in clues by famous historical figures feels natural, given the cryptic tombs with their secret passages and trips, the suggestive nature of hieroglyphics, the eerie associations with mummy's curses - and this is the best book in the series yet. It certainly has renewed my interest in discovering the fate of underdogs Amy and Dan. Along with Riordan's series starter, this novel lives up to the potential of the fun idea of a hidden treasure hunt through history that takes place around the world. show less

Beyond the Grave is definitely one of the better books in the series so far. Irina's character arc has me hooked for sure, and I find myself more and more drawn into Alistair's backstory. A little suspension of disbelief is required with this book, like most adventure novels, and the alternate spelling of Sekhmet threw me off a bit, but otherwise this was a strong installment in the series.

The set-up for the Madrigals was excellent as well and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

{My Thoughts} – Another wonderful adventure for Amy, Dan and their Au Pair Nellie. In this book they head off to Egypt based on the clues they received in the last book. This book starts out with them in a market place in Cairo, Egypt where they end up encountering Irina! She has a ploy to steal their information and attempt to put them out of commission, however, they manage to get away from her. They end up meeting a guy named Theo and he helps to get them back to Nellie.

Theo then becomes a main character in the remaining chapters of the book. I have to admit that it always catches me off guard when new characters are introduced but not kept within the series, I was hoping he was a keeper but he parted ways in the end of the book! show more However, he is quite helpful when it comes to Amy and Dan getting around Egypt so that they don’t get lost and also in the beginning of the book he saves them from making a horrid financial mistake.

Once Amy and Dan are back with Nellie they all go with Theo to a museum and from there the story picks up rapid fast. The action keeps on going and it keeps you wondering what the kids are going to do, how they are going to put the information together to solve the clues, and how are they going to get themselves out of the poor situations they always seem to end up in? I don’t know, but it is always fun to read and find out what is in store for them when it comes to the search for the clues.

Amy seems to be smart when it comes to putting certain things together, but Dan appears to be more gifted in the problem solving department. The two of them along with whatever Cahill member they attempt to alliance with seem to be able to find just enough info to wiggle on through to the next clue!

I don’t think it will ever really amaze me how well written these books are and how much they are so difficult to put down. I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed every last moment of it! If you like the movie series National Treasure by Disney you should enjoy these books. They are fast paced adventure where the main characters search for clues to uncover a hidden family treasure. show less