Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues , Book 4)

this is a wonder series

Even though the 3rd book wasn't the best book in the series, the 4th one explained more about the Cahills. It was kept on one object, and had the same setting. In this book there was surprises, betrayals, allies, secrets revealed, and as always, excitement.

The 4th book in the hilarious 39 Clues adventure series doesn't disappoint readers. Dan and Amy Cahill travel to Cairo along with Nellie Gomez, their 'au pair' to find a clue that will eventually lead them to a great power nobody has ever seen before. But the competition is more aggressive than ever, and Amy and Dan may be heading for a disasterous betrayal...0h no.

"Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you." -- Genesis 26:2 In the Bible, Egypt is often used as a symbol that stands for the evil that is in the world. That's a good reminder of the dangers that Amy and Dan Cahill will encounter when, accompanied by their au pair Nellie Gomez, they seek one of the 39 clues in Egypt. As I've commented on the earlier three books, even if you don't plan to try to win the contest these books make for fun reading. It's like a much more exciting version of The Amazing Race with much more at stake. This story is so delicious that I want to be very careful not to spoil it for you. Compared to the last two books, this one is absolutely super! Jude Watson makes great use of all the characters to produce drama, introduce plot complications, develop relationships, deepen your understanding of the Cahills, and make you appreciate each character more. Determining what the clue is in this book is also much more difficult than in earlier books which I thought made the story more entertaining. I was especially pleased to see that the story makes good use of the Egyptian setting. In addition, Dan wasn't nearly so annoying here and Amy's weaknesses made her more appealing. Even the not-so-trustworthy Cahills are more interesting in this book than in the last two. As I read the book, I couldn't help but wonder how Amy and Dan will be able to avoid all of their untrustworthy relatives and deal with the normal dangers of life as they race around the world. I can hardly wait for Book 5! The book's main theme is trust. After you finish reading this book, think about who you should trust . . . and about what.

If Book 3, The Sword Thief was a little disappointing, book 4, Beyond the Grave more than made up for it. This story takes place in Egypt, in and around various cities and especially some of the tombs and temples of ancient Egyptians. In this book Dan and Amy find themselves at odds with each other. They also realize that they are becoming more and more like the other Cahills; they are lying, cheating, stealing and they also realize that they do not like it. They also encounter a friend of their late Grandmother, Hillary Vale and her grandson Theo. At first they seem like friends and eager to help the children, but looks can be deceiving, especially if the Cahills are around. This book has a better pace than book 3; it is well-written and the characters seem more true to themselves. The story is starting to progress at a breakneck speed. Yet with 7 authors over 10 books it will be hard to predict where the series is going or how we will get there. Like earlier books, this one had a lot of historically accurate information, and gives a history lesson in a fun adventure book. The series is great for people of all ages. From young children having it read to them to retirees, it seems there is something in the 39 Clues for everyone. Jude Watson did a good job of reining in the story; she also carried the characters forward in a well-developed manner. My biggest complaint about the series is that the books keep getting shorter. At this rate the last few will be novelettes not novels. My second complaint is that the final book is not due out until the fall of 2010. This seems like a terribly long time, but with 10 books in 3 years it is still a great feat. This book left the reader eagerly anticipating book 5 due out in August of this year - The Black Circle by Patrick Carman. (First published in Imprint 2009-06-26.)

The Cahill siblings are at it again - this time in Egypt. Mysterious clues are hidden in some of the most famous tombs in all of history, but danger still abounds. This time around, though, Dan and Amy have some help from an old friend of Grace Cahill's - or do they?? This is the best book yet of the series.