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.


I was thinking how good this was compared to the Sword Thief (which I consider to be one of the best in the series) and realised this is by the same author, Peter Lerangis. Clearly - Lerangis has talent. This was a fast ride with lots of history and action and clues. I like the work they have to put in to solve the puzzles and how they go about and Lerangis is very good at writing them. I don't know what's up with Alistar - he's a mess. Hamilton Holt is back! He's kind of becoming my favourite family member (besides Amy and Dan, of course). Although he didn't do as much in this one as he has in other books. Nellie - is she or isn't she? It's killing me not to know...
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Children's fiction/adventure. ( )

As Amy and Dan Cahill are leaving, they are informed that the police are after them. Realizing that Alistair is the fugitive, the kids head to Pretoria to continue their search.

Their adventure in Africa leads them to some disturbing realizations after their discovery of the clue left by Winston Churchill in the Tomas stronghold.

This is a fun series of children exploring the world with puzzles to solve. Great descriptions of exotic locations as well as historical facts all mixed in with a treasure hunt. ( )

The hunt for 39 hidden Clues that lead to an unimaginable power have taken a heavy toll on fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan. They've just seen a woman die. They're wanted by the Indonesian police. They're trapped on an island with a man who knows too much about the death of their parents. And a tropical storm is rolling in. Just when they think it can't get any worse, it does. Because the Cahills have one more rattling skeleton for Amy and Dan to discover . . . the terrible truth about their family branch. ( )

Interesting inclusion of the history of South Africa. ( )