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The 39 Clues: The Cahill Files #1
Operation Trinity
A brand new adventure from the world of The 39 Clues! For 500 years, the Cahills have been the most powerful family in the world. For 500 years, they've protected the source of their power - the 39 Clues. And for 500 years, they've kept their secrets silent. Until now.This extraordinary stand-alone novel cracks open the Cahill vault to tell the story of the most coveted piece of artwork in the world, a masterpiece that has been the target of seven separate theft Jan van Eyck’s altarpiece at Ghent. OPERATION TRINITY chronicles the first Vesper attack on the altarpiece in the 1600s, then jumps to WWII and young Grace Cahill’s desperate bid to save the masterwork from the Nazis. The final piece of the novel tells the story of Ian and Natalie Kabra’s first solo operation and features an 11th hour appearance by Grace Cahill on her final mission.History will never be the same.
142 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
June 25, 2012
My friends have always thought that it rather strange that I like to read "tween" books or some good old fantasy novels, rather than all those YA paranormal romances they're so fond of. But honestly, what would you rather read? A kickass tale of Grace Cahill saving an awesome piece of artwork from Nazis, or (yet another) novel about Mary Sue getting a makeover, discovering (yet another) magickal world full of magickal tall, dark, handsome, possibly secretly royal/rich guys with an angsty past, and going through (yet another) cliched saving-the-world scheme? (Although not necessarily in that order)
Best quote:
"'That can't be legal,' one of the awestruck guards muttered over the roar of the rotors.
Ian rolled his eyes. Laws were for poor people."
This book offered some excellent stories, and it was well-paced and full of excitement. It didn't tie in with the main series very much, but it was very interesting to read, nonetheless (who knew Grace was such a badass?) I loved the part with Ian at the end; it's always entertaining to read about their oh-so-high-and-mighty lifestyle. I think Clifford Riley is a great author, in the way that he manages to submerge the reader in the time period/ lifestyle of the character- it drew me in right away. It was a little predictable at some points (when Grace sneaked into Mlle Hubert's office, who DIDN'T immediately know that Mlle Hubert would show up and try to get information/ kill Grace?), and the whole idea of words beneath the painting was rather unrealistic and vague, but other than that, I loved it.
With each new 39 Clues book that comes out, we all know it's just another money-grab by Scholastic, but it's hard to NOT be drawn into these excellent books, and Operation Trinity was no exception.
Best quote:
"'That can't be legal,' one of the awestruck guards muttered over the roar of the rotors.
Ian rolled his eyes. Laws were for poor people."
This book offered some excellent stories, and it was well-paced and full of excitement. It didn't tie in with the main series very much, but it was very interesting to read, nonetheless (who knew Grace was such a badass?) I loved the part with Ian at the end; it's always entertaining to read about their oh-so-high-and-mighty lifestyle. I think Clifford Riley is a great author, in the way that he manages to submerge the reader in the time period/ lifestyle of the character- it drew me in right away. It was a little predictable at some points (when Grace sneaked into Mlle Hubert's office, who DIDN'T immediately know that Mlle Hubert would show up and try to get information/ kill Grace?), and the whole idea of words beneath the painting was rather unrealistic and vague, but other than that, I loved it.
With each new 39 Clues book that comes out, we all know it's just another money-grab by Scholastic, but it's hard to NOT be drawn into these excellent books, and Operation Trinity was no exception.
October 23, 2014
Quick & not bad. I was actually impressed by the characters, not so much by the plots, though. The overall plot is kind of cool, sort of a DaVinci Code thing, but with paintings. This one is broken into 3 different sections taking place in the 1500's with one character, 1945 & 2008(?) for the others.
The main plot trope is a super important secret & massive ignorance of it. A son, the least likely, is sent off to guard, but never told anything about why, yet still takes his duty very seriously. I HATE that. No special abilities or fantastic powers, just regular people with some special training in the last 2 sections. Very incomplete, I suppose to draw kids on to the next in the series. I prefer the Hardy Boys & I never read many of those.
The main plot trope is a super important secret & massive ignorance of it. A son, the least likely, is sent off to guard, but never told anything about why, yet still takes his duty very seriously. I HATE that. No special abilities or fantastic powers, just regular people with some special training in the last 2 sections. Very incomplete, I suppose to draw kids on to the next in the series. I prefer the Hardy Boys & I never read many of those.
August 8, 2025
absolutely gobsmacked that as an adult my favorite characters in this franchise are the kabra kids but they deserved so much better 😭
March 5, 2023
Cahills, connected through the centuries
What makes me wonder is which branch did Mathieu belong to. I'm guessing Madrigal. His part of the story was supposed to be very exciting, but I found it a bit dull and it took me the longest to get through that part.
Grace's adventures are always fun to read about. I wish there was another series just about her. It would be so fascinating and full of excitement. Nice nod to Jane Sperling, too. Atticus's great-grandmother, a spy and art saviour during WWII. It's so easy to forget just how young Grave was during those times. She's simply remarkable.
Finally, a proof Ian was in love with Amy long before the Hunt. Even in his thoughts, he can't stop thinking about her. His disdain is such a thinly veiled attempt to convince himself he doesn't have any feelings for her. Now about their mission, it only shows Isabel's true nature further. She has no regard for her children's lives or priceless works of art. She would have been a perfect Nazi if she lived in that era.
What makes me wonder is which branch did Mathieu belong to. I'm guessing Madrigal. His part of the story was supposed to be very exciting, but I found it a bit dull and it took me the longest to get through that part.
Grace's adventures are always fun to read about. I wish there was another series just about her. It would be so fascinating and full of excitement. Nice nod to Jane Sperling, too. Atticus's great-grandmother, a spy and art saviour during WWII. It's so easy to forget just how young Grave was during those times. She's simply remarkable.
Finally, a proof Ian was in love with Amy long before the Hunt. Even in his thoughts, he can't stop thinking about her. His disdain is such a thinly veiled attempt to convince himself he doesn't have any feelings for her. Now about their mission, it only shows Isabel's true nature further. She has no regard for her children's lives or priceless works of art. She would have been a perfect Nazi if she lived in that era.
January 15, 2020
Another intriguing 39 Clues sub-series! This book starts out with some of the original Cahill family, hundreds of years back, protecting a special altar piece from the Vespers. The next section leaps forward in time to the 1940s when Grace Cahill is young, being brought into the family secrets. Then it skips forward again to the last year of her life, still tracking that same altar piece and keeping it away from the wrong hands.
I enjoyed this thrilling tale, and will see if I can get more of this Cahill Files series.
Sidenote thoughts: I found out through reading this book just how much I'd love a whole series dedicated only to telling all the stories of Grace's life. We could so many behind-the-scenes stuff about her, and even eventually about Dan and Amy.... I'll be waiting for that.
I enjoyed this thrilling tale, and will see if I can get more of this Cahill Files series.
Sidenote thoughts: I found out through reading this book just how much I'd love a whole series dedicated only to telling all the stories of Grace's life. We could so many behind-the-scenes stuff about her, and even eventually about Dan and Amy.... I'll be waiting for that.
August 14, 2012
Doing my read-a-thon this week!! This was my first book and I read it in about 2 hours. http://angelasanxiouslife.blogspot.co...
Notice above in the goodreads description it says this is a stand alone novel. I disagree. I feel like you might get what's going on, but you really should'nt read this unless you have actually read the 39 Clues series. I didn't even know this book existed until I was looking through the new orders from my library and saw it. Then I found out that there are four "Cahill File" books and they are all already out so I am behind. For those of you who don't know this is a book series where each book is written by a different author. I love that concept which is why I picked up these books to begin with. I think there are 3 books published a year which is neat because it keeps you involved in the mystery and adventures and you really don't forget much in between each book.
This book is short though maybe like 130 pages... wish it was a little longer!!!
Notice above in the goodreads description it says this is a stand alone novel. I disagree. I feel like you might get what's going on, but you really should'nt read this unless you have actually read the 39 Clues series. I didn't even know this book existed until I was looking through the new orders from my library and saw it. Then I found out that there are four "Cahill File" books and they are all already out so I am behind. For those of you who don't know this is a book series where each book is written by a different author. I love that concept which is why I picked up these books to begin with. I think there are 3 books published a year which is neat because it keeps you involved in the mystery and adventures and you really don't forget much in between each book.
This book is short though maybe like 130 pages... wish it was a little longer!!!
April 4, 2014
leads on to cahills vs vespers great book :)
July 5, 2017
I get this is a series but book one felt very unfinished and not at all a story in itself to build on. Annoying.
May 2, 2019
It was very exciting and descriptive.
October 2, 2019
Read this with my nine year old, and he was excited about the adventure. I loved the new vocabulary he gained. Well written.
August 27, 2013
I can tell you right now it's not bad, but its not the best book, either.
This book has 3 stories in it, all about a family of powerful and rich people called 'Cahills.'
It skips years, so the first story is from 1549 or something like that. The kid in this story is sent away by his family to be an altar boy, to protect an altarpiece from an organisation of people called 'The Vespers.' They are trying to get ahold of the special altarpiece because they say it has clues o a secret, we don't know what it is yet. Anyway, you'll have to read it to find out what happens (although it's pretty obvious what happens). The first story was exciting, same with the second, but at the end something happens that i personally think is pretty stupid. And the 3rd story seems ridiculous and hard to understand. It's practically just one of those boring-normal-scenes-where-there-is-a-stupid-chase. I find them really boring cos it happens in like EVERY mystery book.
Overall, as I said, its not a bad book, but its one of those usual-happening-scenes and it just gets really boring. There is something like 9 or 10 books in the series, and to me, the series is one of those kinda-exciting-and-boring-series'. Honestly, DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!
This book has 3 stories in it, all about a family of powerful and rich people called 'Cahills.'
It skips years, so the first story is from 1549 or something like that. The kid in this story is sent away by his family to be an altar boy, to protect an altarpiece from an organisation of people called 'The Vespers.' They are trying to get ahold of the special altarpiece because they say it has clues o a secret, we don't know what it is yet. Anyway, you'll have to read it to find out what happens (although it's pretty obvious what happens). The first story was exciting, same with the second, but at the end something happens that i personally think is pretty stupid. And the 3rd story seems ridiculous and hard to understand. It's practically just one of those boring-normal-scenes-where-there-is-a-stupid-chase. I find them really boring cos it happens in like EVERY mystery book.
Overall, as I said, its not a bad book, but its one of those usual-happening-scenes and it just gets really boring. There is something like 9 or 10 books in the series, and to me, the series is one of those kinda-exciting-and-boring-series'. Honestly, DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!!
October 7, 2019
Ohhhh my god, this one is set in Belgium (partially). I didn't remember that! They even mention Antwerp's Beeldenstorm (no, I don't know the English translation)! That's so cool. This feels like coming home in a book.
Anyway, it's been fun while it lasted. Shame it's only 142 pages.
8/10
Anyway, it's been fun while it lasted. Shame it's only 142 pages.
8/10
June 18, 2012
It was an exciting book that kept me wanting to read more!
April 1, 2024
This is great-- my main complaint is that it's too short. I would have loved to see the other 5 theft attempts against it redone Cahill-vs-Vesper style.
I didn't intend to read any of the Cahill Files, but after the disaster of DNFing Outbreak, I was in need of a comforting older one with good characterizations, art history, and David Pittu's wonderful narration. And it delivered.
The most striking aspect is how the last short is almost better at making Ian and Natalie sympathetic than the whole of Cahills vs Vespers (though we might attribute this mostly to concentration of the narrative). In less than an hour, we go from watching Ian be a flippant wealthy snob at a high-profile art auction to seeing him cower in bed at night with his baby sister as they listen to the screams of their parents' torture victim. It's instantly clarity of how their desire to impress their parents has an undercurrent of fear and how their "our family is The Best and Most Powerful" is a flimsy justification for their way of life. And to be used as cannon fodder on Isabel's gruntwork at the end.... wow.
As an aside: Grace's relationship with The Alter via her memory of her mother reminds me a lot of The Goldfinch. So that's a book recommendation for you.
I didn't intend to read any of the Cahill Files, but after the disaster of DNFing Outbreak, I was in need of a comforting older one with good characterizations, art history, and David Pittu's wonderful narration. And it delivered.
The most striking aspect is how the last short is almost better at making Ian and Natalie sympathetic than the whole of Cahills vs Vespers (though we might attribute this mostly to concentration of the narrative). In less than an hour, we go from watching Ian be a flippant wealthy snob at a high-profile art auction to seeing him cower in bed at night with his baby sister as they listen to the screams of their parents' torture victim. It's instantly clarity of how their desire to impress their parents has an undercurrent of fear and how their "our family is The Best and Most Powerful" is a flimsy justification for their way of life. And to be used as cannon fodder on Isabel's gruntwork at the end.... wow.
As an aside: Grace's relationship with The Alter via her memory of her mother reminds me a lot of The Goldfinch. So that's a book recommendation for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2019
This series was an absolute surprise to me, and when I first started I was a bit unimpressed, however as the story carried on and things began to happen and plots and ideas twisted and swirled together, it was very quickly becoming very exciting and entertaining.
I became rather impressed and even shocked by some of the insane events that come to pass.
Years have passed since I started this series, and while I haven't finished every book in the whole mysterious saga adventure, I did finish the original series and the Vespers addition. I am in need of a re-read, and from there I can give a proper review upon completion of each book.
I became rather impressed and even shocked by some of the insane events that come to pass.
Years have passed since I started this series, and while I haven't finished every book in the whole mysterious saga adventure, I did finish the original series and the Vespers addition. I am in need of a re-read, and from there I can give a proper review upon completion of each book.
September 29, 2018
I found another series! Not as fun as the previous ones though. The early Cahill stories weren't amazing, but luckily not too long, just enough to keep it interesting. But the "present day" part was set before the Clue Hunt, and it was centered on Ian and Natalie, which might have been fun had it been post-hunt/post-Isabel Ian and Natalie, but it wasn't, it was just bratty and two dimensional Ian and Natalie, so this just wasn't a very satisfying story.
August 12, 2022
A collection of three short stories scattered through time, involving the ageless struggle between the Vespers and Madrigals.
It sheds light on some of the formative features of the characters while providing a short battle of wits and dire conditions where anything must be done to win in a game that threatens to hold the entire world at the edge of a knife and that which cannot be solved by one man alone.
Rather well written and pretty exciting from start to finish.
It sheds light on some of the formative features of the characters while providing a short battle of wits and dire conditions where anything must be done to win in a game that threatens to hold the entire world at the edge of a knife and that which cannot be solved by one man alone.
Rather well written and pretty exciting from start to finish.
May 13, 2020
I enjoy Historical Fiction. This series is has over 20 books in several subsets. Although listed as "supplemental" in the Wikipedia description of the series, Operation Trinity appears to be the starting point - explaining what is being sought and the lengths to which family members will go to find it. I enjoyed the few audiobooks and would highly recommend them for young adults and children.
May 28, 2020
I can't listen to the next books or read them. I am really really missing the library. So so much. I want the library and I want to stay there for hours and hours and I want to check out 20 books and read them all in a day. And then do it all over again.
I really really really really really really want to go to the library. Do any of you miss the library? I do.
I really really really really really really want to go to the library. Do any of you miss the library? I do.
October 13, 2020
A short book of three loosely connected stories about the Ghent Altarpiece called the Lamb of God.
The stories were jerky, I don't understand the significance of letting a total novice altarboy guard the piece and his willingness to do it. It was refreshing to see Grace Cahill in action, it was the highlight of the book
The stories were jerky, I don't understand the significance of letting a total novice altarboy guard the piece and his willingness to do it. It was refreshing to see Grace Cahill in action, it was the highlight of the book
January 22, 2019
Really three stories in one book, though they are tied together by the 39 clues and the Cahill family. I liked the first two, the third was not as good because the only likable character appeared only at the very end.
May 8, 2017
A few short stories that give some background info to read before the Cahills vs. Vespers series.
September 30, 2017
I really liked this book I can't wait to read the next one and keep reading the others to see what happens next.
October 19, 2018
Probably for a lot younger read, so the story felt like too much detail was missing for me.
August 26, 2019
Like it!
Read
September 20, 2019gg
October 19, 2019
Very short audiobook about adolescents doing unbelievable things.
January 3, 2020
Operation Trinity could have been better, but it wasn't a bad book. I really enjoyed the last chapter of the book. I love Ian and Natalie ♥‿♥
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews