The Dead of Night

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #3

by Peter Lerangis

The Vespers have crossed a line. Amy and Dan were devastated when the Vespers kidnapped seven Cahills around the world, holding them hostage until Amy and Dan delivered an impossible ransom. But at least the hostages were Cahills - members of the world's most powerful family, trained to face all odds.

Now the Vespers have gone too far. They've kidnapped Atticus, an innocent 11 year old boy and Dan's only friend. Now Dan and Amy are in the struggle of their lives. Because if they can't outwit the Vespers, the unthinkable will happen . . . Atticus will die.

Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook

190 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Lerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf, the Drama Club series, the Spy X series, the Watchers series, the Abracadabra series, and the Antarctica two-book adventure, as well ghostwriting for series such as the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, Sweet Valley Twins, and more than forty books in the series The Baby-sitters Club and its various spin-offs.[1] He has also written novels based on film screenplays, including The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hollow, and Beauty and the Beast, and five video game novelizations in the Worlds of Power series created by Seth Godin.[2] As a ghostwriter he has been published under the name A. L. Singer.[3]
Lerangis is the son of a retired New York Telephone Company employee and a retired public-elementary-school secretary, who raised him in Freeport, New York on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry, while acting in musicals[4] and singing with and musically directing the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,[5][6] before moving to New York. He worked there as an actor[7] and freelance copy editor for eight years before becoming an author.[8]
In 2003, Lerangis was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush to accompany her to the first Russian Book Festival, hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putina in Moscow.[9][10]Authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Marc Brown (the Arthur the Aardvark series) also made the trip with Bush.[9]
Also in 2003, Lerangis was commissioned by the United Kingdom branch of Scholastic to write X-Isle, one of four books that would relaunch the Point Horror series there.[11] A sequel, Return to X-Isle, was published in 2004.
In 2007, Scholastic announced the launch of a new historical mystery series called The 39 Clues, intended to become a franchise.[12] Lerangis wrote the third book in the series, The Sword Thief, published in March 2009.[13][14][15] On March 3, 2009, Scholastic announced that Lerangis would write the seventh book in the series, The Viper's Nest.[14][16]
Lerangis lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their sons Nick and Joe.[17]

Reviews

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS! It's so good! I can't stop myself from turning the pages! It is very thrilling with suspense and action!
Really Amy? Ian, Evan and now Jake?
I guess Amy has this charisma that always attract handsome guys! XD

I totally recommend this! I can't wait to read the next one!
And up till now, I still can't believe that Arthur Josiah Trent is, *gulps* is Vesper One.
Here's an excerpt from the book to prove that Arthur Josiah Trent REALLY is Vesper One!
"Dan, what are you doing?" Amy's voice suddenly called from the doorway.
Dan jumped. "Come on in, the door's open, thanks for knocking."
"I wanted to talk about Jake," she said softly.
"Oh, great," Dan grumbled. "Mr. Congeniality."
"He's so angry all the time. I can't bring myself to show him the text from..." Amy's eyes locked on the phone, resting on the carpet. Its screen glowed with a text from AJT. She sighed.
Dan scowled. "Here comes the lecture."
She sat on the floor next to him. "Dan, Dad was a Cahill. Through and through. Even if he wasn't born one. I wish you could remember his eyes. When you were little, he'd hold you up to everyone and say-"
"'Moon face,' yeah, I know, you told me a billion times," Dan said. "You both would flash this big, identical grin," Amy said. "Mom said you were twins separated by a generation. The man wasn't capable of evil. His life was not a lie. If you really knew him, you'd never say the names Vesper and Arthur Trent in the same breath."
Here's another one! THE LAST SCENE FROM THE BOOK THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET!
Overhead, a news report blared on an airport TV monitor. There was a report about a father and a little boy finding each other after a tornado. They were grinning, and they looked so much like each other.
Like twins, separated by a generation...
Amy's words echoed in his brain. When you were little, he'd hold you up to everyone and say, 'Moon face!' You both would flash this big, identical grin.
Dan sat bolt upright.
Of course. He could settle the AJT problem once and for all. Why hadn't he thought of this before? No stranger could possibly know that fact.
He checked left and right, then opened the phone again. This time he composed a message and sent it right away:
If you're really my dad, can you tell me what special thing you said to make us smile together?
The answer came back far faster than he would have expected.
Moon face.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent entry in the series for tweens/teens. Probably tweens. The adventures are still world-spanning, against a new class of villain inflicting damage on the extended Cahill family for treasures from Europe and the Far East (and probably some ancient-hidden-science-secret.

But a good road-trip audiobook for me and my Youngest, with some peril and some discovery and some growth.

[Might qualify for a library Reading Challenge or a Seasonal Reading Challenge -- to be accounted later...]

[Sophie [Merry Christmas!!] Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mac 😭
Dan, I deeply dislike u for choosing Alastair. IT WASN'T UR PLACE TO DO THAT!!
Nellie with the lizard, I love her, she's so underrated.
When is Dan gonna find out who's rly texting him 😭
Atticus is so adorable

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The roar of an engine blasted from his left—and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with flame decals jumped in front of him.
A small crowd of travelers scattered.
"How do you say, 'You jerk!' in Turkish?" Jake asked.
"Erasmus!" Dan cried with relief.
Jake balled his fist angrily and shouted, "Erasmus!"
The driver pulled off his helmet and goggles, allowing his dark, curly locks to spill over the collar of his black leather jacket. The sun has created a raccoonlike pattern on his face. "At your service."
"Wait," Jake said, confused. "Erasmus is his name?

DON'T MIND ME. IT'S JUST THAT THIS PART REALLY LEFT ME CRACKING UP.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Atticus...

The last Guardian. But what does it mean? When he is kidnapped by the Vespers, Amy, Dan and Jake have to scramble after them. All the while following (or pretending to follow) Vesper One's instructions.

And is AJT their father, mysteriously back from the dead?

They really got into this whole mess without any really information, surrounded by enemies they can't even see. FFS

[Sarah's Reading Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun series for kids with interesting historical facts. My kids are enjoying reading these with me.

[aindy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Codes: "Manuscript Voynich" and "Timbuktu"

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might be the only middle-aged woman who gets excited every time another one of this series comes out... but that's okay. I don't know how many times Amy and Dan will very nearly almost die... but not quite... before I get sick of these, but it hasn't happened yet.

[Heidi Lil' Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much!

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy how easy of a read these books are. After many years of reading and rereading this series I feel like I definitely have the character voices down in my brain. Of the books in the series this one is ranked lower in my list for overall enjoyment.
This book took Amy, Dan, Jake, and Atticus to find out more about astrolabes, sextants, parallaxes, among other tools used to chart and track star movement. There is continued team work among the three groups of teens as they each contribute in their own way to stopping the Vespers.

[Ashley W · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the heck is going on with Dan? He has so many good moments. Like when he actually cares about Atticus and wants to take care of him. I think he sees a lot of himself in his little friend. But then other times he is just so depressing. I think the whole clues thing really messed with him more than the others, even his sister.
It was so odd to think of Ami as being the top of the Cahill family pyramid. She never came off a leader to me and I understand why she doubts herself so much. Cause I totally doubt her too. I do think she has the best conscious of any of the family and always has. But then I would have said the said about Dan.
Atticus is such a great addition to their little trio. He is smart enough to keep up with them and has that optimism that Dan used to have. I really liked that he pretty much took care of himself when he was kidnapped, so the rescue was fairly easy. I thought it would take up more of the story than it did. It was nice how he explained all the space talk and I actually wanted to go learn more after reading.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

80% Deadly Capturing

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might just be the best book in this spinoff series yet. I mean not only does the vespers true cunning really show but the amount of compiling forms of tension and struggle in this literally 192 pages book is insane and truly the mark of a fabulous and talented writer, really I just can’t believe just how far I’ve journeyed with the Cahill siblings thru these many books and I’m excited to see where we travel too next.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

the vespers and I are being an absolute MENACE to my tbr this year so far lolll

[Katie Pfotzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love triangle

[Book Whales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted @ Book Whales

We are finally on the 3rd part of Cahills vs Vespers. With stakes very high on this part of the story we all wonder how can they make the story more interesting. (Like I said before this is a long running series). With Dan and Amy following again another order from the Vesper One they now go to the majestic place of Samarkand. (When I read that they are going to that place I remember book The Amulet of Samarkand which I still dont have the time to read)

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

I feel like I cant make a proper review without spoiling some part because this happened at the beginning part of the story and is important throughout the whole book.

If you read A King's Ransom you know that Atticus was kidnapped. Avant reading this book, I thought that the whole story will be the typical search for something while also saving Atiicus but I'm glad it didn't happen. The kidnapping incident is resolved easily. And then Atticus and Jake becomes a good additional companion to Dan and Amy. Hooray for more brains and intellect (as if Dan and Amy's skills are not enough)
Also it's not only focused on Dan-Amy group now. You know the term real time? Just like in the style of Dan Brown wherein multiple event are happening at the same time. In this book, Peter makes good use of all the supporting characters or the other members of the Cahill family. Its nice to see that everyone has their own role to play in this whole scenario. I know they have been doing that since Medusa's Plot but here there are some major advance in the plot of the story. (Specially with what they find in Samarkand)

And with the negative opinion. I can't believe my prediction about Dan's character is coming true now. He is now having a dark part inside his character which involves a mixture of sadness. anger, confusion. These are pretty big thing for a boy of that age and the circumstances are not really helping his cause. I think in the next book he will do something big that will probably shock its readers. And did I mentions he now has almost half or half of the ingredients of the serum. I expect that it will be completed in the next one or on the last one (Book 5 is the last one I think)

I end my review there. I hope it did not spoil you too much but I think there are a lot of spoilers in this review haha :D

Rating:

[MOVED - CHECK BIO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dun, dun, dun!((Yeah, you were supposed to say that out loud while playing a bass drum. :P))

The siblings Amy and Dan Cahill return in the 3rd book of the series Cahills Vs. Vespers. Also returning are the brothers Jake and Atticus Rosenbloom, along with the Cahills captives. The main plot in the book? Find Atticus, free him, and figure out what it is that Vesper 1 wants now. Complicated? Just a smidge.

What I love in this book is the plot and character development. The plot is just amazing, and just....Wow. Amy's character also turns into the Cahill leader that they need in order to save the captives. Something else I enjoyed was that the Dan from The 39 Clues original series showed a little, which made me smile.

I was seriously wondering if the texts Dan was getting were really from, well, him. That's right! I'm not tellin' who they might be from! Read the books, dude. Then at the end, we find out and I'm just like: "Whoa, seriously?! Whoa, just...No way!" Yep, just like that.

This book is just the right length for a 8-year-old. Of course, he or she would need to read the original series in order to understand it and not worry about spoilers. Though, they need to be able to handle reading about explosions, captives, and blood. Otherwise, they'll need to wait until they're a bit older. If your kid doesn't like reading, read the first series to him/her, then read this one. By the time you get the first book in Cahills Vs. Vespers, I would think that he or she will be reading them willingly.

5 stars. It's short, but that's my opinion because I'm a teenager. It's the perfect length for younger readers.


Recommended to people who read the original 39 Clues series and ages 8-11. If your kid can handle explosions and manage reading about some blood, then this is something you should check out.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if the first 39 Clues series didn't have enough action in it for you, the Cahills vs. Vespers spin-off certainly will satisfy your itch for an action-packed, mysterious, and fun read! Of the three books in this series so far, I thought this one was the best yet. Not only did Lerangis continue the plot forward (is Amy and Dan's dad alive? Is he a Vesper?), but he also complicated the secondary characters' subplots as well. Ian goes rogue, Evan seems visibly upset by different things, and the hostages are beginning to plot their escape attempts (now they're acting more like Cahills)! The only thing I wasn't a fan of in this book? Amy's new attraction to Jake. It seems that Amy is a sucker for any handsome fellow that is involved in the clue hunt (Ian, Evan, and now Jake). I was ready for her to stick with Evan and seeing this new attraction actually makes me lose some respect for her character and loyalty to Evan.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, I have no clue which side half of the characters are on. It's all a big huge mess right now. Ian is off the grid, but he knows that his mom is an even bigger liar. Is AJT really Dan's father, or an impersonator? If Arthur did survive, who was the second body? (Vesper One? Could Arthur have traded places with Vesper One and that's who died in the fire?) And poor, poor Dan. He's just being driven insane by all of this. I really hope that he is able to make it through without damaging himself too much.
I don't know what the list of cities is about. I thought about maybe volcanoes, but at least some of them don't have a volcano nearby that I know about. I need to do some research. And also, I have no idea whether or not the Vesper stronghold is actually in Argentina or not. The lizard could just have been placed there to throw them all off.

[stella yip · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, we get to see Dan's perspective on his view about his dad. And also he's fearing that he's becoming more and more like his dad. You go, bro. Figure it out that whatever your dad is, doesn't make you a part of him.

Also we got Ian's view. Hmm, I'm beginning to suspect that his mom is vesper 1 or 2 or 3. Something around there. Powerful enough but not the strongest one.

Oh, don't forget Amy too. Guess she's torn between Ian, her first crush, Evan, the sweet boyfriend, and the mean yet handsome Jake. What can a girl do when she's facing these people ? And 3 of them have feelings for her back. Oh my, that's like a four/square relationship ? Gosh, Amy, I'm so jealous of you. Nah, just kidding. I wonder how will you chose....

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know, at the beginning, when the 39 Clue first started, I fell in love with the series. Now, Dan has turned into Mr. Constant-Evil-Thoughts, Amy has boy problems, and people are dying left and right. What happened? What happened? I tell you what happened: In the book Into the Gauntlet , Dan (poor, evil kid) happened to memorize the serum to make you the strongest and smarted person alive. He sees it as the solution to all his problems. He doesn't see that it's deadly and will screw everything up.

I swear, if the series doesn't clean up soon, I'm not going to finish it. I'm done. There books are getting on my nerves. Where did kid morality go? Kid innocence? All of it - in the series, in Dan and Amy, all went down the toilet. Swirl, twirl, and bye bye.

[Krishna812]

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD I COULDNT EVEN LET IT DOWN!!! I just finished it and it is EPIC!!!. To think Arthur Josiah Trent is Still allive. Dan'd Dan may be vesper 1 though!!! I wonder if the Vespers end up being good. There are always turns like that in books. Cant wait till the next book comes out....SHATTER PROOF!!!! Its supposed to be about Dan and Amy stealing the HOPE DIAMOND which is the biggest diamond in the WORLD!!!!! Good Job Peter Lerangis!!!!

[Arem]

When Amy and Dan got all the ingredents for the formula they thout that they were the most powerful family in human history THEY WERE WRONG. When the Vespers kidnap 7 of there family members and threatened them to get them stuff. When they kidnap Atticus Dan goes on a all out surch for atticus that could end in disaster.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love love this series!! I gave this one 3 stars though because I thought the hunt for clues was a little confusing. I wasn't really sure what they were looking for. But the main story about the 4 kids was just as good as the rest of the books!

[Trudee Bealka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like always, I loved the characters, the story, the chase, the humor, all of it. I am really enjoying the Amy/Jake interaction and the addition of Atticus as more of a major character. These books are a true delight.

[Cher Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next book please! I'm just so overwhelmed by how complex the plot had become since picking up the first book of the series. I love the twists, the humanity of the characters and the fact that I can't second-guess what the endgame is. Keep 'em coming.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am probably the only adult that gets excited about these coming out, but the follow up series to the 39 Clues has aged well with the target audience. I still feel as interested in the Cahills as I did in "The Maze of Bones." I can't wait until book 4!

[Bookworm007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*FAINTED FROM HAPPINESS EXPLOSION*

FUTURE BOOKS PEOPLE!!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_39_C...

[KT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divya, I'm gonna need your help with some codes.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an action packed adventure. It was a return to the flavor of the original series--definitely less dark than book 1 in Vespers vs Cahills. I found it a welcome change.