The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, Book 3 of 6
Although my kids and I had buzzed through all 11 books in the original 39 Clues series, we started this Cahills vs. Vespers offshoot with great anticipation, and then abruptly took a 2-year hiatus. Nothing at all against The Medusa Plot (Book 1) by Gordon Korman, but life got in the way for us, and sadly forgot about these books—for a time.
On a recent drive, however, we accessed A King’s Ransom (Book 2) by Jude Watson and picked right back up from where we’d left off. Thirsting once more for the delectable adventure these books offer, we immediately ran The Dead of Night (Book 3) by Peter Lerangis. I can’t necessarily say that these stories get better as they progress, but they certainly maintain their high-velocity, treasure-hunting pace, and we love them for it.
The Dead of Night Story Summary
Vesper One has once again blackmailed Amy and Dan Cahill to search for and secure another ancient artifact. His threat to kill a hostage if they don’t comply keeps the kids moving, but little do they know that death still occurs, even when they obey!
This story finds the kids in Uzbekistan looking for “a stale orb,” which turns out to be a riddle that keeps them guessing until the clock literally runs out. Through all of this, Dan begins a texting thread with someone he thinks might be his father—though all his life, he and Amy had known their father had been murdered in a fire by a Cahill Cousin, Isobel. Interestingly enough, even Isobel makes an appearance in this book, after Ian abandons his post at HQ to search for her.
Mystery continues to surround the identity of Vesper One—is it Isobel? Dan and Amy’s dead father? Someone else just as surprising?
A huge change in this volume is the addition of former enemies, Atticus and Jake, to the team of treasure hunters. Sometimes, it seems that explosions don’t just blow underground lairs apart—they also bring people together.
A Few Notes about This Volume
Although this book didn’t focus on the hostages as much as the previous books had, the constant danger the hostages face keeps Dan and Amy in the fight, while also worn ragged and often depressed. It’s shocking how much the authors put these kids through—racing across the globe, changing their identities, being guided by their enemies and hunted by Interpol.
Amy is finding an uncomfortable solace in this new partnership with Jake, despite the fact that her boyfriend Evan is back at HQ, sleeplessly fighting for her safety. At one point she teases Jake, and he blushes:
It made her feel a slight tickle inside, like the flutter of moth wings. Stop that!Why was she even wasting a nanosecond teasing this guy? He was exactly the kind of guy she didn’t like, a hottie who knew he was a hottie. Thereby canceling the hotness completely.
Well, not completely. (Chapter 23)
Dan on the other hand is finding some escape in this mysterious relationship with the person on the other end of his text-messages. While it’s possible this person really is Dan’s dad, we have our doubts. In fact, we must have our doubts! This person writes of his concern for the kids and his ultimate plan for them throughout this whole fiasco, yet he’s also forcing them to steal priceless artifacts—and he’s literally killing their friends. We have to honestly hope this person ain’t their dad!
Both children continue to live adult lives in their little children’s bodies. This obviously keeps the tension amped up, but I keep waiting for one of them to snap—not just to snap emotionally by throwing a tantrum or bearing the darkness of their innermost hearts (we’ve seen both before), but snap as in quit. Disappear. Go rogue.
Dan and Amy have been together for so long, been supporting each other, that I think it would be an interesting exercise for one of these authors to separate them to a serious degree. Granted, this might affect fanhood impressions of these characters who have been such a long-time in building, yet I think it would reflect reality a bit more than this nonstop, genius-at-the-wheel pace.
I guess we’ll just have to see what future books hold.
Conclusion
We’re excited to see where this book’s sort-of-cliffhanger-ending takes us in Book 4, Shatterproof. We’re halfway through this offshoot series, and, for what it’s worth, I think I’m enjoying it more than the 11-part original.
©2025 E.T.
Read More from The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers:
1. The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman (2011)
2. A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson (2011)
3. The Dead of Night by Peter Lerangis (2012)
4. Shatterproof by Roland Smith (2012)
5. Trust No One by Linda Sue Park (2012)
6. Day of Doom by David Baldacci (2013)