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Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues, Book 4)
Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues, Book 4)
Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues, Book 4)
Audiobook4 hours

Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues, Book 4)

Written by Jude Watson

Narrated by David Pittu

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

Bestselling author Jude Watson takes Amy and Dan on a thrill-packed ride for the 4th installment of The 39 Clues series.

Betrayed by their cousins, abandoned by their uncle, and with only the slimmest hint to guide them, fourteen-year old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, rush off to Egypt on the hunt for 39 Clues that lead to a source of unimaginable power. But when they arrive, Amy and Dan get something completely unexpected - a message from their dead grandmother, Grace. Did Grace set out to help the two orphans . . . ore are Amy and Dan heading for the most devastating betrayal of them all?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 2, 2009
ISBN9780545174688
Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues, Book 4)

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Reviews for Beyond the Grave (The 39 Clues, Book 4)

Rating: 4.109657878873239 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jude Watson did a fine job of letting us in on a few more Cahill secrets, but some additional mysteries remain. Amy and Dan have found the next clue and have had a near-run-in with the dreaded Madrigals, who have smashed up the Ekat stronghold in Cairo. Allastair Oh has returned from the dead (once again), the Kabras have been led astray to Lake Tash, and Jonah Wizard and his dad are on the way to Morocco after following a false lead. Hot on their trail is bad girl ex-KGB spy Irina, and we have no idea where the Holts are. We gain a little insight into her life, too.

    SPOILER ALERT: The mystery code that begins on page 39 says: Alistair was there on the night they died. I believe this statement is referring to Amy and Dan's parents who perished in a fire. This implies that either: a) Allastair is responsible for that fire, or b) Alistair knows who killed Amy and Dan's parents.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love listening to this series while driving, probably because it helps take my mind off work and helps me enjoy the ride, which otherwise is a long haul.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Amy and Dan, with faithful au pair Nellie, travel to Egypt in the fourth adventure in the 39 clues series. I greatly enjoyed this book, more than any other in the series, probably helped along because I love Egypt and its ancient archaeological wonders. My spoiler heavy synopsis is to help me remember the events in the series; if you are reading this review, be warned.As usual, Amy and Dan are following a vague clue that suggests Cairo could lead them to another one of the big Clues, and once there they use a combination of luck and skill to trace the trail left by their Cahill ancestors. While hiding from Irina Spasky, they meet Theo, an Egyptologist. He notices that they are attempting to buy a genuine (forged) golden Sakhet that Napoleon had once owned, and offers to take them to a museum that used to house Napoleon's scholars. They agree, and find a tile in the house that bears the Lucian crest, which hides a clue behind it. The clue is cryptic, something about an L. Palace, so they head to Hotel Excelsior, where Alistair Oh had rooms, to try and spend time pondering over their acquired knowledge. Instead, they discover an Ekhat stronghold, hidden in the hotel, and narrowly escape imprisonment by Alistair's sinister uncle, Bae Oh. As they dash out of the hotel, a strange woman pulls up in car and provides miraculous transportation. They find out that she is Hilary Vale, an old friend of their grandmother, Grace Cahill. She also happens to be Theo's mother, who they reunite with at her house.While there, they have a few moments of peace to gather their thoughts. The stronghold had furnished further clues, along with its risk of doom, as it operated as a museum of Ekhat genius; the children had seen three golden Sakhets on display there, along with the maps hidden inside two of them. The maps are clearly of Egyptian tombs, but the kids need more information. They suspect that the third Sakhet is a fake, since it has no hidden compartment for a secret message. At Hilary's house, they receive a wonderful surprise when she gives them a valuable that Grace asked her to keep for them. It is the third gold Sakhet! Dan figures out how to open it, and they discover yet a third map of an Egyptian tomb. Along with this treasure, Grace also delivers to them, via Hilary, a Christmas card and a travel book to Egypt filled with Grace's own notes. Dan combines the sketches of the three maps and discovers the one true map hidden in them all; Theo informs them that it is a map of Queen Nefertari's tomb. Clues in the tomb lead them to the Temple of Isis, not before they are marooned and escape a hungry crocodile, and to a double cross, which prompts a double cross of their own. Just another day in the topsy turvy world of Amy and Dan Cahill. With a different author for each new book in the series,
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The way the authors of this series blend fact with fiction is absolutely astounding to me. I feel compelled to look up every little "fact" stated to see if it's true or simply part of the Cahill canon, but I stop myself because I REFUSE to destroy the temporary suspension of disbelief with this series (at least until I've finished it).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Watson, J. (2009). The 39 Clues: Beyond the Grave. New York: Scholastic, Inc.0545060443190 pages.Appetizer: The fourth book in the 39 Clues series opens with the Cahill siblings in Cairo, Egypt, being pursued by their cousin, Irina, who is ex-KGB. This time, Dan and Amy aren't quite certain what they're looking for in a clue. Best solution? Wander around a museum.The siblings are lucky enough to meet an old friend of their grandmother's, which leads to a deeper understanding of who Grace Cahill was, but betrayals and encounters from other relatives still keep Amy and Dan on their toes. Plus, Amy and Dan are beginning to fight, causing the fear that they'll end up behaving just like all the other Cahills.Grace has become quite the Dumbledore figure, endowed with knowledge beyond what any one person should have and capable of still directing major operations from her grave. Someday, when I'm old and wrinkly, I hope I can manipulate young people into dangerous situations that will pit them against dark lords or their relatives like that. Seriously.I really enjoyed Jude Watson's addition to the series. Watson's writing included a lot of subtle humor that had me chuckling even during many of the tense scenes.Dinner Conversation:"If Amy Cahill had to list what was wrong with eleven-year-old brothers, their habit of disappearing would be numero uno.Or maybe the fact that they existed in the first place.And then there was the whole burping the alphabet thing....""He gave her the statue.It felt strange to touch something so old. Something Napoleon had touched. Every so often she got a deep thrill from a sense of her own DNA linking like a chain down a line leading to a bunch of extraordinary people. Napoleon!" (pp. 10-11)."The Lucians are all little Napoleons," Dan grumbled. "Look at Ian and Natalie. Just a couple of smarty-pants with cash. Comrade Irina? A smarty-pants with a tic. Napoleon? He was a smarty-pants with an army" (p. 19)."Where to?" the taxi driver asked, waking with a start."Just go, go go!" Nellie shouted."Go, go, go!" the taxi driver shouted gleefully as he stomped on the gas, practically sending them through the roof. "I love Americans!" (p. 23)."Every branch had bad people in it," he said. "And there are plenty of good Ekats, too. I mean, where would we be without Edison? In the dark, that's where. Anyway, we don't know what branch we're in. We only know we're Cahills. If I had to choose a branch based on the bad guys, I wouldn't want to be part of any of them" (pp. 36-37).To Go with the Meal:Since this book focuses on different cities in Egypt, a teacher can focus lessons on ancient Egypt, Napoleon (and his role in Egypt), the Rosetta Stone, the work of various Egyptologists (and there are MANY mentioned in this book). If a student is working through the entire series, a teacher could urge them to organize the famous members of the family into their branches graphically.Tasty Rating: !!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think that this is the 3rd best in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Amy and Dan Cahill are part of a very large, but extremely dangerous family. Ever since Book 1 - The Maze of Bones, Amy and Dan have been on a wonderous adventure since their grandmother died. Amy, 14 years old, is like the part cool-nerd type of girl. She is smart, wonderful, and likes to stick to the rules. Now Dan, a.k.a, Danny, is almost like the exact opposite of Amy. Lazy, hates books, but he is awesome in his own way. Photographic memory. Dan has photographic memory, which helps a lot on the quest of the 39 clues.The theme, or main-idea, of this book is family, and trust. The trust part, is don't trust random people. Family is that they don't abandon you. Family may betray you, but they won't abandon you. In the series, Alistar Oh has betrayed Amy and Dan before, but then, he helps them. Although he then betrays them again, he never abandoned them. He was there to help them find the 3rd clue, although they almost drowned if it wasn't for Dan. At the end, they didn't find the clue, but they made a shaky alliance with Alistar. That is also trust.In my opinion, Beyond The Grave wasn't too good. They didn't find any clues in it and Amy and Dan's relationship with each other shook, but they manged to get back together and depend on each other again. This book reminds me of my brother and I. We have our fights and disagreements, but we always solve in the end.I would recommend this book for any age group, because this book is extremely awesome and the words really aren't that hard.I think this book is mainly about trust, because they have learned not to trust anyone, except themselves. They managed an alliance with Alistar, but they can't trust anyone else. For they were betrayed by many people, including Grace's best friend.Info about the AuthorJude Watson (Judy Blundell) was born on February 12,1938. She is the author of 2 other books the 39 clues series, Book 6 - In Too Deep, and Book 11 - Vespers Rising. Judy also wrote many, many Star Wars novels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Dan and Amy have gotten the next clue, "Al Sakhet", and headed to the ancient cizvilization of Egypt. Meanwhile, both children try to avoid saying the "word" (Ian). They first narrowly escape the deadly nails of their distant Russian cousin.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My fourth-grade son, Ben, loves the 39 Clues series. In this book, the 4th in the series, Dan and Amy go to Egypt. We learned a bit about Egyptian history while following Dan and Amy on their search for the next clue. They face their share of mishaps and traps, but together they are up to the challenges. I particularly enjoyed seeing Amy and Dan's relationship as brother and sister develop in this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Continuing on in the 39 Clues saga, we now travel with the Cahil kids to Egypt. I really enjoyed the way this particular adventure played out. It was still twinged with reality stretches as these young kids raced around Cairo (and other Egyptian locations). But for some reason this book felt a little more real.This book began with all previous alliances dissolved (though they were still able to use some previous partnerships to their advantage...such as using a travel card to get into a very swanky hotel). Close calls with Irina were escaped a little too easily considering her espionage background, but the chase sequence felt more believable.What I especially liked though was the mental deliberations that Amy and Dan went through...questioning their place in this adventure, questioning the motivations of their grandmother. It was rather coincidental that this adventure had them discover information/messages/clues from their grandmother, but it worked well.I continue to enjoy the "who do you trust" game that the kids are always playing. It's especially fun since we get partially into the heads of their prospective allies. I'm left wondering at the motivations and thoughts of Alistair and Irina. Are they showing compassionate sides? Or are they totally cutthroat and ready to bury the kids? The added non-family alliances in this book were also interesting. The main antagonist force in this book came off as a little predictable to me, but overall I think it was well crafted.So far, I think this was my favorite 39 clues book in the series. Part of the reason could be my love of ancient Egypt. Though I'd also like to attribute it to a more intricate story and increasing depth in characters and plot.Still enjoying the series and looking forward to future books. I still need to get online and check out the game that goes along with it...soon.****3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Amy and Dan cross the oceans on the trail of a famous aviator, but they find more than they're looking for. Their enemies are becoming more vicious, and the truths they discover more crushing than ever.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was pretty good. It had so many mysteries, it's awesome! But it wasn't quite like the other books in the series. For starters, it starts talking about Madrigals. Also, the weird thing I found about it is that half of the Cahill family isn't here. Sure, the Kabras are in the wrong country, but what about the Holts? Why aren't they here? It's so werid. Also, at the end of the book, it doesn't tell you where they're going next, which is sort of a disappointment.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is my favorite of the series. I hope their grandmother helps them again along the way again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Betrayed by thier cousins, abandoned by their uncle, and with only the slimmest hint to guide them, Amy and Dan Cahill rush off to Egypt on the hunt for 39 clues that lead to a source of unimaginable power. But when they arrive, Amy and Dan get something completely unexpected-a message from their dead grandmother, Grace. Did Grace set out to help the two orphans...or are Amy and Dan heading for the most devastating betrayel of them all?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The progression of this series makes me think of the Harry Potter series. The first book, Maze of Bones establishes characters, tone, and pace of the series. It's very exciting and definitely grabs the reader! The second book seems like a repeat of the first, so you aren't quite as in love with it, but it is still a very good read, but then the plot gets more complex moving forward through the rest of the books in the series. The characters grow and become more relatable and life-like. From what I've seen, the late elementary/middle school group that it is set to target really seems to enjoy the books. And it is not so bad for adults either :o)This whole series could be a very good classroom tool to study writing styles, history, fact vs. fiction, etc. There is a lot that could be done with it, which also makes it a fun read for me!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    4th installment in The 39 Clues series, this episode finds Amy and Dan in Egypt looking for the 4th clue. They team up with a guide, Theo, whose mother was a friend of their grandmother Grace who, years ago, left a message for them with her. A message that lead them on a scavenger hunt throughout Egypt.Crocodiles and ruthless souvenir sellers are more dangerous than being chased by other Cahills. At one point, Dan & Amy are stranded at night on a small island on the Nile. Surrounded by man-eating crocodiles they, once again, barely escape with their lives.I really wish the books would come out more often. At this pace it will take the better part of 13 years if volumes are only published once every 3 months.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another fun book in this series. I like that we are starting to get to know all of the contestants better. This one has some background about Irina. I'm glad to see Dan and Amy learning to work out their differences and help each other more.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series is really good in that it give historical information as you follow Dan and Amy as they search for the 39 Clues their grandmother Grace, at her death, told them they need to find the treasure. All their relatives are try too and threaten their lives. A fun read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In this book Amy and Dan Cahill have followed the 39 clues to Cairo, and are basically frustrated and trying to make something out of scraps of clues. They have no one they can trust, but when they meet a long time friend of Grace's, they believe they can trust her. Once again there is a lot of adventure and historical information in these novels, although this one does not have as many of the ongoing characters in it. Some characters make a quick appearance and others never show up. The other thing about Watson's writing style is that it didn't seem to move as quickly - maybe because more of the characters were dealing with emotions instead of adventure. Still I really like this ongoing series, and I think the authors do a good job of keeping the tone very similar. I think kids will continue to gobble this like popcorn!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book ? wasn’t my fave. I’d rather listen ? to book ? 3.

    The only part that I don’t mind is Nellie tackling Theo. LOL

    Also it is getting annoying how like every couple chapters the theme music ? plays.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    NOTHING it sucks my kid hates it and i hate the other ho made this book the first and second along with the third are spot on, but this is horrable
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4th book in the series, the stronghold of the 4th branch of the family - and a great adventure in Egypt. This installment is stronger than the previous ones - partially because Watson does not try to fit all of the competition (he mentions everyone but we see only Irina and Alastair (and Jonas for a bit). But we also see an old friend of Grace and we learn more about Grace - the woman that started the competition and who had been mostly a ghost in the story. We get to meet an old friend and the kids receive a message left for them a long time ago.Egypt is a fascinating country and as all the previous books, this one contains a lot of history - the moved temple of Isis and the numerous tombs; the streets of Egypt with all the bad and good. I was in Egypt with my mother 8 years ago and I saw in person most of the places and monuments that they were talking about. In some cases I was waiting for it to happen, knowing where it leads. There is also the usual Cahill fun of course - attempts for assassinations, name dropping and a lot of running around (and I start wondering if Nellie was really where she was at the start of it by chance). At the end Amy and Dan find their clue but do not find a new clue - so it is not clear where we are going next. Which is unusual. On the other hand we are out of branches of the family so we will see where that leads. And noone knows which branch the siblings belong to. And that is the real mystery of the series - the stories are fun and finding the clues is interesting but I do not really care what they find at the end - we know it is a recipe, they just need to track down what goes inside. Before this book, I was wondering if I want to continue reading the series but I am back on board.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Cahills - Amy and Dan - continue their quess to collect all the clues to the inheritance that their grandmother left them. Betrayed by their cousins, abandoned by their uncle, and with only the slimmest hint to guide them, fourteen-year old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, rush off to Egypt on the hunt for 39 Clues that lead to a source of unimaginable power. But when they arrive, Amy and Dan get something completely unexpected - a message from their dead grandmother, Grace. Did Grace set out to help the two orphans . . . ore are Amy and Dan heading for the most devastating betrayal of them all?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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.Irina's backstory is teased at but unlike when I felt momentary feeling for Ian, I still don't like her. I hate that Dan and Amy fight in this one - I wish they'd just have it out instead of being all passive aggressive. As much as I enjoyed the book though, I would've liked to see more of Egypt - tomb raiding and archaeology details/facts/anecdotes, etc. I felt that it was kind of bland on that aspect of the quest - there was lots of danger and action but not as much substance as the previous three books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Cahills - Amy and Dan - continue their quess to collect all the clues to the inheritance that their grandmother left them. In this installment, their other relatives (Kabras, Holts, Madrigals) don't play as large a role, and we are introduced to Grandmother Grace's friend who is also looking for the treasure.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    More enjoyable than the previous books, with a nice smattering of history.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Jude Watson did a fine job of letting us in on a few more Cahill secrets, but some additional mysteries remain. Amy and Dan have found the next clue and have had a near-run-in with the dreaded Madrigals, who have smashed up the Ekat stronghold in Cairo. Allastair Oh has returned from the dead (once again), the Kabras have been led astray to Lake Tash, and Jonah Wizard and his dad are on the way to Morocco after following a false lead. Hot on their trail is bad girl ex-KGB spy Irina, and we have no idea where the Holts are. We gain a little insight into her life, too.

    SPOILER ALERT: The mystery code that begins on page 39 says: Alistair was there on the night they died. I believe this statement is referring to Amy and Dan's parents who perished in a fire. This implies that either: a) Allastair is responsible for that fire, or b) Alistair knows who killed Amy and Dan's parents.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the book "beyond the grave" by Jude Watson Amy and Dan go to Egypt so they can find the next clue. They go to Cairo to see if someone in the Cahill family could help them. They find the Ekat. stronghold on accident and get trapped in a box. Then they find one of their grandmother's friend and she drives them to the airport. There they run into Jonah Wizard and dodge him to get on their flight. then they realize that their grandmother prepared them for this adventure. Finally they go back to the Ekat. stronghold and see it has been violate and everything is broken. I gave this book a three and a half rating because I like the plot of this story. However it is made by a different author who isn't my favorite author. This didn't affect the book much but it changed the character's attitudes. Sadly, I don't enjoy this about the series. However this does give the series some variety. The only time I do like this is when the author makes the characters act like Rick Riordan. He is my favorite author. I hope you read this book it is very interesting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Highly Recommended This book is the 4th book in the New York Times bestselling series, 39 Clues. Amy and Dan Cahill convince their au pair, Nellie Gomez to go with them to Egypt. They are being chased by some of the other Cahills introduced in the previous books. An archaeologist named Theo Cotter helps Amy and Dan try to find the fourth clue, but then ends up betraying them. After managing to stay alive, Amy, Dan and Nellie find the fourth clue. They found it in a Sakhet statue that their Grandma left them. They are one step closer in solving the Cahill family secrets.This has been a popular middle school series and is good for hi-lo readers. Those students who like adventure books in series format will love this series. This book has a lot of historical references to Ancient Egypt, so kids will learn about Luxor, Aswan and Cairo. I have found myself buying these books for the 9th graders because they started the series in elementary or middle school and they still want to finish it. It is also appealing to students because of the clues/cards in each book and the online component. Being able to participate in the online game is really fun for students who want to really get into the adventure. I would recommend this series to middle school students. The historical characters and locations make a good historical fiction selection. I would probably not use the 4th book in the series for more than just putting it on the shelves for students to check out. However, the 1st book in the series could be used for a book club selection. Those students really liking the first book could move on and read the rest of them. There is not really any objectionable content in this book. It is age appropriate.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a pretty good story. Definitely a nice recovery from the last one. Signs of the Madrigals appearing on two seperate occasions was very interesting. I liked Theo and Hilary though they don't seem to be likely to be in future stories. Oh well. It was a pretty good book. My first Jude Watson read ever, but well done.