School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-For generations, the Vespers and Cahills have sought to steal certain rare artifacts that contain one of 39 clues that will lead to ultimate power for anyone who has all of them. The Madrigal branch of the Cahill family has tried to protect them from discovery. Attending a boarding school in Massachusetts, Grace Cahill is a retired Madrigal Agent who longs to live an artifact-free life. Her dreams are put on hold when a Louvre employee contacts her for help with regard to a stolen altarpiece. Created by medieval artist Jan Van Eyck, it is believed to hold a secret map to the clues' locations. Throughout history, thieves have stolen parts of the masterpiece in search of the map, but have failed. Grace tries to ignore the request until a Vesper disguised as a teacher tries to kill her for information about the item's whereabouts. Can Grace find and the altarpiece and save it from falling into the wrong hands? Will she ever be able to quit getting pulled into her family's disputes? This is a fun prequel to the "39 Clues" series. The World War II setting, conflicts with the Nazis, and the references to the artist Van Eyck add a new level of believable intrigue without overwhelming the plot. Fans of the other Cahill stories or those who like mystery, suspense, and adventure will enjoy this book.-Kira Moody, Whitmore Library, Murray, UT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Threats over several centuries to a Renaissance masterpiece commonly known as the Ghent Altarpiece link a trio of episodes in this formulaic, fan-friendly kickoff to another 39 Clues subseries, dubbed the Cahill Files. Though all three plotlines are low on credibility particularly the middle one, in which a teenage Grace Cahill repeatedly and with the greatest of ease avoids being captured or killed on her way from the U.S. to Nazi Germany to scotch a plot to blow up the artwork they do feature quick action, previously met characters and clans, an online component, and even some tenuous connections with historical fact. In the other two tales, a sixteenth-century Dutch altar boy is instrumental in repelling an attack orchestrated by the nefarious Vespers on Ghent's Saint Bavo Cathedral, and shortly before her death, in 2008, Grace prevents Isabel Kabra from vandalizing a portion of the altarpiece. This spin-off and its sequels should help maintain interest in the main 39 Clues series, scheduled for a movie release in 2014.--Peters, John Copyright 2010 Booklist
