Line #141 Literature/The39Clues


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the39clues.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: Let the hunt begin...]]
3	->'''Amy:''' I mean, what could make somebody the most powerful Cahill in history? And why thirty-nine clues?\
4	'''Dan:''' Thirty-nine is a sweet number. It's thirteen times three. It's also the sum of five prime numbers in a row - 3,5,7,11,13. And if you add the first three powers of three, 3 to the first, 3 to the second, and 3 to the third, you get thirty-nine.\
5	'''Amy:''' How did you know that?\
6	'''Dan:''' What do you mean? It's obvious.
7	-->-- ''The Maze of Bones''
8
9	Quiz time: What is ''The 39 Clues"?
10
11	A. Childrens' book series\
12	B. Website\
13	C. Collectible card game\
14	D. Sweepstakes
15
16	The answer is E, all of the above.
17
18	The book series by various authors,[[labelnote:click for list]]Creator/RickRiordan, Creator/GordonKorman, Peter Lerangis, Creator/JudeWatson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, Creator/MargaretPetersonHaddix, Creator/RolandSmith, Creator/DavidBaldacci, Jeff Hirsch, Natalie Standiford, C. Alexander London, Sarwat Chadda, Jenny Goebel, Clifford Riley, Mallory Kass[[/labelnote]] as well as the website, cards, and sweepstakes, deal with the [[BigScrewedUpFamily Cahill family]], one of the most powerful families the world has ever known, as almost every historical figure from the last five hundred years is related to them. The family is divided into one of four branches - the [[TheSmartGuy Ekaterina]], who are the geniuses and inventors of the world, the [[TheBigGuy Tomas]], who are explorers and athletes, the [[BadassBureaucrat Luci]][[AmbitionIsEvil ans]], who are the spies, generals, and leaders, and the Janus, the artists, musicians, and authors.
19
20	When Grace Cahill, arguably one of the last genuinely nice Cahills, dies, she chooses to unveil her alternate will and kickstart a globe-trotting quest to find the source of the family's power. Such power can only be found by assembling all 39 Clues.
21
22	Our story begins when Amy and Dan Cahill, orphans who live with their disinterested great-aunt Beatrice, attend their grandmother Grace's funeral and the reading of her will. There, along with an assortment of colorful distant relatives, they make the choice: one million dollars or the chance to find the Clues alongside au pair Nellie Gomez. They choose to receive their first Clue, and are subsequently thrown into a five-hundred-year-old web of backstabbing, lies, and deceit. The first series follows them through the Clue hunt as they travel the globe, clash with their scheming relatives, and discover troubling truths about themselves and the Cahill family at large.
23
24	Flash forward two years to the beginning of the SequelSeries, ''Cahills vs. Vespers''. The Clue hunt has ended, but a new threat has surfaced; [[SequelHook it was revealed at the end of the first series]] that the Clue hunt was really only a practice run for a greater conflict between the Cahills and a previously unknown rival faction. This group, the Vespers, are allegedly so evil that they make the BigBad of the first series look like ''Mother Teresa'' by comparison. Now the Vespers have begun making demands of the Cahill family, and [[HostageForMacGuffin the lives of seven hostages are at stake.]] Amy and Dan are once more sent on a trip around the world, frantically chasing down Vesper One's demands, [[CombatAndSupport while their teammates provide support from the Cahill Command Center]], a computer lab that has been set up in Grace's mansion.
25
26	A third series, named Unstoppable, was published from late 2013 to 2014, dealing with some of the fallout from the conflict with the Vespers, with presidential candidate J. Rutherford Pierce serving as {{Big Bad}}. Scholastic proceeded to publish a fourth one, from early 2015 to mid 2016, in which a new villain with mysterious ties to Grace named the Outcast has taken control of much of the family's resources. A standalone novel named Outbreak was released in late 2016, dealing with the doings of a pharmaceutical company with which Sinead Starling was involved.
27
28	The official web site was originally [[http://www.the39clues.com/ here]], but it seems to have been taken down; the address now redirects to the Scholastic Books web site. Character sheet is [[Characters/The39Clues here]], and individual books have recap pages [[Recap/The39Clues here]].
29	----
30	!!This book series provides examples of:
31
32	[[foldercontrol]]
33
34	[[folder: General]]
35	* DependingOnTheWriter: The way the Cahill Serum is portrayed depends really on the Writer. Later books depict it as [[spoiler: more dangerous to the taker]] than earlier books do.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Series 1: The Clue Hunt]]
39	* AbusiveParents: This is most certainly the case with [[spoiler:Ian and Natalie]] since, [[spoiler:Isabel Kabra verbally degrades them on a regular basis. They both ''love'' her, and ''fear'' her simultaneously -- while also thinking that they lead the perfect lives because of all the wealth their family has]]
40	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Amy towards Ian.
41	* AllThereInTheManual: Inputting cards' codes on the website either unlocks a secret file or is part of a Clue Combo. Solving website missions' and inputting ultra-rare cards' codes unlocks one of the 39 Clues.
42	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* AmbitionIsEvil: Everyone except Amy and Dan, the Lucians in particular.
43	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* AncientConspiracy: The Cahill clan.
44	* ArcNumber: Despite its inclusion in the series name, 39 only shows up as the number of clues, and there doesn't seem to be any reason for it to be this particular number. (When Amy wonders about this, Dan points out that 39 is "a pretty sweet number": [[ThirteenIsUnlucky 13]]x3, the sum of the first five odd prime numbers, 3^1+3^2+3^3). (Presumably, the authors wanted a numerically interesting number that no one had used before.) 7 actually shows up more in the story (7 teams, [[spoiler:Amy and Dan discover their family branch]] at the end of Book 7, and 7 captives in the sequel series. 7 is also the age Amy was when she and Dan lost their parents, and the next big change in her life comes 7 years after that, when her grandmother dies and the clue hunt begins. Then she gets a small break until she's 16, the digits of which add up to 7, when the Vespers attack.
45	* {{Area51}}: The Lucians are in charge of this location.
46	* AudioAdaptation: Read by Creator/DavidPittu!
47	** Nellie is given a hint of accent, and the Kabras sound upper-crust snooty (which is amazing).
48	** Each audio book also contains a small recording at the end that reveals backstories not shown anywhere else.
49	* BadassDriver: Nellie is trained in defensive driving and shows it on a regular basis.
50	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** While fleeing the Janus hideout, Dan becomes one of these.
51	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* BadassFamily: The Cahills. Who are also a BigScrewedUpFamily, naturally.
52	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Beethoven certainly was, as well as Mozart, Neil Armstrong, Einstein, Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Houdini, Bill Gates, and George Washington, among others. Pretty much any famous person in history is said to be part of the Cahill family and to have participated in the quest for the thirty-nine clues.
53	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* BigBad: [[spoiler:Isabel Kabra]].
54	* BigFancyHouse: Both Grace's house (before it burned down, although the rebuilt version also qualifies) and the Kabra mansion.
55	* BigScrewedUpFamily: Basically, the majority of the characters are related and have tried to kill each other at some point.
56	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: [[TheBigGuy Reagan and Madison Holt]] are the blondes, [[RichBitch Natalie Kabra (and her mother Isabel)]] are the brunettes, [[TeenGenius Sinead Starling]] is the redhead, and [[TheHero Amy Cahill]] falls in between the last two, with reddish-brown hair.
57	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* BluffTheEavesdropper
58	* BrotherSisterTeam: Amy and Dan are a sister and brother who work together to find the thirty-nine clues; Natalie and Ian are as well.
59	* CharacterDevelopment:
60	** Amy overcomes a lot of her shyness.
61	** All of the minor characters get this. If you look at reviews of the first book of the series, you'll see critiques of the "one-dimensional" relatives. Stick around until the middle of the series and interesting developments will begin taking place, especially - unusually for a childrens' book series - among adult supporting characters; the younger minor characters' development mostly happens in the last two books.
62	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Everywhere in Book 10.
63	* ChekhovsClassroom: All the things Grace taught the Cahill siblings came in handy on the clue hunt.
64	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* TheClan: Of the Cahills.
65	* CreatorsCultureCarryover: Ian has ''pink dollar signs'' of all things on his underwear, even though he's from Britain, where the dollar is not used. It's possible he bought them in America.
66	* DeathByOriginStory: The death of Hope and Arthur is a crucial part of the backstory of their children, Amy and Dan. Honoring their memories and finding out more about them often influence Amy and Dan's motivations through various arcs.
67	* DependingOnTheWriter: While sometimes there is geniune CharacterDevelopment and the reveal of HiddenDepths, sometimes characters, particularly Ian and Natalie, undergo drastic and rapid personality changes, depending on how an author views them. For example, Gordon Korman tends to portray Ian as hot-headed and his sister as the patient and collected one, while in Patrick Carmen's ''The Black Circle'', Natalie is the one throwing a fit when things don't go as planned while Ian is able to keep his head.
68	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* DisabilitySuperpower: Hinted with [[spoiler:the Starling brothers.]]
69	* DoesntTrustThoseGuys: "Never trust a Cahill."
70	* DownerBeginning: The series begins with Grace Cahill's death.
71	* EveryoneIsRelated: Practically all the main characters are Cahills, with fans who make accounts on the web site also being "inducted" into the Cahill family. (However, it's a very distant relation, with common ancestors only as recent as the early 16th century.)
72	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* EvilMatriarch: Isabel
73	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether: All four branches, due to FeudingFamilies, though the Kabras are the best example.
74	* FeudingFamilies: The Lucian, Ekaterina, Tomas, and Janus branches are all feuding, especially the Ekaterina and Tomas.
75	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Dan and Amy, respectively. [[CharacterDevelopment Dan gets somewhat better, though.]]
76	* FollowInMyFootsteps: The reason most of the main clue hunters, including Amy and Dan, want to win the clue hunt, and are so ruthless in the way they go about it.
77	* FollowTheChaos: Even early on in the clue hunt, Nellie is able to locate Amy and Dan by turning on the news, seeing where's there been some suspicious-sounding trouble, and heading directly to that location.
78
79	* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Dan has Pokemon on his, and Ian has ''pink dollar signs'' of all things on his.
80	* GreyAndGrayMorality: Even Amy and Dan, who are by far the nicest and most principled clue hunters, will do morally questionable things from time to time, and even the most evil character, Isabel Kabra, is implied to not be completely heartless and to care about her children to ''some'' extent -- although she turns on them when she considers them in the way of her getting the master serum.
81	* HeelFaceTurn: Oh so many. It might even be a HeelFaceRevolvingDoor for ''every'' Cahill. They all seem to have ulterior motives. By ''In Too Deep'' [[spoiler:Irina has basically switched sides and wants to help Amy and Dan -- but of course they don't believe her until the very end...]]
82	* HypocriticalHumor: At one point in the series, Dan complains "I can't believe she cheated me - right when I was in the middle of cheating her!"
83	* InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike: In ''The Maze of Bones'', Amy hastily tells Nellie to get them rooms for the night at a seedy-looking hotel called the "Maison des Gardons," which she assumes means "House of Gardens." Later they find out the hard way that "gardons" means "roaches".
84	* IslandBase:
85	** The Ekaterina have one inside TheBermudaTriangle.
86	** Also,[[spoiler:Madrigals]] have one on Easter Island.
87	** There's also [[spoiler:the original island home of the Cahills where the Gauntlet is located.]]
88	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Irina really does die]] in ''In Too Deep'', not faking it.
89	* KissingCousins: Almost any pairing in the book can be considered this seeing as almost every character is a Cahill, although how closely they're related can vary up to [[DownplayedTrope a shared ancestor five hundred years ago]]. This is usually dismissed though, seeing as apparently half of Earth's population is one.
90	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* LeParkour: Created by the Tomas.
91	* LookBehindYou: When Natalie tells a disbelieving Hamilton that Amy and Dan just entered the building, he's surprised to find out that it's ''not'' a trick to get him to leave her brother alone, and that Amy and Dan really just came in.
92	* MachiavelliWasWrong: Well, he was certainly right in regards to Ian and Natalie's relationship with their mother. [[spoiler:Until the last book, when they realize that, while they loved Isabel, they were only following her (mostly) out of fear.]]
93	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* MeleeATrois: Between all 7 teams.
94	* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: [[spoiler:Irina betrays Isabel because of the latter's cruel treatment of her (although her "reward" for this is death), and later, Ian and Natalie leave their mother after learning that she drank the Lucian serum and did numerous evil things detailed in her secret files. Then, when Isabel tries to kill them, that only seals the deal.]]
95	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* NarrativeProfanityFilter
96	* NoRomanticResolution: [[spoiler:Amy and Ian never discuss their feelings or what happened between them in Korea, and [[OneShotCharacter Kurt]] never shows up again after seemingly being set up as Amy's new love interest in the seventh book]].
97	* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Basically everyone is connected somehow--and practically everyone, Cahill or non-Cahill, knew Grace Cahill.
98	* OppositesAttract: ShrinkingViolet Amy Cahill and EvilBrit Ian Kabra have an ongoing WillTheyOrWontThey thread throughout the first series; see UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo below.
99	* ParentalAbandonment:
100	** Amy and Dan's parents were killed in a house fire.
101	** At the end of the series, Ian and Natalie Kabra apply also, though it's not so much ParentalAbandonment as it is [[spoiler:abandoning their parents.]]
102	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ParentalIssues: Most of the characters have them.
103	* PhotographicMemory: Dan can remember anything.
104	* PlotDrivingSecret: The plot revolves around discovering what each of the thirty-nine clues are.
105	* PrivilegedRival: The Kabras, full stop. They're the only other BrotherSisterTeam on the hunt besides the protagonists, Amy and Dan, and are even the same ages, but are much more ruthless and much richer and trained.
106	* PutOnABus: The Starlings are caught in an explosion rigged by the Holts and end up in the hospital, keeping them out of the clue hunt [[spoiler:for the next nine books, but they return in book ten.]]
107	* ReconcileTheBitterFoes: [[spoiler:This is the goal of the Madrigals, and Amy and Dan manage to bring about a truce between the clue-hunting teams.]]
108	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: For [[spoiler:Irina, whose redemption arc concludes with her proving her genuine concern for Amy and Dan by dying for them]].
109	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Irina and Lester]].
110	%%** Though [[spoiler:Lester]] may be more of a SacrificialLamb, given the fact that he was only around for one book.
111	* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Actually a subversion. Amy and Dan aren't above stealing and lying if it means getting any information at all on their parents and the fire that killed them.
112	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Basically every Cahill BUT Amy and Dan
113	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Amy and Dan. (It gets even more so in the SequelSeries.)
114	* SecretLegacy: After years of living relatively normal lives, Amy and Dan discover that their family legacy includes branches locked in a centuries-old feud and struggle to amass power, often through dubious means.
115	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* SeriousBusiness: The 39 Clues.
116	%%** Although seeing as the prize for finding all 39 is [[spoiler:super strength, intelligence, creativity and strategy skills]] that could grant you world domination... well, the way all the characters take it seriously doesn't seem too farfetched.
117	* ShoutOut: A lot. To ''Franchise/StarWars, Franchise/StarTrek, Franchise/IndianaJones, Creator/MontyPython, Film/MaryPoppins''...
118	* ShownTheirWork: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. In order to find the clues, Amy and Dan need to research the people and places connected to the clue hunt. Also, it's part of [[TheSmartGuy Amy's characterization to spout historical facts with little prompting.]]
119	* SiblingTeam: Amy and Dan are a sister and brother working together to find the thirty-nine clues, as are Ian and Natalie, and the Starling triplets are siblings working together to do the same.
120	* SixthRanger: [[spoiler:The Madrigals are a previously-unknown Cahill family branch]].
121	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* SomedayThisWillComeInHandy: See ChekhovsClassroom.
122	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* TallDarkAndHandsome: Ian
123	* TeamPet:
124	** Saladin, Grace's cat, who accompanies Amy and Dan on their adventures.
125	** The Holts have their dog, Arnold.
126	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* TeenGenius: The Starlings.
127	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Occurs whenever alliances are formed between teams. Of special note are the Cahills and the Kabras, rival teams who find themselves reluctantly working together in book 3, and the Kabras and Irina, who work together in books 5 and 6 to win the hunt for the Lucian branch while distrusting and disliking each other.
128	* ThemeNaming: The Holts are all named after iconic United States political figures. Eisenhower and this twin daughters, Reagan and Madison, are all named after the surnames of U.S. Presidents: UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower, UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan, and UsefulNotes/JamesMadison. Eisenhower's wife is named Mary-Todd (UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln's First Lady), their son is named Hamilton (presumably for UsefulNotes/AlexanderHamilton) and their dog is named Arnold (Benedict, possibly?).
129	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Whoo, boy... It'd be easier to name the characters in this series who ''don't'' have some form of mommy/daddy issues, not to mention near-death experiences, yet at no point does the possibility of anyone getting treatment for their trauma come up.
130	* TomatoInTheMirror: Subverted. ''The Viper's Nest'' reveals [[spoiler:that the Cahill family branch that the protagonists belong to is the Madrigals, a branch known that is TheDreaded. At the end of ''Storm Warning'', it is explained that their notorious reputation is actually due to their secretiveness, and the Madrigals are actually quite peaceful. Their main goal is to unite the all five branches of the Cahill Family.]]
131	* TwinTelepathy: Amy and Dan aren't twins, but they are siblings who are pretty close and always know what the other is thinking by reading each other's facial expressions. Some fanfiction makes it practically telepathy, in any case.
132	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: As the series often involves espionage, it's inevitable that this trope comes into play.
133	* UndisclosedFunds: Readers are never told exactly how rich Grace Cahill is. Even one trading card that lists the wealthiest Cahills and how much they're worth leaves out how much money Grace has.
134	* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: Amy's always had somewhat of a crush on the fabulous Ian Kabra. After he [[spoiler:"fakes" love for her and leaves her for dead in a cave]] she eventually starts getting over him. Too bad he's [[BecomingTheMask starting to develop genuine feelings...]]
135	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* WellDoneSonGuy: Isabel Kabra for her children and Bae Oh for Alistair, arguably.
136	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Cora for Jonah
137	* WhamEpisode:
138	** ''In Too Deep'': [[spoiler:[[SacrificialLion Irina]] [[CerebusSyndrome dies]], the first death of a character the readers had the chance to know.]]
139	** ''The Viper's Nest'': [[spoiler:[[TomatoInTheMirror Amy and Dan are TheDreaded Madrigals, just like their parents and Grace before them]].]]
140	** ''Storm Warning'': [[spoiler:Nellie is actually working for Grace and the Madrigals. Then the ending reveals that [[GoodAllAlong the Madrigals are actually trying to bring the Cahills back together]], and that the Man in Black/Gray is Fiske Cahill, [[LukeIAmYourFather Grace's brother]].]]
141	** ''Into the Gauntlet'': The main plot is resolved with [[spoiler:the Cahills all working together to stop Isabel, then all giving their clues to Dan and Amy]]. But then we get a SequelHook:[[spoiler:there's ''another'' important player, an evil organization called the Vespers]].
142	* WhamLine: In ''The Viper's Nest'', Grace says that she can't listen to the music of Orlando di Lasso because it's "a sad reminder" of Hope and Arthur's branch. When Amy and Dan have some of di Lasso's music, they find out which branch they belong to because of the title and the above fact:
143	-->''Mon coeur se reccomande a vous by Orlando di Lasso.\
144	'''[[spoiler:A Madrigal, in Four Parts]].'''''
145	%%* YouKilledMyFather:
146	%%** Amy and Dan, repeatedly, towards [[spoiler:Isabel, Alistair, Cora Wizard, and the Holts.]]
147	%%** [[spoiler:Alistair]] towards [[spoiler:Bae Oh]].
148	[[/folder]]
149
150	[[folder:Series 2: Cahills vs. Vespers]]
151	!!'''Warning''': By definition, it is impossible to discuss a SequelSeries without spoiling the first series, so expect '''unmarked spoilers for Series 1''' from here on out.
152	* AndThisIsFor: Fiske dedicates a Vesper-kicking to Alistair.
153	* AnyoneCanDie: Much more deaths than the first series, including [[spoiler:Natalie Kabra, Isabel Kabra, William [=McIntyre=], Alastair Oh, Damian Vesper and Evan Tolliver.]]
154	* BettyAndVeronica: Male version with Evan as the Betty, Ian as the Veronica, and as of ''Dead of Night'', [[spoiler:Jake Rosenbloom]] as the ThirdOptionLoveInterest.
155	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* BlackAndGrayMorality
156	* CaperRationalization: Silly Interpol. They aren't stealing because they're crazy criminals; they're stealing because a shadowy, evil organization has kidnapped seven of their family members and require that they steal things as part of the ransom.
157	* DarkerAndEdgier: There's no doubt that Cahills vs. Vespers is darker than the original series...
158	** A ''huge'' amount of {{Mook}} deaths occur.
159	** Besides death, there's an increase in violence, and the authors don't shy away from describing blood - see OnlyAFleshWound. And in Trust No One, [[spoiler:Alistair is KilledOffForReal]].
160	** There are more deaths, both major and total, in ''Day of Doom'' alone than in all of the books of the previous series combined.
161	** Though the language remains (almost always) kid-friendly, it's obvious that more liberties have been taken than in the original series. For example, "ass" appears once in Trust No One, and "pissed off" also appears twice.
162	** A LoveDodecahedron shows up in "Dead of Night".
163	** Also, just take a look at Amy and Dan themselves in comparison with the beginning of the first series... or even the end. It's clear that their experiences have not only made them stronger, but also psychologically damaged them. (See also: [[spoiler:Amy going into HeroicSafeMode]] at the end of ''Trust No One''.)
164	* EvilGloating: Isabel goes on and on when she kidnaps Atticus.
165	* FaceHeelTurn: It is revealed that one of the Cahills ([[spoiler:Sinead]]) is a double %%Administrivia/ZeroContextExampleagent for the Vespers.
166	* FireForgedFriends: The Cahill family, even if "friends" may be still a stretch in some cases.
167	%% * Getting Crap Past The Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
168	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* HeadbuttingHeroes: See "FireForgedFriends," above.
169	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* HeterosexualLifePartners: Dan and Atticus.
170	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Hamilton and Jonah.
171	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** Ian and Evan in ''Day of Doom''.
172	* HostageSituation: The premise of the series is that seven Cahills have been kidnapped, and Amy and Dan Cahill have to fulfill bizarre ransom requests to get them back.
173	%%* HostageVideo: How the Vespers prove that they have the hostages alive.
174	* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The Vespers promise to hurt one of the heroes' family members if they don't complete the given tasks. See HostageSituation entry above and RevengeByProxy entry below.
175	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Alistair, [=McIntyre=], Evan, Natalie, and Isabel]] die permanently.
176	* LongDistanceRelationship: Amy and Evan start one of these (carried on mostly via phone) after Amy and Dan take off on their missions around the world.
177	* OnlyAFleshWound: [[spoiler:Nellie]] is shot in the shoulder and lives, although she needed to have the bullet removed to do so. Her survival might not be as implausible had the removal been done properly by trained professionals. Instead, the incisions are made by a twelve-year-old and the removal is done by a thirteen-year-old, both of whom are inexperienced, and the latter of whom is so [[AfraidofBlood squeamish about blood]] that she has her ''eyes closed'' while she removes the bullet. In an unsterilized environment, natch.
178	* ParentalAbandonment: As stated above, [[spoiler:Ian and Natalie. Isabel disowned them.]] Also, Cora Wizard is no longer speaking to her son Jonah.
179	* RevengeByProxy: When the Vespers think that Amy and Dan are trying to trick them, they shoot [[spoiler:Nellie, but she survives.]]
180	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* SacrificialLion:
181	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** [[spoiler:William [=McIntyre=]]].
182	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** [[spoiler:In ''Trust No One'', Alistair Oh]].
183	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Amy and Dan climb even higher on the JustifiedCriminal ladder with [[spoiler:the things the Vespers make them do in hopes of getting the hostages back alive]].
184	* ShownTheirWork: Like in the first series, it's [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. This time, Amy's joined by Atticus in her love of talking about history.
185	* TakeMeInstead: Amy tries to trade herself for the hostages.
186	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Ian and Evan working together in the Cahill Command Center, though any of the Cahills working together qualify, since they had such a fiercy rivarly before the conclusion of the Hunt.
187	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Or at least, if there are, [[spoiler:Dan]] hasn't seen any, even if he needs to. (For that matter, several characters need to.)
188	* TimeSkip: Two years have passed since the first series (making Amy sixteen years old and Dan thirteen).
189	* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: See "OnlyAFleshWound" entry above.
190	* WhamEpisode: Happens constantly:
191	** ''A King's Ransom'': [[spoiler:William [=McIntyre=] dies, starting the AnyoneCanDie atmosphere. The Guardians are revealed, and Atticus is one. Then Atticus is kidnapped, and Dan gets a text from [[BackFromTheDead AJT]].]]
192	** ''Shatterproof'': [[spoiler:Erasmus follows Amato to the Vesper base, but she manages to kill him. Then Jonah and Hamilton show up, and Jonah shoots Amato.]] Furthermore, another big reveal happens in the online game, or the beginning of ''Trust No One'' for those who don't play it: [[TheMole Vesper Three]] is [[spoiler:Sinead Starling]].
193	** ''Trust No One'': After the aformentioned reveal, [[spoiler:Isabel]] comes back. Then V1 says they're done with giving him stuff, after one more: [[spoiler:the Cahill Ring.]] Then we find out what the Vespers are using all of this stuff for: [[spoiler:They're building a DoomsdayDevice.]] Finally, in order to combat them, [[spoiler:Dan drinks the Serum.]]
194	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The trading cards give major hints that [[spoiler:Broderick Wizard, Jonah's father, is a Vesper. Because he appears in the original series and his character is even given a little more depth in the eighth book, it is expected that he will make an appearance in this series, one way or another. He never does.]]
195	[[/folder]]
196
197	[[folder:Series 3: Unstoppable]]
198	* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: When, despite her repeated requests, Jake refuses to stop following Amy into dangerous situations, she attempts to get him to stop by telling him she doesn't have feelings for him, since LetsJustBeFriends didn't dissuade him, either.
199	* [[HeroWithBadPublicity Heroes With Bad Publicity]]: Amy and Dan become this when a [[{{Paparazzi}} villainous media mogul]] targets them, twisting facts and pictures to make them look morally dubious and uncaring than they actually are. It doesn't help that they've been {{Justified Criminal}}s for the past couple of series, with more people knowing about the crimes they've committed than the reasons for them.
200	* TitleDrop - in book 3 of the Unstoppable series. Pierce says 'He will be in unstoppable'. in the end of chapter 20.
201	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Pony dies permanently]].
202	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* MaliciousSlander: Amy and Dan are the victims of this.
203	* ShoutOut: Jonah calls Pony [[Literature/TheOutsiders "Pony Boy]]" and asks him if he's [[Literature/TheOutsiders "staying gold."]]
204	* ShownTheirWork: The Cahills and Rosenblooms learn a lot about ancient civilizations as they travel around the world looking for the ingredients of the serum's antidote, and they talk about what they learn a ''lot.'' JustifiedTrope in that the information is often crucial to finding the ingredients, and a couple of the characters are [[TheSmartGuy really into history.]]
205	* WhamEpisode: ''Countdown'': [[spoiler:Amy drinks the original serum, meaning she's going to die. Pierce gets Olivia's book, and starts trying to make a serum without side-effects. Nellie and Sammy are captured by Pierce's company. Finally, Pierce uses the book to set a trap for the Cahills and kidnaps Dan, [[KilledOffForReal and Pony is killed trying to save him.]]]]
206	[[/folder]]
207
208	[[folder:Series 4: Doublecross]]
209	* RunningGag: Cara calling Ian "Brit-fuff-fuff", whenever the latter's uptight personality resurfaces.
210	* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: Ian has difficulty adjusting to life in America, where he finds that many people misunderstand the British terms he uses.
211	* ShownTheirWork: The historical facts start popping up on page three, when Ian compares his accomplishments to those of Napoleon.
212	[[/folder]]
213
214	[[folder:Series 5: Superspecial]]
215	The final book in the entire series.
216	[[/folder]]
217
218	[[folder:Companion Books]]
219	The Companion Books include: ''Agent Handbook'', ''Rapid Fire'', ''The Cahill Files'', ''Midnight Ride'', ''Worlds Collide'', and ''The Black Book of Buried Secrets''
220	!!'''Warning''': Unmarked spoilers for Series 1 and possibly Series 2 below.
221	* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Many Cahills have interests that include hobbies that are rather common... and hobbies that reflect their espionage experience.
222	** Cora's skills are listed as "painting, sculpture, manipulation, drawing, spying, blackmail."
223	** Katherine Cahill's are "reasoning, inventing, calculating, analyzing, double-crossing."
224	** Natalie's interests include "shopping, yachting, manicures, target practice" - target practice for her dart gun, that is.
225	** Hope Cahill's interests are "archaeology, baking, singing, explosives."
226	* HolidayAppropriateWeather: In Legacy when it is revealed on Christmas that Grace is going to die, it begins to snow.
227	* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: [[PlayingWithTropes Played with]] in ''Crushed''. Amy finds it amazing that [[TheBeautifulElite a guy like Ian]] is visiting a girl like her. [[TheProudElite Ian finds it difficult to believe, too.]]
228	* NoodleIncident: ''The Submarine Job'' never really explains the story behind Grace's decision to drive that car off a cliff.
229	* StalkingIsLove: In ''Operation Trinity,'' set before the clue hunt, Ian watches Amy on one of the Cahill activity surveillance camera feeds his parents keep before heading to dinner, and it's revealed he knows that it's time for the schools in her city to let out. The entire, plot-irrelevant scene seems to have been thrown in solely as a ShipTease.
230	* WellDoneSonGuy: Rupert of ''Silent Night'' really wants his aloof father to notice him.
231	* YoungFutureFamousPeople: ''The Houdini Escape'' features a young Creator/HarryHoudini, and there is short story about young UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill and Annie Oakley in ''The Black Book of Buried Secrets''.
232	* [[IHaveMyWays Your Mother Has Her Ways]]: In ''Operation Trinity'', Irina tells Ian and Natalie Kabra ''Your mother has her methods" when asked how they obtained information belonging to the Ekats.
233	[[/folder]]
234
235	[[folder:Other]]
236	* BreadEggsMilkSquick:
237	** According to [[http://the39clues.scholastic.com/cahillweb/article/cliqueme-alana-flores her offical social networking profile]], Alana Flores has quite a variety of interests, including "chess, International finance... medieval torture devices, Scottish terriers."
238	** Chrissy's interests are listed as "cheerleading, dance team, cryptography, kittens, lock picking, gymnastics, karaoke, late-night expeditions." Natalie's are "afternoon tea, Catherine the Great, high fashion, female pirates, target practice, the south of France, fox hunting, being fashionably late."
239	* DirtyCop: The Lucians have bribed ''many'' a police officer.
240	* TheFashionista: Lily Chernova loves fashion even more than math.
241	* RevengeOfTheSequel: [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in an online message from the branch heads. Dan apparently decided to use his new credit card to order ''The Ninja’s Revenge Part VII: The Last Revenge'' and ''The Ninja’s Revenge Part VIII: The Final Last Revenge'' on Pay-per-view.
242	[[/folder]]

Context Literature / The39Clues