Shatterproof is the fourth book in the second series of The 39 Clues, Cahills vs. Vespers.
Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, have committed a string of thefts that lands them on Interpol's Most Wanted list. But the crimes are not Amy and Dan's fault. A shadowy organization known as the Vespers has kidnapped seven members of the Cahill family. If Amy and Dan don't deliver a series of bizarre ransoms, it's lights out for the hostages.
Until now, Amy and Dan have stayed one step ahead of the police and managed to keep their family safe. But all that's about to change. Vesper One commands them to steal the Golden Jubilee, one of the world's largest diamonds. What Amy and Dan don't know is that the Jubilee is a setup... and someone is going to die.
Tropes:
- Downer Ending: While the Cahill team did successfully give the DeVirga map to the Vespers, there is still so many moments that bring this victory to this trope. Erasmus is murdered by Luna Amato, and Jonah is forced to shoot her in retaliation. Sinead texts Amy, telling her that Ian is Vesper Three. When he ends up video calling her, all Amy does is angrily express her hate for him, before closing her laptop so hard the screen breaks. If one completed the online mission, it reveals Sinead was the real one, meaning that she had succeeded in framing someone else for this status. On top of that, the team receive another text, but from the Vespers, with a photo of every hostage but Phoenix attached. They all despair, thinking that Phoenix was killed due to their failed Jubilee Diamond heist. But unbeknownst to everyone including the Vespers, he actually survived.
- Foreshadowing: During the Cahill hostages' escape attempt, Phoenix nearly falls down a waterfall and Alistair grabs his foot, but his own knee ends up bashing painfully against a sharp rock, spilling blood. Come the next book, Alistair dies of a seizure caused by his own wound.
- Hope Spot: The hostages (Minus Phoenix) end up coming across a cyclist, implying that they now have help from someone who knows exactly where they are. Unfortunately, just seconds later, he is killed by Vesper goons, who recapture them.
- Noodle Incident: In the bonus track on the audiobook, Atticus briefly mentions a few incidents from the past, involving things like sonar machines and Stonehenge, without fully explaining them.
- Oh, Crap!: After the botched Golden Jubilee robbery, Amy realizes that she accidentally left her watch behind at security. Her reaction is one of immense anger and panic, as that watch contains Gideon's ring.
- Red Herring: The Golden Jubilee is hinted to be the next thing the Vespers want. However, it's revealed that's not the case, rather, the DeVirga World Map is what they seek.
- These Hands Have Killed: This is the instant reaction of Jonah after shooting Luna Amato at point-blank range.
- Wham Episode: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: Vesper Three is Sinead Starling.
