The Maze of Bones is the first novel of The 39 Clues series, written by Rick Riordan and published September 9, 2008 by Scholastic.

A non-random selection of many Cahills, including Amy and Dan, the Holts, the Kabras, and the Starlings, are called away to a private reading of the will.

Amy and Dan initially want the money, but realize Grace would want them to take the clue so they turn down their million dollars and receive a sealed manila envelope.

They follow Irina to a Lucian stronghold, where they steal a strange orb and discover an island worth investigating.

[4] The Maze of Bones met with a generally positive reviews and spawned optimism for the rest of the series.

[6] Publishers Weekly said it "mixes just the right proportions of suspense, perils, and puzzles" and that it was a "rollicking good read", while noting that "the story does not end so much as drop off a cliff.

"[7] School Library Journal said that "the book dazzles" and "stands solidly on its own feet and will satisfy while whetting appetites for more.

"[7] Mary Quattlebaum, writing for the Washington Post, said that "though the villainous relatives are rather flat, the historical tidbits and fast-moving plot will engage readers".

[8] Austin Grossman, writing for The New York Times, gave a generally mixed review, saying the premise for the series was "dramatic and instantly engaging", although he commented that Amy and Dan were "agreeably flawed characters but have an undeniably focus-grouped, manufactured quality – as does, let’s face it, the whole book".

He also found the supporting characters to be made up of stereotypes and the writing "carefully bland, as if it didn’t trust its readers enough".