Truly Devious: A Mystery

"Truly Devious: A Mystery" by Maureen Johnson is by far one of the best and most memorable books that I have read in the past several years. I had read quite a few book reviews before I began reading and went into the book expecting a cozy mystery at a boarding school, but "Truly Devious" had a whole lot more up its sleeve. The mystery takes place at Ellingham Academy, a boarding school in the mountains of Vermont. Ellingham Academy is a unique kind of school, to say the least. Its founder, Albert Ellingham, an extremely wealthy and influential business mogul and lover of all things games and riddles, established the school in the 1930s as a non-conformist place of learning; a place where students were given greater freedom and privileges and encouraged to take initiative of their learning and individual interests. It is highly selective of its applicants; only a small number of the brightest students are admitted each year. Shortly after Ellingham Academy opened, Albert's wife, Iris, and young daughter, Alice, were kidnapped. The only evidence of wrong-doing was a letter that Ellingham received; a threatening riddle that was signed by "Truly, Devious." The crime was never entirely solved; a man admitted to the crime and was discovered to be in possession of the ransom money, but the evidence simply did not appear to support that this man was the real culprit. One of the reasons why this book was so effective and enjoyable for me to read was because of the main character (as well as the entire cast of characters). Stephanie "Stevie" Bell is intensely interested in true crime. She has the keen eye of a detective. Stevie often says what she is thinking and has some trouble relating to people. She battles anxiety by reading Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie mysteries and by listening to true crime podcasts. As a true crime aficionado, Stevie is very familiar with the Ellingham case. She gets accepted into Ellingham Academy with the intention of cracking open the mystery of the Ellingham affair and revealing the identity of "Truly Devious." Along the way Stevie finds herself unexpectedly finding comfort and refuge in the school and with her housemates and friends. Author Maureen Johnson did an incredible job with Stevie's character development. By the end of the book I was fully invested in Stevie Bell and felt like she was someone that I really knew and not just another character in a novel. Another selling point for me was the dual timelines. The book expertly interweaves between 1930s Ellingham Academy during the time of the kidnapping and present day Ellingham Academy with Stevie attempting to solve the case. Sometimes when I read books that have multiple timelines or perspectives it can seem a little tedious keeping the facts straight, but this was not the case for me in this book. It should be made known that this book is marketed as the first of three books in the "Truly Devious" series. I sincerely hope that the next two books get written quickly because I'm really interested in finding out what will happen next. The characters and their development, plot, style and quality of writing all made this a very enjoyable read and I anticipate that before the next novel in the series is released I will read this book again (something that I seldom do). I read this on my Kindle, along with listening to the Audible version, and the narrator, Kate Rudd, is exceptional. Her ability to create and maintain the different voices of the characters and the emotions in their voices was nothing short of amazing and helped me to better form and connect with the characters in my mind. If you are interested in a clever mystery this winter with a remarkable protagonist, an equally remarkable cast of characters, great plot, style and quality of writing, I would definitely recommend "Truly Devious: A Mystery" which is why I'm giving it a 5 star rating for both the book and the Audible version of the book.

*ARC provided by Epic Reads Insiders in exchange for an honest review* "For anyone who has ever dreamed of finding a body in the library." If that isn't the best dedication you've ever read, I don't know what it. This is the second book I have read by Maureen but I honestly don't remember anything about the first one. As soon as I saw this book in my inbox and read the premise, I couldn't start reading it fast enough. I literally stopped everything I was doing (and reading) and proceeded to ignore the entire world in order to devour it. I have always been fascinated with true crime shows so the fact that this book fell onto my lap recently, felt like THE book I've been waiting for all my life. "Stevie Bell had a simple desire: She wanted to be standing over a dead body." This book follows Stevie, who is as obsessed with true crime as I am, if not more. Definitely more. I don't aspire to stand over a dead body. Maybe a skeleton in a cemetery/crypt, but not a fresh corpse. Anyway, before I go off track, this book takes place at a fascinating private school, Ellingham Academy, where learning is a game. I've never read, seen, or heard of anything like it so I have to give huge props to Maureen for coming up with something so fresh and unique. Anybody who attends this academy gets to explore it as a form of learning so of course, I was jealous of the fact that I couldn't jump into the pages and attend this school myself. But anyway, while Stevie attends school there, she takes it upon herself to solve one of the most infamous murder cases in American history that took place there. I really liked that Stevie had a way of giving voice to a lot of my thoughts and desires. I had many problems with some of her characteristics. Even though Stevie and I shared such a fascination over crime, I found it difficult to really care for her as a MC. It did put a damper on my mood but what drove me was the crime itself. The reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because I had a huge problem attaching myself to almost all of the characters. Don't get me wrong, I really liked them but I'm just not crazy about them yet. I'm really hoping book two changes that for me. I found that my heart pretty much only ached for the founder of the Academy and everything that he went through. I wouldn't wish any of it upon my worst enemy and it really drove me off the wall that I couldn't just give him a happy ending. This book is told alternately during the present and flashbacks to 1936. I enjoyed both time lines to no end and it was very surprising since I usually prefer one time line over another, but that wasn't the case here. Since the present is a few decades after the events that transpired in 1936, the reader knows how it all ends but we are still forced to live through its every agonizing moment. I felt like I was on board a doomed roller coaster that I couldn't get off of while knowing that it was about end in the most brutal way. Yeah, it was intense. Another reason why I only gave this 4 stars was because the ending wasn't much of a shock for me. I was feeling kind of 'meh' about the reveal of Truly Devious' identity. I don't know, I saw it coming and I really, REALLY wanted to be proven wrong. I just hope that we are being thrown in a loop and it actually ends up being a more 'interesting' killer, if that makes sense? It basically wasn't a worthy ending for me, but my mind is still going crazy right now with anticipation for the sequel. So as you can see, I am still deeply invested in this story. I honestly don't think I can wait until next year but it looks like I have no choice in the matter, sadly. I will definitely be stalking Maureen Johnson from now on! "Schools may be famous for many things... They are not supposed to be famous for murders."

I grabbed this because I wanted a fun mystery that wouldn’t feel like homework to finish. This was perfect. It’s fast-paced and actually kept my attention the whole time, which is saying something because I’m usually reading in short bursts while wrangling my kids. I really liked Stevie. She’s nosy, awkward, and smart in a way that makes you root for her. The boarding school setting is exactly the moody, creepy vibe I hoped for. I love the way the story switches back and forth between the old murder and what’s happening now. It’s easy to follow and makes you want to read just one more chapter… and then suddenly you’re done. Heads up though, it leaves you wanting more. It’s basically a setup for the next books so I already have book two waiting. No regrets. If you want something quick, a little twisty, and fun to read when you actually get five minutes to yourself, this is a good one. Loved it.

Okay, here’s the deal. I liked the story overall—the mystery was mysterious and it kept me entertained. Do I want to continue reading the series? Not particularly. My beef: - I hate cliffhangers (and this one was particularly bad). So is it petty of me to not continue for that reason? Perhaps. That’s just a me problem though. - This novel was pretty woke. Obviously people can do what they want. I just don’t want certain things shoved down my throat and I have to pretend like it’s normal. They have LGBTQ+ relationships, someone is a they/them, and they have a big bad politician who is the bad guy and we are supposed to hate him for no other reason than Stevie’s parents work for him and they are uncool parents who just want their daughter to be normal like other girls. - Stevie is not like other girls. I hate that trope. She is “different” because she doesn’t care about looks or clothes and she just likes murder podcasts and being unique and has anxiety attacks. - Her relationship (or lack thereof) with David = red flag. Home girl is pining after a guy that she had two conversations with. And they weren’t very friendly conversations. Parental warning: Several deaths (hence the murder mystery, but they aren’t graphic or detailed), political content, underage drinking, talking about sex (but no spice, just some kissing), and swearing (they drop the f-bomb two or three times if I remember correctly).

Dang if I don't have a soft spot for fun, clever, and riddle-packed. But really, it was the atmosphere that sold me. When Stevie Bell rolled up her new super exclusive mysterious boarding school campus, I fell in love. You can't just hand me a quirky mansion with a mystery and expect me not to get excited. And the fact that it's a murder mystery? An unsolved one from nearly a century ago? Man, it's like this book was made for me. There's an eccentric air to every part of the setting, and once the plot really gets rolling, there's an underlying urgency that keeps you glued to the page. And don't even get me started on the flashbacks. Normally, they make me awful wary, but in Truly Devious, they're excellent, allowing the past and present mysteries to unfold side by side. Even better, they're not always plain prose. Some of the glimpses back into the original Ellingham mystery are unveiled in the form of interview transcripts, which heightened the sense that the crime from way back one really was unsolvable, suspicious and truly baffling. Naturally, that only makes me want Stevie to knock this cold case out of the park even more than I wanted it before. On the whole, my complaints are few. To me, the plot's only fault is that this is the first of a trilogy, and so not all of the pieces have been provided, let alone fallen into place, ready to be solved. And as someone who loves trying to puzzle mysteries out, I felt a little cheated by the sense that there was information being withheld. A good mystery gives the readers all the tools to solve it, even if they can't recognize those tools on their first read. Maybe that's the case here and I don't know it. But I get the sense there's still more missing. "Now, Meaghan, you've raved about this book almost nonstop! Why 3.5 stars?" you might say. And the answer is that I was frustrated by the characters. Oh, Stevie I adored. I understand being the liberal child of conservative parents. I understand loving mysteries. I understand the unease of not fitting in. Stevie is wonderful. What (or who, really) I disliked was David. I'm tired of the antagonistic boy becoming the love interest even the MC doesn't understand loving. I was also disappointed in the way Janelle was overlooked. Stevie spends most of her time with Nate even though it's established early on that Nate barely communicates, while Stevie and Janelle get along swimmingly even before arriving on the Ellingham campus. It really rubbed me the wrong way, knowing that Janelle is a WOC and a lesbian, to see her shifted to a smaller supporting role after the initial hype. I expected her to feature much more actively in the plot, and I got David and Nate filling that space instead. An aside: I actually did like Nate's subtle growth into a more friendly person. And his ability to procrastinate one thing by diving back into another. Same, pal. Same. Additionally, I was unhappy with how Vi was handled. There is a scene were Stevie refers to Vi with she/her pronouns, and Janelle corrects her: Vi uses they/them. And yet they're referred to only with she/her for the rest of the book. That was particularly disheartening, and I hope if Johnson features them more prominently in The Vanishing Stair, Truly Devious's sequel, she does so with the right pronouns. Consistently. Overall, despite its character flaws and the way it opens mysteries without fully resolving any of them, Truly Devious was a delightful, engaging read that I fully intend on keeping on my shelf, and probably on revisiting when its sequel arrives. Besides, I can't just let these riddles go unsolved. I just can't do it. I have to know!

Stevie was surprised when the application she sent actually got her accepted to the prestigious Ellingham Academy she dreamed of attending. Even more shocking, her conservative parents allowed her to attend. Stevie knows she was given a spot at the school due to her research of the unsolved crime that took place in the 1930's at the house, and she plans to prove her worth by solving it...If she doesn't get caught up in something more dangerous first. This was such a good book and I was so completely into it. Time flew while the story unfolded and I loved the characters as well as the mystery plot. And, not only do we get one detailed mystery, we actually get two in two different time zones. Fist back in the 1930's, a wealthy man's wife and daughter were kidnapped and a student at his school went missing, and then we have lots of intertwined mysteries from the present day dealing with Stevie's classmates and the mystery and drama they created. Let's take a minute and talk about the wonderfulness that is Stevie. She is so quirky, smart, nosy, perceptive, endearing, anxiety ridden and I absolutely loved her. Her parents want nothing more but her to be a "normal" girl with friends, a boyfriend and no strange hobbies like solving murder mysteries and true crime podcasts. Stevie just wants to do her thing, almost incompletely unconcerned with what others think of her. This girl, she marches to her own beat and I love it. She was so incredibly awkward I just wanted to be her friend so we could be awkward and unconcerned together. I also really liked how Maureen made her struggle with her anxiety, her panic attacks felt so real as if I was experiencing them with her (I don't have anxiety nor panic attacks but it felt like the author knew what she was bringing to life). Stevie's internal monologue was hands down my favorite part of the book and I could not help but laugh while reading. I will admit that I was completely wrong in my impression that this was a standalone mystery- nope! Instead this is the first book in a trilogy that won't be finished for a few years (at least) and Truly Devious concluded with a cliff hanger! Yep, the story just left the characters and readers flailing like overactive muppets, with a surprising bombshell drop and zero answers about everything we are dying to know. That being said, I absolutely loved the book...but I would not have picked it up to read if I knew there was more to come that was not even a little bit available yet. I have zero patience, it is a fact. That tells you how good the story was that the book still got 5 stars out of me with no answers forthcoming! Alas, I will be counting down the days until I can get my grabby hands on the next book in the series, and I know I will have to do a re-read before I can start book two so that way I don't miss out on any little detail, because there sure were a lot.

So. I have major beef with Maureen Johnson. I am a huge fan of her, and her writing, and her Shades of London series. I wait in anticipation for each and every new book to come out, and have been waiting year after year for the 4th in the series to be released, except it hasn't been and I don't even know if it ever will. I understand that she's been going through a lot, and of course, priority is herself and her health. My confusion lies in the fact that...well...she left that series unfinished and has now started writing a NEW series! Completely new series! And here's the other thing...it is very similar, in terms of plot and storyline, to the Shades of London series (boarding school, murder, mystery, group of kids trying to get the bad guy and solve a century old mystery?) (except we haven't encountered any ghosts...yet). So what does this mean for Shades of London? Is she done with that? I'd love if anyone who has or knows the answer would share it with me. Now...to get on with this book review. I am a sucker for YA mysteries, and I do love Johnson's writing style, so obviously I immediately purchased this book. The mystery in this one is quite heartbreaking, involving a 3 year old child, which tugs at my heartstrings. This is a very intricately written book, with so many complex things happening and being built simultaneously. Moving between past and present, you are left in awe at how Johnson maneuvered all the events and put them together in a way that isn't too complicated for the readers to grasp, but still leaves you scratching your head. The book starts with a prologue, where a student at Ellingham Academy is murdered. That scene is written so well that it made me think of The Lovely Bones and that suffocating scene where Susie gets brutally murdered. We then find out that the school's founder's wife and 3 year old daughter are also missing. In present day, Stevie Bell enrolls into Ellingham Academy with one goal in mind - to solve the murder mystery that took place back in 1936. Now, I have to admit, I was rolling my eyes at this. A teenager is going to solve a mystery that went unsolved for almost a century. Really? Except, once I got into it and got to know the characters and got to know Stevie better, I didn't even care anymore. I suspended reality and decided to go with the flow, and was completely behind her, supporting her and rooting for her. The book continues to alternate between past and present as the events of the past are slowly revealed and how the crime was never really solved and the child's body was never found, and how Stevie tries to put it all together in present time, while strange things start to happen mirroring the events of the past. In the midst of all that, we get to know Stevie's flat mates, friends, family, her likes and dislikes, her insecurities, her love interest (of course) and all the usual high school drama. David is definitely an intriguing character, and I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming, although I should have probably expected it, but I didn't. This whole book played out like a big set up for what's going to happen in book 2. It introduces you to the murder in the past, then sets you up with a new murder done in the same fashion as the one from the past with a poem by "Truly Devious" him/herself, then leaves you with, not one, but TWO killer cliffhangers so you basically have to bang your head against the wall in frustration as you wait until next year for the second installment. I hope that this is one series Maureen Johnson will see through to the end.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson is a mystery book that’s set in a private boarding school for gifted students. Ellingham Academy isn’t your average boarding school. For one, it’s free. Students who are lucky enough to go to the school do it at no charge to their families. Second, you never really know if you’re going to get into the school. Sure, there’s an application process, but what sets one student apart from another? It’s nearly impossible to tell. What is known is that all students are gifted in some way, shape, or form. Some are artistic, others are musical, while others are gifted with the written word. For Stevie Bell, she’s gifted with the passion to become a true-crime investigator. With a nose for clues and a craving for mysteries, Stevie enters the school with one goal in mind: to solve the Truly Devious murders from the school’s beginnings. What she isn’t expecting, however, is for her time at Ellingham Academy to turn into a a murder mystery of its own. Has Truly Devious returned? I thought Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson was a ton of fun! It was reasonably paced and engaging, with a diverse cast of characters and enough action to keep me fully invested in the entire book. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Truly Devious, but I was pleasantly surprised by the intriguing story and the clever riddles. When death visited Ellingham Academy once more, I appreciated the drama and the suspense. The “whodunit” was very much a mystery to me, and I liked that I was constantly guessing the murderer. I thought the ending was great and set itself up nicely for the next book in the series, The Vanishing Stair. I can’t wait to find out what happens next! Of course, now I’m even more interested in knowing some of the kids’ back stories, especially their parents’ histories! Stevie Bell was a wonderful protagonist. I loved her thirst for knowledge, and her stubborn dedication when presented with a case. While all of the characters were nicely written, Stevie Bell was my favorite. If you enjoy books with a little mystery, check out Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson!