Truly Devious
by Maureen Johnson
publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
release date: January 16th, 2018
hardcover, 420 pages
intended audience: Young adult
series: Truly Devious, book 1
source: received from publisher for honest review
Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.
The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.
~Amy's thoughts~
All Stevie has ever wanted to do was to solve crimes, and
Ellington Academy is notorious for its unsolved kidnapping and murder from 80
years prior. Now Stevie feels she is living the dream of a lifetime,
studying at the prestigious school for free, while also having access to inside
facts on the case. Stevie just knows she will be the one to crack the case.
Until, murder hits the halls of Ellington Academy once again. This time it is a
student, and even though the murder looks like a suicide, Stevie isn’t so sure.
Now she has two crimes that need to be solved, even though it seems like
everyone is starting to turn away from her.
A gripping page turner with twists and turns at every
chapter, Truly Devious leaves readers
reeling for answers, while trying to solve the mystery for themselves. Sherlock Holmes collides with Nancy Drew in
this modern day true crime mystery, where murder, riddles and drama keep a
fast-paced reading tempo.
However, be warned, like a true crime mystery this book will
leave your jaw dropped in shock as you finish the last page and close the
cover. The beginning of an intertwining mystery series, each book is written to
seamlessly blend into the next, carrying on the mystery, opening more doors
than it closes. Maureen Johnson leaves
readers dangling on the edge of a cliff hanger, where readers will be left with
the desire to read faster in order to find out answers, but slower so the story
won’t end. While some readers might be upset about the abrupt ending, this book
gives exactly what a mystery promises, sometimes there aren’t answers right
away, but will be even more satisfying when the answers finally come.
I can’t wait for the next installment of the
Truly Devious series, especially after the cliff hanger ending. This is the
first book that I have read where the end of the book abruptly ends right in the
middle of the story’s climax; where I was left sitting in shock looking for the
next chapter.
•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•
Maureen knew from an early age she wanted to be a writer. She went to high school at an all-girls' Catholic school and graduated from University of Delaware with a degree in writing. She now lives and writes in New York City.
Many of the adventures Maureen's characters face in her books are based on real-life stories. Maureen has traveled all over Europe, and is a Secret Sister to vlog brothers Hank and John Green.
OH,...and they served cupcakes. :P
inspirations---Maureen let the secret out that there are tiny raccoons in her head that go forth and gather shiny pieces of ideas and information and bring it back to her head. xD Stephanie talked about how she researched Paris for Anna and the French Kiss just through books and movies and internet research and the awesome satisfaction of finally getting to travel there and finding that she'd portrayed it right. It was the perfect lesson for any aspiring writer: don't let anything stand in your way. Even if you can't travel to your story's location, there is always a way to make it come alive on the page. I was glad to have my daughter with me so she could hear all that, as she's decided she wants to be a writer someday!
