Truly Devious

Book: Truly Devious

Series: Truly Devious #1

Author: Maureen Johnson

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. -Goodreads

Review: I’ve found my favorite YA series of the year. Truly Devious! Stevie is a true crime aficionado and gets accepted to the exclusive Ellingham Academy. All of the students there have some sort of special talent. Stevie’s goal? To solve the cold case of Ellingham’s founder’s wife and daughter who went missing years ago.  I thought this was creative, engaging and fun. This was a solid 5* read until the last chapter that just seemed to end mid-chapter.

Grade: 4.5/5