Truly Devious

Author: Maureen Johnson

Series: Truly Devious #1

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: January 16, 2018

A fun and exciting tale of mystery, murder, cold cases, and an exclusive academy for gifted students to come and learn makes for an engaging read that was just plain fun.

Albert Ellingham always wanted to give back to others and show that learning is best when viewed as a game. He established Ellingham Academy in the foothills of Vermont for the best and brightest. It wasn’t long after the school was opened before disaster struck, Albert’s wife and daughter were kidnapped and sent clues as riddles by someone calling himself Truly Devious. Years later, Stevie Bell, a true crime obsessed teen makes her way to Ellingham Academy; she wants to finish out her school years there but also solve the mystery of what happened all those years ago. Just as Stevie is starting to figure out the mystery, Truly Devious returns bringing death back to Ellingham Academy. Murders from both past and present collide in this fantastic start to a wonderful series.

I have to say that I started this series out of order, I read the fourth book not realizing there were three previous novels in the series. I loved the fourth so much I had to start at the beginning. Truly Devious is the start of a magnificent series; Stevie Bell is a fun and engaging protagonist as a modern-day Sherlock to seek out the answers no one else has been able to find. Stevie along with her new housemates turn the story into a game of Clue, who did it, how and why. So many questions to answer, only some are answered in this edition of the series, my guess is all will be answered by the end of the series. The mystery of what happened in the past and how it ties into the present time is what kept me glued to the page. Stevie has a tenacity about her and the way she won’t give up until the case is solved makes her a precocious yet engaging character. Her relationship with the others in the house is a high point that made me relate to her even more; going to a new school is hard, what makes it even harder is going to the school to solve a murder no one else has been able to solve for decades. Even though not all the answers were wrapped up at the end, I was satisfied with the conclusion but left thirsty for more. I can’t wait to see what the next in the series has in store. I recommend this for those that love Young Adult mysteries with lots of twists and turns. My only negative would be the little adult language used throughout, not a lot but enough to make me hesitant to recommend to younger readers.