Truly Devious

Truly Devious

2018 • 432 pages

Ratings154

Average rating3.9

15

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart. 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.

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Series

Featured Series

5 primary books

Truly Devious

Truly Devious is a 5-book series with 5 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Maureen Johnson.

Truly Devious
The Vanishing Stair
The Hand on the Wall
The Box in the Woods
Nine Liars

Reviews

Popular Reviews

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Leaving a mystery unsolved is a very bad thing for a mystery book.

August 21, 2021

Average but makes me want to read the second book still

this book reminded me why I hate YA boys

April 10, 2021
January 13, 2021

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17 books

#17 in What mystery books are perfect for young adults?

The mystery genre favors bringing the truth to light. That focus on revealing a story slowly over time knows no age, yet many stories are too serious for young adults. Which mysteries do you think ...

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The Westing Game
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Truly Devious
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