“You have to take things as they are, not how you hear they’re supposed to be.”
― Maureen Johnson, Truly, Devious

Ellingham Academy, a famous private school in Vermont, was founded by Albert Ellingham in the early twentieth century, for thinkers, inventors, and artists. Ellingham loved riddles, gardens, pathways, and wanted to make learning a game. In the 1930s, shortly after the academy opened, disaster struck. Ellingham’s wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only clue: a riddle mailed to Ellingham a week or so prior signed by ‘Truly, Devious’. The crime remains unsolved to this day.

Flash to the present. Ellingham Academy is still open and is highly sought after. Stevie Bell is ready to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy. Each student must work on a special project, in addition to their regular classes. As a true crime lover, Stevie has decided that she is going to solve this cold case as her project. Classes are harder than she imagined though, leaving Stevie to exhaustion and worry. Soon she believes that Truly Devious has made a return to campus. When someone dies at Ellingham Academy, Stevie realizes that the past is coming back to haunt them all. Another murderer is walking free.

Truly Devious is an intriguing read that had me checking out book 2 (The Vanishing Stair) less than five minutes after I finished book 1. Chapters alternate between the past and present, so be sure to pay attention to where you are in the book to avoid confusion! The ending took me by surprise with the whole book full of twists, turns, and unanswered questions.

“When you have enough power and money, you can dictate the meanings of words.”
― Maureen Johnson, Truly, Devious

Truly Devious series

• Truly Devious (2018)
• The Vanishing Stair (2019)
• The Hand on the Wall (2020)
• The Box in the Woods (2021)
• Nine Liars (2022)
• The Velvet Knife (2026)