Stevie Bell is back and sharper than ever! Maureen Johnson delivers a thrilling new mystery set against the atmospheric backdrop of a summer camp with a dark past. This story is packed with twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud moments that will keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of Johnson's signature blend of humor and suspense won't be disappointed.

If you haven't read the Truly Devious series yet, please read it and start with Truly Devious. Book two is The Vanishing Stair. Book three is The Hand on the Wall. The Box in the Woods is book four. Nine Liars is book five. This is the perfect book series for fans of the murder mystery genre whether you normally read young adult books or not.

The Truly Devious series ended to well in three books. I didn't need a fourth book, but I'm thankful to have one. The gang heads to a summer camp, but Stevie has a cold case solve and an unwilling community trying to forget. Another excellent adventure of Stevie and crew.

4.25 stars

maureen johnson is insane. like properly crazy and i’m having a blast. the new story was intriguing and the plot twist?! YUP

I love Stevie. She can be foolish and flawed but then she always solves the case. I loved this book and enjoyed the new setting.

While I don't read much YA these days, this series completely does it for me and I hope it never ends, tbh. These are such lovely, low-stakes cozy mysteries in a well-built world at an elite boarding school (well, this one's at a summer camp, but they can't be in school *all* the time). I loved it!

I really enjoyed this one. While it isn't in the same plot arc as the previous three, it stands on it's on well. I like seeing the characters from the series, visit a new location and try their hand at different crime.

This novel has all the mystery and drama that I loved about Truly Devious and so much more. I can’t wait to continue reading in this world.

Definitely my favorite in the series. Grabbed you from the beginning. I look forward to every book published by this author. Will add to the classroom library.

Loving that Stevie’s mystery solving didn’t end with Truly Devious. Maureen’s writing as always is fantastic and sucks you right in! Stevie, Nate, Janelle, Vi and Nate are all back together again in this summer camp mystery. Box in the Woods is another 5 star read that you will want to pick up right away. Can’t wait for more Stevie Bell mysteries to come in the future!

Even though this wasn’t my favorite of the Truly Devious series, I still really enjoyed it. I liked that they were off campus and Stevie is still solving crimes! These mysteries are always a little far fetched but always so much fun.

I adore this YA series. While The Box in the Woods can be a standalone, I feel it would be appreciated more if you have first read the three prior books in the Truly Devious series. Stevie Bell is now out of Ellingham Academy, but she is still solving mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! Such a great continuation of the series even if it was written as a stand alone. I can’t wait for the next installment!

I loved the first three truly devious books, so honestly this one was a little bit of a let down. I loved hanging with the characters again but the actual mystery in this one was subpar. Don't get me wrong, I will immediately read any upcoming Maureen books because they are quick and entertaining reads. Just definitely my least favorite of the series.

Review published on Goodreads, 11 January 2022:

I've enjoyed all the books in the Truly Devious series and this one, the last (I think), is no exception. The thing that sets it apart from the other installments is that it's set away from Ellingham Academy. Even though I like the school setting, I think this change in scenery helps to breathe new life into Stevie's story. The characters—some familiar, some not—are likable, as always. Nate is my favorite, so I'm glad he co-stars in THE BOX IN THE WOODS. The plot of this one is compelling and twisty. I didn't see the killer coming, mostly because the mystery takes an interesting turn that surprised me. The murderer's motive did seem a little thin to me, especially their need to kill SO many people. Nevertheless, I sped through this book, finishing it in one day. It's a satisfying read. I don't know if Johnson is going to continue this series or not. If she does? I'm definitely up for another book. Or two. Or three. The novels are clever, the characters are appealing, the plots are compelling. What else can I say? It's a great series for mystery lovers.

Another Truly Devious book!? ANOTHER ONE? I was so excited, but also hesitant when I found out that the series was continuing. I loved the Truly Devious trilogy and thought that that was the end of the story. This is a new mystery with the same characters that we know and love. Overall, it worked really well and I am so glad that they left the specifics vague about the original trilogy so anyone could, theoretically, pick this up and not be spoiled. I saw that there is going to be another book with another mystery to solve and I am so on board to continue reading these. It is almost going the route of a modern, slightly darker, Nancy Drew series and I hope that more and more books are added to the series.

This was a super fun stand-alone entry into the Truly Devious series. While it’s hard to follow up a 3-book arc with a standalone, this was still a satisfying amount of fun! The summer camp setting got to bring in a lot of fun tropes, and it was a great excuse to have the gang back together in a setting other than Ellingham. The mystery resolution wasn’t a complete surprise, but the devil’s always in the details, and it was fun to get the Poirot-like reveal at the end.

Looking forward to the next one!

A great addition to the adventures of detective Stevie. I was a little nervous about this continuation but I enjoyed the mystery and change in setting. This series is engaging, and fun and I can't wait until the next one.

Yet another hit in the series from Maureen Johnson. I enjoyed the book immensely. The twists and turns were great. A mystery I truly enjoyed.

A delightful book full of adventure, action, and thrills. Fun to read, engrossing world building, and very descriptive imagery made it feel like it was cinematic. It's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. Would recommend.