After finishing the Truly Devious trilogy I was so excited to see that there would actually be another book!
I was afraid I would miss the setting of the first three books, but the camp was different enough from Ellingham that I really enjoyed it. The mystery was interesting, and it I liked that while it had happened decades in the past, it was still recent enough that Stevie was able to actually speak to some of those involved at the time. My only complaint would be that after reading a mystery that was three books in build up towards the solving of the mystery, the murder being solved in one book almost seemed rushed towards the end.
All in all, I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait until I have it available for my students that enjoyed the original trilogy.

If you haven't read anything by Maureen Johnson yet, and are a fan of thriller/mystery/YA, please do yourself a favor and read this book ASAP.

Since it's a standalone, you don't need to read the series (Truly Devious, The Vanishing Star, or The Hand in the Wall), BUT I highly recommend because they're all just so good!

Stevie Bell, amateur sleuth, returns for a summer vacation that of course is anything but normal. She gets a message from the owner of the camp that's home to the unsolved case, the Box in the Woods Murders. He needs her help with a true crime podcast about the case.

OH MY did I love this book! It was a super fast read for me because I really couldn't put it down. Maureen Johnson is so very good at writing a good mystery! And Stevie Bell is an insanely good character that I LOVE!

I was so surprised to see an ARC for this book available, and even more surprised/happy to be notified that I was approved to download the ARC. So, I did what any fan of the Truly, Devious series would do. I had the book sent to Camilla the Kindle and I spent the afternoon reading.

I want to start off and say that this is by no-means a bad book. While some less than flattering things may follow in this review, it was still a good, solid, enjoyable read. I mean. I read it in a day, so I clearly enjoyed it. I was able to tune out whatever stupid show the boyfriend was watching while reading this book, so it's a good book. But just because it's a good book doesn't mean it's perfect and has no issues.

Stevie is still Stevie. As someone who suffers from anxiety and lives the same battles she does, it's so refreshing to read a book that has someone like me as a protagonist. Representation matters, yo. But that's also where I have a problem with this book. Taking Stevie out of Ellingham just doesn't work for me as well as it did in the original trilogy. Stevie's Stevie-ness fits in the whimsical land of that school. When you put her in the "Real World" it just becomes hella awkward and Johnson walks a very fine line of almost turning her protagonist into a joke.

Now, on to the mystery... I was slightly disappointed and slightly intrigued by this one. I'm glad it was a standalone novel and that Johnson didn't try to drag this one out. But, on the other hand, even after finishing this book, I'm not sure how good the actual mystery was. I feel like pieces of information were deliberately left from us as readers. Granted, it wasn't a lot of information, but still. There's a few leaps that even the most intuitive readers won't guess. Johnson does a good job of leaving breadcrumbs, but after finishing the book, there's places were the breadcrumbs left a very clear trail and places were the damn birds at the breadcrumbs and I have no clue how we got were we got (and I stretched that metaphor a lot. Sorry not sorry).

To wrap up, it's a good book. If you liked the Truly, Devious series, then definitely read this one. Just don't be too surprised/upset when this one lacks a little of the sparkle the series had.

I loved the original Truly Devious book, but the my attention flagged as I went through the trilogy. When I saw that there was a new addition to the series coming out, my first reaction was honestly exasperation, but I decided to give it a shot. And it was so good! Shaking things up and taking our group to another setting helped make things feel fresh and I loved this new small town cast of characters. I never remotely guessed what the "solution" to the mystery was, but it all came together really well in the end. 4.5

The Truly Devious trilogy wrapped up so well that I never thought there'd be a continuing story of Stevie and crew, despite wondering what happened to them next. Then I heard about The Box in the Woods, and when it became available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. Needless to say, this one did not disappoint. The mystery was compelling, and though some pieces were a bit convenient, they didn't take me out of the story or make it any less enjoyable. The relationships between the characters were solid, and though I wished I could have seen more of the trio of friends together, I'm hoping that any future installments of this series will take me into those waters. I cannot wait to get this book into my students' hands!

I loved this book! The Truly Devious series is totally addicting, and I was so excited and surprised to see a fourth installment. This book brings Stevie and friends to a summer camp and toggles between present day and 1978. It has many throwback moments that fans of camp horror movies will love. It’s a compelling, fun read. The best part is that Maureen Johnson didn’t leave me hanging. This book has a satisfying resolution. The ending leaves open the possibility of more Stevie books, but this murder is solved.

What a fun writing style and great characters! This is my first novel to read from the Truly Devious novels — but as it is touted as a stand alone novel, I didn’t think it mattered. And it didn’t! Except to make me want to go back and read more about Stevie’s previously solved cold cases.

After solving the Truly Devious murders, Stevie is home for summer break and unsure how to fill her time. When she gets an email from a man who is wanting to re-open a camp and host a podcast about the “Box in the Woods” murders that happened at the camp years ago, she’s accepts the invitation to come and work along side him in solving this case.

Stevie gets the crew (Nate and Jeanelle) together to join her, but once it is known what Carson is really after, most of the town shuts them out of their investigation. But, when another murder occurs, Stevie knows she has to move fast to solve this one — because they are ALL in danger.

This was a fun quick read and I am definitely looking forward to adding these books to my school library.

This review is based on an ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

The Box In The Woods is the fourth book by Maureen Johnson from the Truly Devious series. It takes place during the summer after Stevie Bell solved the infamous murders at Ellingham Academy .Stevie is contacted by an entrepreneur who has just acquired Sunny Pines, a summer camp. The camp has a notorious past. When it was known as Camp Wonder Falls. In 1978, it became the scene of a grisly murder when four of the camp counselors were found murdered. The camp owner wants Stevie to come be a camp counselor while helping him to solve the murders and do a podcast about it. An additional perk is that she can bring her friends.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I thought it might be odd for Stevie and her friends to be out of the school setting but Johnson’s was realistic in setting up the setting. My only critic is that I felt it jumped abruptly from an intense action scene to Stevie’s conclusion about the original murders. Without giving away any spoilers, I felt it should have built a little more to the twist of plot that it took. The reveal was exciting and well-done but I wanted more of Stevie’s process in solving it. That being said, Imstill really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it.

I squealed like a teenage girl when I got approved for this ARC 😆

⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for approving me, and THANK YOU @maureenjohnsonbooks for bringing back Stevie Bell 👏🏻

Synopsis: Amateur sleuth Stevie Bell is back at home for a normal (that means boring) summer.

But then she gets a message from the owner of Sunny Pines, formerly known as Camp Wonder Falls—the site of the notorious unsolved case, the Box in the Woods Murders. Back in 1978, four camp counselors were killed in the woods outside of the town of Barlow Corners, their bodies left in a gruesome display. The new owner offers Stevie an invitation: Come to the camp and help him work on a true crime podcast about the case.

But something evil still lurks in Barlow Corners. When Stevie opens the lid on this long-dormant case, she gets much more than she bargained for. The Box in the Woods will make room for more victims. This time, Stevie may not make it out alive.

My thoughts: It is really, really hard to evaluate this book on its own, and not just compare it Truly Devious. The setup is great - who doesn't love naughty teenagers getting murdered at summer camp? - and the suspense kept me up hours after my bedtime because I HAD to finish it, but the conclusion fell flat. I can't say much more than that without giving too much away, but when I finished Truly Devious I immediately searched out the second book. With this one I felt a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's a great book and I absolutely recommend it to any murder mystery fans and will read any that come after this, but it's no Truly Devious.

***SPOILER AHEAD***

I LOVED that David decided to go to England for school, despite Stevie being in the US. He made the decision that was best for him in the long run, not based on a high school romance that, while real, will most likely not last. I think that's a great example to set for YA readers 👍🏻

I really enjoy the brand of storytelling overall in this book. This YA mystery is reminiscent of books from my youth like the babysitters club or Nancy Drew. I do enjoy the semi-famous nature of this student sleuth and integrating the idea of people being obsessed with true crime podcasts and documentaries. I probably would have given this book 5 stars if it wasn’t for the end. One of the rules of mysteries is that you don’t conceal information from the reader that the detective knows and that is exactly how this ends. We know everything she knows until she figures it out first. And I didn’t find the end result that believable.

What a fun addition to the Truly Devious series! I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the true-to-the-80s sleep away camp tropes. Johnson continues to hook me with her fast-paced writing style and her ever-evolving fictional friendships. I am looking forward to Stevie's next adventure (hopefully back at Ellingham!). Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a eARC of this book in trade for my honest review.

I *loved* a shorter form Stevie novel-I really enjoyed the Truly Devious trilogy, but I found the one installment version refreshing (one might say, refreshing as summer camping is). Maureen Johnson has been an author I’ve followed since high school, and I’m glad that ten years later, I still find her jokes spot on and her writing infinitely compelling. One drawback is that you get a little less of the interviews, or the sleuthing, or the pacing and trying to work it out, but it didn’t bug me-I think the mystery and the friends-at-camp may have been a little unbalanced, but not so much that it ever took me out of the story.

I also appreciate how Johnson writes about the thought spirals, the ways they interfere with and interact with Stevie’s day to day life, and how her friends notice and care for her. Just genuinely appreciate how frank it is.

I think there could be more Stevie novels (and I would gobble them up as I have the rest of them!) but I also think this closed out the series well-I’d be happy to read more, but also happy to know that all of the Ellingham kids are going to be ok.

As a side note, I adored the weaving through of Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies (almost their own character!) But super graphic stuff! An accomplishment to be sure but phew and ick and cool that this genius woman developed a training that still persists to this day.

This mystery follows Stevie Bell as she attempt to solve a summer camp murder that took place in the 70's. Even though the situation is (reasonably) contrived, it doesn't feel forced and the reuniting characters continue their previous dynamics without skipping a beat. The mystery itself was laid out with enough clues to keep the reader both engaged and guessing. This is another solid title by Maureen Johnson.

I loved the original trilogy and have gotten many of my students to read it. This is a perfect addition to the Truly Devious mystery. I did not see the ending coming at all! The story was so well paced and interesting with such relatable characters and a setting I could just get lost in. I really hope the author continues to make more stories of Stevie solving mysteries with her friends. They are so well thought out and interesting reads!

This book exceeded my expectations.
The plot was interesting and captivating, while not being overwhelming. It was so fun to piece the clues together along the way, and it made it hard to put the book down. I loved that the ending tied up everything nicely instead of a cliffhanger.
I really liked how this continued with the characters without having the same mystery. It allowed you to spend more time with the lovable characters, but prevented anything from feeling drawn out.
Overall, this was a perfect continuation of the series. It was fast based, intriguing, and enjoyable.

Stevie Bell is at it again! In this standalone mystery from Maureen Johnson, main character Stevie has survived her first year at Ellingham Academy and solved its infamous murders. Her newfound fame lands her at a summer camp where she has been entrusted to solve the “box in the woods” murders that occurred in 1978.

Stevie brings her friends, her quirks, and her newfound maturity to this small town and quickly sets off to work. From the first chapter, the action just does not stop. It was pleasure to watch Stevie learn from her experience at Ellingham, and her new ways of managing her anxiety were very relatable. I loved the Christie-esque twist at the end of this story, and I simply could not put it down. The Box in the Woods is creative, exciting, and will leave you guessing until the very end.

Another mystery for Stevie Bell! Having read the "Truly Devious" trilogy I was really excited to get back into these characters again. The mystery this time around is very different from the Ellingham Case. I really enjoy Stevie as a character and her friends. Not as much David in this one which I didn't love but I like seeing their relationship move forward. This book does not take place at Ellingham so it was interesting to see them in the "real world." The ending of the felt rushed and a little weird. Hard to describe with no spoilers though. Not my favorite of the stories but I hope to see these characters solve another mystery.

A really great follow up for Stevie and her gang after the events of Ellingham! I think I actually enjoyed this more because I didn't have to wait for the next book to give me a conclusion to the mystery. I liked seeing where everyone was at I their lives! The mystery was fun and I definitely did not see the ending, but it tied together well.

I liked the overall mystery and how it was solved in one book. We got to see how Stevie is now that her life's goal of solving the Truly Devious case is over. In the last book, I did not like how David and Stevie talked to each other at times. It was a little better in this book, but I think they need to have a long, serious conversation.

I would read more stand-alone mysteries with these characters. I also liked reading bits about Frances Glessner Lee, and it inspired me to place a hold on a book about the Nutshell Studies.

Thank you for to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved The Box in the Woods! Maureen Johnson did not disappoint in this next installment of the Truly Devious series. This is another fast paced mystery. I love that Stevie and the crew are back together again. This one truly keeps you guessing and has twists that you don't see coming. I highly recommend this book and this series.