This stand-alone novel by Maureen Johnson is a fast-paced thriller that takes place in a camp in the woods. Like the other Stevie Bell books, this one looks back at a crime from the past, but there's very much a present-day danger. The characters are familiar to those who've read and enjoyed the Truly Devious series, but this novel stands on its own. I personally enjoyed it and I know that my students will devour it as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for a eARC. The Box in the Woods is the fourth book in the Truly Devious series. Stevie has solved the notorious murder mystery at Ellingham Academy. What will she do now? This book answers that question. I enjoyed reading this story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 stars. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Four murders of teen counselors at a summer camp in 1978 were never solved. Stevie, 17, begins working the cold case and discovers long-held dark secrets in a small town.

Although I have read other books by Maureen Johnson, I did not read the Truly Devious trilogy. Luckily, this is a standalone mystery, so previous experience with the Ellingham Academy gang is not required to enjoy <u>The Box in the Woods<u>.

The book is told mainly in the present, but there are flashbacks to 1978 done in a quite satisfying way. Our protagonist, Stevie, is brought in to solve the murder of four camp counselors that took place in 1978. The book opens with the reader experiencing the crime through the eyes of one of the victims, and we do get to journey back to that time with her a couple more times throughout the book and get a glimpse of life as a teenage counselor at a summer camp in the 70s.

Stevie's success solving a mystery at her school draws the attention of Carson, the wealthy new owner of the camp where the victims were counselors so many years ago. Carson invites Stevie to work at the camp and solve the mystery, and he sweetens the deal by saying she can bring some friends along to work there and keep her company. Two of the three are able to join her (my favorite being Nate), but her boyfriend David has other responsibilities. Many of the people who knew the victims still live in the town, a town that doesn't seem as innocent as it first appears. Stevie and her friends investigate while continuing to live and work at the camp even though some of the residents of the town are less than thrilled about the situation.

Although this is a YA mystery, there is enough to hold the attention of more adult mystery lovers as well. While it is pretty easy for any experienced mystery reader to see early on which one of the other characters was involved in a related crime, there are a lot of interesting threads to pull apart on the way to the final resolution. The full details of the reasons for the murders come a bit out of nowhere and are honestly a bit far-fetched, but the journey to get there is still quite enjoyable. The touches of humor, the friendships among Stevie and her crew, and the way that each of them contributes to solving the case all contribute to making this a quick but fun read.

3 3/4 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Harper Collins Children's Books for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Truly Devious series is nearly everything that I could want out of a YA dark academic mystery. This installment added the essential summer camp creepiness to the series that was brilliant. I 'truly' love Stevie Bell as well as her gang.

Stevie Bell, the intrepid student detective, is hired by the new owner of camp Sunny Pines to solve yet another cold case. Years earlier four teens were brutally murdered in the woods surrounding the summer camp and the case was never solved. There are a number of possible scenarios of what really happened that have been pursued over the years, but all have led to a failure to uncover who committed the crime. Stevie’s notoriety after solving the murders at Ellingham Academy make her a prime candidate for succeeding, where others have failed.

The setting is new, but Stevie is allowed to bring along two of her brilliant fellow students who helped her investigate the other crime. Nate and Janelle bring a familiarity and added fun to this book. Of course, there’s also David, her boyfriend, who makes an appearance. But it’s Stevie’s astute sense of observation and her uncanny ability to put clues together that are her biggest assets.

This is another great mystery; one that highlights a young woman investigator who uses her brains to solve crimes that police and investigators have long failed to crack. Unlike the earlier cases in the series, this mystery is not as complex. Still, there are multiple murders, even one more recently, but things are more closely tied together.

Following Stevie’s investigation brings readers a sense of awe at her skill at putting the human factors and the bits of evidence together to solve the mystery. One can only wonder where Johnson will take Stevie next in her role as sleuth.

An amazing stand alone! I read Maureen Johnson’s “The Box in the Woods” before reading the trilogy of “Truly Devious.” I became so hooked I ended up buying the box set of the trilogy immediately after reading this. The characters were amazing the the twist was beautifully executed. 5 stars all the way!

The Box in the Woods is the fourth book in the Truly Devious series. Maureen Johnson knocks it out of the park again with this one.
Stevie Bell is on summer vacation and can't wait to go back to school. When she gets an email iniviting her to a summer camp that once had a gruesome murder, she jumps at the chance to go. Taking her friends with her, she's determined to solve this cold case.

Um.. hello I am obsessed. I want to erase my brain so that I can experience reading this for the first time. This is a super popular opinion but David is THE WORST. But anyways my distaste for him as a character/his entire existence aside... I LOVE STEVIE. She reminds me a little of myself growing up especially with the anxiety issues, but she's just a lot cooler. I thought that the whole premise and story line of this book was fun, unique, gripping, and deliciously dark. move over Nancy drew and Sherlock Holmes, Stevie is here to stay, I could not put this book down. I think that it is so amazing and I will be telling everyone and their mother that if they enjoy a murder mystery; they need to do themselves a favor and pick this one up. I would rate it higher if I could.

I absolutely devoured this book. After finishing the Truly Devious trilogy, this standalone revisiting Stevie and her friends was a wonderful step back into the young detective’s life. Absolutely adored this and loved the premise. The only bad part is that it wasn’t longer! Hoping to see more of Stevie and her adventures in the future.

I really enjoy this series. Stevie is a great detective and Maureen Johnson creates some interesting and fun to read about murder mysteries.

I think this was a great follow up to the mystery Stevie solved in the first three books. Great twists and turns, suspense and danger. I think fans will be happy with this installment and waiting anxiously for the next!

Loved it just as much as the rest of the series! So interesting to see the "cast" move to a different setting--and I always enjoy a good camp story. The main character is great fun, balancing quirk and relatability. Note for younger readers that this series does get quite dark and sometimes gory. As usual, a well thought out, page-turner of a mystery. Love watching the pieces come together in the finale!

Every time I start a new Maureen Johnson book i immediately think “Wow, I forgot how hilarious Maureen Johnson is!” And then I think about how I wish she would come over to my house and just….say whatever came to mind? I’m sure it would be the most fun I’ve had in ages.

And reading the follow up to the Truly Devious trilogy was also the most fun I’ve had….perhaps since the third book in the trilogy?

Though this book is set away from the academy and during the summer, the story still serves up some good Dark Academia vibes, and is built around one of those delightfully creepy murder mysteries that fit so perfectly with a sleep away summer camp.

Stevie is brilliant and hilarious as usual, as are her lovely friends (and Nate is extra hilarious this time). The mystery itself is a good one with lots of moving parts, a good suspect pool, and solid, interesting ties to the modern timeline. The solve has a little of that “impossible to know some of this until the detective tells you” feel, but it’s still a good one.

So, my biggest question is: Will they go back to Ellingham in a subsequent book? It certainly seems like Johnson is intending to continue the series in some capacity.

And most importantly: I’ll be vague about this to avoid spoilers, but there’s a comment made at the very end of the book related to David’s future plans that made me think, OMG, could this series possibly merge/crossover with the much loved and long dormant Shades of London series? I’m sure this is wishful thinking on my part. But hey….a girl can dream.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Reading Between the Wines book review #91/115 for 2021:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The Box in the Woods
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers | Teens & YA
RELEASED on June 15, 2021!!!

Sipping thoughts: The title of this book was so ominous that I could not wait to read it to find out what was in the box. I did not realize this was part of a series, but I do not feel like missing the first 3 books made me miss out on anything. I do, however, want to go back and read the first 3 books of the series.
I love Stevie’s character as a strong, witty, clever detective wannabe. She seems to be able to do the impossible and solve crimes no one else has been able to. While I enjoyed the mystery of this book, I think I should have done a better job with keeping up with the names because when the killer was revealed I had a hard time remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this book and even though it is a Y&A book, it isn’t written immaturely, in my opinion. I can’t wait to see what else Stevie has in store.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @KatherineTegenBooks and @HarperCollinsChildrensBooks for an advanced copy of @TheBoxInTheWoods.

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Absolute perfection. It was like when Ann M. Martin released the Super Special editions of the BSC books, only this time it was all my favorite characters solving a cold case murder at a summer camp. MJ’s dry humor had me literally snort laughing out loud.

Another great series starter! The First series with this detective was so. good and creative. This is a wonderful follow-up. The mystery was. so good and it kept me guessing until the end. So. good!

Book 4 of the Truly Devious series was exceptional! I could not put it down. I enjoyed how the story line was different from the first 3, but Stevie was back with a few of her best friends. The way Stevie solves a case always keeps me on the edge of my seat. Although I did guess the twist, I loved how it played out and how Stevie uncovered the case. I would highly recommend this book and series to anyone who loves a murder mystery/detective book!

A fun addition to the Truly Devious universe, the summer camp trope isn’t dead yet!
We see the return of the gang, posing as camp counselors to solve a decades-old murder. Will they unravel the mystery before the killer catches them?

This was an atmospheric and intriguing sequel to one of my favorite murder mystery series. The tone and characters were very consistent but I felt some of the interpersonal conflict was a little overwrought. The mystery was satisfying and spooky. It felt like a classic horror flick—can’t wait for more!