Another good addition to the world of the Truly Devious series. Diving back in with Stevie, Janelle and Nate was a great time. The pacing was a bit different from the other entries into the series, but that has to do with it being a standalone so the mystery is solved in one book instead of over three with added layers. I would read more in this series like this, with one mystery per book.

Stevie and the gang are back at it again! I loved this summer adventure that gets them outside the walls and mystery of Ellingham. I thought it pulled things together a little too quickly, but it works and the build up is worth. Didn't guess the ending, which is always nice. I would love more of these books!

I read the Truly Devious trilogy during the first part of the pandemic and they were the only books that kept my attention during that extremely weird and frightening time. They quickly became favorites and I was sad to leave Ellingham Academy when the trilogy ended. I really appreciated the ways Johnson managed to get Nate and Janelle in on this summer camp-based adventure.

The book was well-paced and kept me guessing until the very end. I love that these books have really high stakes if the mystery is not solved. I also appreciate that Stevie acts like a mostly normal teenager who happens to have a peculiar set of skills (which she acquired in a really believable way). I am definitely hoping for even more adventures with Stevie and friends in the future. I will be first in line to find out what happens next. I will definitely recommend this to all of the mystery fans—of any age—in my life.

Just a note to start, I have not read the Truly Devious series. I was told you could read this as a stand alone. For the most part I think that was right I liked the story it had a Nancy Drew feel and great characters. I think the most thing that I missed in this one is the connections that correlate to the series as a whole. Since this one follows the same characters I would have had a better time if I would already know their connections with each other. Overall, it was a really good story but I felt that I was missing something.



Go Into This One Knowing: Can be read as a stand alone

I wasn't expecting another "Truly Devious" mystery and that made this surprise all the more special. This installment stands alone, yet adds a nice layer of character development to the series. Stevie and friends go off to summer camp to solve a multiple murder and uncover a town's seedy secrets. I am now eagerly awaiting senior year back at Ellingham Academy.

hank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!

I was so excited to be able to dive back into the life of Stevie Bell! Her intuitiveness and dedication to the case always hook me in. I'm not sure how much I can go into detail plot wise since this book isn't out yet, but I will say it's a perfect summer read! The case in this book definitely gives me Friday the 13th vibes.
Admittedly, I was worried this case would be a 3 book endeavor like the Truly Devious case (not that I'm complaining, but cliffhangers are awful!), however, it is wrapped up in one book! The killer was one I never saw coming but the explanation was very satisfying.

I enjoyed reading more about the familiar faces as well such as Janelle and Nate! (For those wondering, yes, David is mentioned!) I highly recommend this to anyone who fell in love with the Truly Devious series just as I did!

I really enjoyed this book! For starters who doesn't love a good summer camp murder mystery? Like Nate so often mentioned throughout the book it's one of the most common & beloved tropes in slasher movies! Not only was the setting a great addition to the book, I loved how fast paced it was. I'm the type of person who tries to figure out mysteries & thrillers as I'm reading and this one kept me on my toes the entire time and I did NOT see the twist coming at all!

The universe Maureen Johnson has built is so incredible (the Truly Devious series is one of my absolute favorites) and I'm so glad we got to read some more about Stevie and her friends! I am super hoping we get to read about their new adventures at Ellingham throughout their second year there as well.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

I want to start with the parts I really enjoyed. I LOVED the 70's and camp vibes that were such a big part of the storyline and thought that was super fun! I also loved the characteristic Stevie attitude where she tricked her mom into thinking the camp was her idea so that Stevie could go off and solve a crime. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Stevie and Janelle talking about imposter syndrome because that is super relatable and something that should be talked about more in YA books. While overall I enjoyed the book I think this one was my least favorite in the series just because there weren't as many clues to piece together. It was like the entire book took place in Stevie's head as she solved the crime by just thinking about it but the reader didn't know any of this until the last possible minute. Also she solved it so quickly considering it took her either the same amount of time or longer to solve the Ellingham case when she'd been studying that one for so long before working on it. Lastly, the whole Nazi storyline kind of came out of left field except for the fact that Sabrina took German in high school. It wasn't as satisfying of a resolution as the previous case had. Overall though I enjoyed the book and would love to read more of Stevie and the gang's adventures in the future

Genre: YA Mystery Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐3/4

Me before reading The Box in the Woods: Do we really need another Truly Devious book…?

Me after reading The Box in the Woods: Okay, Maureen Johnson, where’s book 5!?!?

A special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s books for allowing me to review this ARC!

The first 3 novels in this series follow the protagonist, Stevie, throughout the course of a year at Ellingham Academy. During that year Stevie works on solving the Ellingham mystery. In The Box in the Woods, however, we see Stevie in a completely different setting, as she is invited to a summer camp where a quadruple murder occurred in 1978. The first three books in this series were good, but felt like they were missing something. After reading The Box in the Woods, I think that something was momentum. The 4th book in this series moved at a quicker pace and definitely kept my attention throughout the entirety of the novel.

First of all, Stevie is as lovable as ever in my opinion. I know she has some oddities, but that makes her all the more likeable to me. Who wants to read about a perfectly confident teen who has all her ducks in a row? No one! The awkwardness and uncertainty of Stevie is endearing and relatable, which made the book that much more compelling.

Similarly, the book goes back and forth between present time and when the murders occurred in 1978. While switching between two time periods can be extremely difficult to write, Maureen Johnson pulled it off flawlessly. In both sections I felt completely immersed in the time period that was being described and the mystery of the box in the woods pulled me in from the outset.

Another aspect of the novel that I have to address is Maureen Johnson’s impeccable ability to describe details. Some authors use minimal description and let readers fill in the blanks and come up with their own picture, but Maureen Johnson does the opposite. The lucidly clear details that Johnson incorporates give such a vivid and consistent image to the reader. The book felt really immersive for this very reason. I could picture the characters and the setting, down to the minute details of the changes in time periods to the changes in the weather. I admire Johnson so much for this talent, because, as a reader it is more meaningful to be able to “see” Stevie throughout the story. Absolutely phenomenal descriptive work in my opinion.

Finally, while reading The Box in the Woods I definitely got some Scooby Doo vibes (and I completely mean this as a complement)! While it was a little cheesy at some points, it felt right. The compulsive need to keep reading and the overall mysterious tone of this book made it an outstanding read. I’m not sure if Maureen Johnson has plans for a 5th book (or maybe even more), but I could see this series continuing on with many more successful books! In the mean time, you can get yourself a copy of The Box in the Woods on June 15th!

A delightful read from start to finish! Please please please keep the Stevie Bell sleuthing series going! Charmingly quirky characteristics, intriguing premise, and purposeful pacing propel this book, making it compulsively readable. A warm thank you to Maureen Johnson and NetGalley for allowing early access to this title.

I'm sad to say that I was really disappointed in this book. I loved the Truly Devious trilogy and was so excited that there was another book following the same characters, but it wasn't nearly what I had anticipated. As an adult who enjoys YA, I was expecting this to be a similar experience, but this somehow seemed to be written for a younger audience. I can't put my finger on why exactly. In general, it wasn't written as well as the series before. It isn't until well into the book that anything really dramatic happens in the present and while a large focus of these books is of a cold case, there should also be suspense and mystery in the present day of the story. I read the others fairly quickly and loved the flashbacks, but I felt like this one was a much slower, less interesting read. I really like the author and was expecting so much, but as I said, I was disappointed.

*Thanks very much to NetGalley, author, publisher, etc for the early copy!

I hadn't realized this was part of a series. While it made sense, it might be best to read them in order. The mystery is solid, and it was fun to sleuth along with the characters. The ending did seem a bit rushed. The setting reminded me of the old-school slasher films, which made for a neat angle. Some characters felt a bit lackluster and parts a bit choppy, but it did seem to come together in the end to create a quick read overall.

I'm a big fan of the Truly Devious series, and this book was a great follow up to the previous books. The mystery did seem a little squished, but that's only to be expected as it takes place over one book and not three. I do wish that Stevie's friends had more to do in the book. I always wish they had more to do in these books. I wanted the Nutshell Studies to play a larger part in the story than they did. My biggest gripe with the entire series is David. He's such an unbearable character. Like--I get everyone who has dated men had a terrible starter boyfriend, but I can't stand him. If these books were to ditch David I'd be happy as a clam. Otherwise, if you liked the other books in the series and don't expect a mystery that's as complex, you'll like The Box in the Woods.

Stevie and the gang are back! Going into reading this book, I have to admit I was just excited that Maureen Johnson had continued the series. I am such a fan of the Truly Devious books, I recommend them to everyone.

This time we have left Ellingham and are going to summer camp. Nate, Janelle and David are there to join Stevie in solving a new mystery. The atmosphere of the book is different, set in the 70s. What I found more personal about this book was that Stevie got to interview people that were around for the crimes. It is a small town and everyone was affected by these murders.

I did not see the ending coming and there was plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Can't wait for the next mystery! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book!

I do so adore Maureen Johnson. I was in a bit of a reading slump, and this pulled me right out, literally from the first page. I love Stevie, the accurate representation of her anxious brain, her friends, and their usual inadvisable sleuthy shenanigans. While I thought the mystery lacked a bit of the Ellingham atmosphere, it kept me in suspense and at the same time provided enough clues along the way to create a believable trail. Definitely some Agatha-esque tricks were pulled off, particularly with the timeless devices described in the ending.

I particularly admire that this is one of the only series where I’ve been as invested in the flashbacks as I am in the contemporary narrative. My only complaints, and what kept it from being a 5 star like the earlier books in the series for me, were that the magic of Ellingham was absent, and David felt just...there. There was both not enough of him and too much that felt detached from the rest of the novel. I much prefer when they’re more actively partners in crime.

All in all, a satisfying follow-up to a fantastic trilogy that I don’t think many authors could pull off. While I’ll never turn down more Stevie, I will also never give up my undying hope for a conclusion to the Shades of London Series, which I’ve read so many times at this point I have parts memorized. I’m hoping the allusions to London and Jack the Ripper at the end of this work were subliminal signs that something involving Rory and Stephen is simmering in the back of Maureen’s brain.

Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was obsessed with the TRULY DEVIOUS series and was completely over the moon when I saw a fourth book announced. The first three involved Stevie at Ellingham Academy trying to solve the school's murder from many, many years ago, so I expected the series to end after that. This is a "standalone" installment where she spends the summer at a camp where infamous murders happened in the 1970s, in an attempt to solve it too. I could easily read a hundred books, Nancy Drew-style, where Stevie just goes around and solves mysteries everywhere.

I liked that this crime happened in the 1970s so there were actually people in the town who were alive and/or involved with what happened back then. (I'll also say that the 70s-based mystery involved a lot of Led Zeppelin references, which is always welcome for me.) The Ellingham mysteries were so long ago that she couldn't rely on any actual witnesses or people from that time period. I love that this took place in a small Berkshires town in MA because I could completely picture it.

It was nice to have her friends at the summer camp too because this felt like a continuation of the Ellingham series while also managing to be a standalone story. Good references to the past but not a ton (thank god because my memory for the rest of the series is terrible).

This one was so twisty - I truly don't think anyone could figure out the mystery in this book. I've gotten pretty good at solving mysteries in books lately so it was a pleasant surprise to not have any idea where this one was heading. It may have been a bit far-fetched but whatever.

All in all, another winner for this series. I'll read about Stevie solving mysteries forever.

Great addition to the series. I enjoyed the change of scenery but I am excited to get back to the mystical school in the next book. Hopefully there are more books planned in this series.

It was so much fun seeing Stevie and the gang hanging out and solving another mystery together. And this was quite the mystery. This one really had me puzzled until almost the end when Stevie did an old time detective’s reveal to a crowded room. But honestly I think Stevie was stumped up until she got her hands on some crucial evidence, which in retrospect was almost all of the evidence needed to convince the murderer to come forward.

Stevie was still Stevie, but it was nice to see her out of Ellingham and using her detective skills again on a more recent unsolved mystery. She was a trooper when it came to being a counselor at a kids summer camp, although she just was an assistant to Janelle who is a crafting queen. This allowed her some freedom to roam about and question people without much constraint. Janelle wasn’t as involved in this mystery as she was in the other books, but she was a good sounding board for Stevie. Nate really was the one who had Stevie’s back this time. He was so funny at times with one camper who was a big fan of his book. David is also there, but he was more of a distraction than a help for most of his scenes. Still I do like them together.

This is a totally new mystery that is solved by the end of the book. It is well done, with lots of red herrings and misdirections thrown into the mix to keep you guessing. The format of the book does follow the previous books in that we have some chapters told from the perspective of some of the victims and others from the time of the murders. This happens at the beginning of the book and doesn’t carry on past the first third of the book. The setting of the summer camp was perfect, and you really felt the spookiness of the woods and the cabins right along with Stevie.

I was a little surprised when I saw that there was going to be another book, mostly because the previous mystery had been solved and was done. But I was happy also, because I certainly wasn’t ready to leave the company of Stevie and her friends. The ending hinted that there might be at least one more book in the making and I really hope there is as I enjoy these books and these characters.

Although this is a stand alone and could be read with out having knowledge from the previous books, it probably is better if if you had. There isn’t a whole lot of character development in this book as these are pretty well established in the first three books.

Stevie is back! She, along with her friends, find themselves on the trail of another murder mystery. With Stevie on the case, it's not going to be long before the killer is brought to justice.

Due to her previous notoriety, Stevie is invited to investigate another cold case, this time at a summer camp for kids. As she gets to know all of the players, the pieces begin to form the answer, but it may come with a price - or it may be too late.

Plenty of twists and turns, the characters build upon each other and slowly create the bigger picture of what life was life at the time of the murders. In this small town, it's only a matter of time before Stevie discovers the true reason behind the murders and solves the case.

Thanks to the publisher for access to this title in return for a fair review.

My students have loved the Truly Devious books, and we were surprised to learn that Johnson was adding a 4th to the series! This one was a good twisty mystery, like the other 3 in the series. It felt like the ending all came together a bit too quickly, but that fits Stevie’s pattern. I will purchase this for my school library.