New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller!
In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.
The Truly Devious case—an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936—has consumed Stevie for years. It’s the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime.
Stevie’s willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity—Edward King’s son.
But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What’s the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn’t just a piece of history—it’s a live wire into the present.
* Junior Library Guild Selection * Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2019 * Hypable's Best Books of 2019 *
Praise for Book One:
“The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story.” —New York Times Book Review
“Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was special? There’s that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell.” —USA Today (four stars)
“Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart.” —Bustle
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“Narrator Kate Rudd is back with a conversational tone that matches the rapid-fire workings of Stevie’s mind…The rising excitement in Rudd’s voice as Stevie makes huge breaks in the cold case is tempered by anguish as she and her friends continue to deal with contemporary tragedies that haunt them. With the complex plot that is underway, this shouldn’t be listeners’ first visit with Stevie, and the cliff-hanger ending will ensure that it isn’t their last.”
— AudioFile
“Maureen Johnson offers thrilling suspense, sly wit, a memorable cast of characters, and more pieces of her deliciously intricate puzzle.”
— Buffalo News (New York)“A few major mysteries are satisfying solved, but other long-standing riddles remain tantalizingly indecipherable, and several new ones come into play by the enigmatic end. Readers, hang tight: there’s one more round to come, and if the signs are right, it’ll be to die for.”
— BooklistBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Maureen Johnson is the bestselling author of several novels for young adults, including the Truly Devious series and the Shades of London series, among others. She has also penned collaborative works, such as Let It Snow with John Green and Lauren Myracle and The Bane Chronicles with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, BuzzFeed, and the London Guardian, and she has also served as a scriptwriter for EA Games. She has an MFA degree in writing from Columbia University.
Kate Rudd, actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared in several independent films and shorts, as well as in multiple episodes of the television show Perks. As an audiobook narrator she has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration.