A few things seemed repetitive at times especially during the description of the events that took place 80 years back. I feel this series could have been easily accommodated into two books instead of three. So if you are reading or have read Book 1, don't be disappointed. This series has three books, Truly Devious (Book 1) is much slower than the other two books in the series The Vanishing Stairs (Book 2) and The Hand In The Wall (Book 3). I adore books with strong female protagonists and hence I enjoyed this series a lot. 80 years later, Stevie is admitted to this school and her mission is to study and solve this case. Soon after the school started his wife and daughter were kidnapped and this has become the case of century and nobody was able to solve it.

The entire series is described in two timelines.Įllingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists and was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth-century tycoon. The protagonist Stephanie Bell or Stevie is strong, intelligent, and smart. This series is quite interesting, unique and the characters are awesome. “A richly satisfying, Poirot-like ending for Johnson's inspired and inspiring teen sleuth.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Take it from the world’s most impatient reader: If the Truly Devious series is basically one long mystery book, The Vanishing Stair is middle part so enjoyable you won’t even want to skip to the end.” - Entertainment Weekly A multilayered, modern detective story.” - The New York Times Book Review “The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit. “Parallel mysteries unfold with cleverly written dialogue, pate-turning brilliance, and a young sleuth as captivating as Hercule Poirot.” - USA Today Teen detective Stevie is on the case until she solves every mysterious death-from the past and the present. But after she arrives, more students turn up dead. It’s the very reason she came to the Academy. The Truly Devious case-an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936-has consumed Stevie for years. The Truly Devious box set includes all three paperbacks in the series and is perfect for gift-giving and binge reading.

Bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious trilogy is a hilarious and inspiring whodunit that weaves together the story of a cold case from 1936 and the story of teen sleuth Stevie Bell in the present.

The vanishing stair maureen johnson