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Truly, Devious (Truly Devious, #1)

Maureen Johnson

Start date: March 1, 2022

Finish date: March 31, 2022

Discussion: Series of the Month 2022

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Series of the Month 2022

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What Members Thought

Oct 27, 2020 ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, academic-school, crime, death, mystery, mystery-thriller, library-loan

Stevie's sleuthing is definitely making someone nervous. There is something she is getting close to and someone is either trying to hide it or trying to stop her from finding out. I noticed that many have secrets to hide and they either change the subject or avoid answering the question. I noticed too that both present and past seem to have something similar to it and I think Stevie is going to find out why. The cliffhanger in the end was a wow moment since another lie is revealed. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2019 Ashleigh rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: diverse-reads, series-books, thrillers-and-mysteries

Truly Devious follows Stevie who is starting her first-year at the infamous Ellingham Academy. Being a huge true-crime fan, this is Stevie's ultimate fantasy, as shortly after the school was opened in the 1930s by Albert Ellingham, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. His wife was found murdered not long after a taunting ransom letter was sent to Albert, but his daughter was never found. The crime was never officially solved, but Stevie has plans to investigate while attending the school.

Th ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 12, 2021 Tawallah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-series, books-i-actually-owe, mystery-thriller, audiobook, bookopoly-notw-joc

Reading #2

It has been a few years since I first listened to Kate Rudd read this popular YA dual time mystery novel. The historical period section remains the strongest portion with the wealthy Albert Ellingham and his boarding school dogged by its reputation for death. In the 1936, the wife and daughter ( Iris and Alice) are kidnapped by someone who calls themself Truly Devious plays the ultimate game. Ironic, given the fact that Albert invites gifted students to treat learning as a game and is Reading #2

It has been a few years since I first listened to Kate Rudd read this popular YA dual time mystery novel. The historical period section remains the strongest portion with the wealthy Albert Ellingham and his boarding school dogged by its reputation for death. In the 1936, the wife and daughter ( Iris and Alice) are kidnapped by someone who calls themself Truly Devious plays the ultimate game. Ironic, given the fact that Albert invites gifted students to treat learning as a game and is open to unorthodox ways of learning using puzzles, riddles and ciphers. In the modern day, the Ellingham Academy is still accepting gifted students. And Stevie Bell, is a modern day sleuth determined to solve this cold case.

The love for Stevie and her passion for solving crime reflects the recent love for true crime in the last few years. Through the eyes of Stevie the reader is offered a more realistic view of being involved in a crime. As well as the modern concerns of having chronic anxiety, parents who differ from you but are concerned about you, but finding good friends who accept you. And, yeah, the first romance with that guy. This time around I appreciated Stevie more and her passion to be a detective. She takes inspiration from Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie recognizing that true events inspired these stories.
Having the interweaving of the past and present worked until the final pages. It was just a set up for the next book in the series and honestly a bit of a letdown with solving the original case.

This is an okay series so far. I am just here for the final reveal of the cold case.

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First reading
There has been a lot of praise showered on the first installment of this dual timeline mystery series. The premise of a cold case set at Ellingham Academy from 1930s where the founder’s family is kidnapped and riddles must be solved to best the culprit is the attraction. The contemporary portion features Stevie Bell who has panic attacks,loner and is determined to solve this cold case. Initially she is pitched as a young Sherlock Holmes.

The execution of this novel? Problematic. Most of the characters are flat and I struggled to distinguish many of them( I listened to this one). The historical aspects were more captivating and often the modern portions didn’t advance the plot. Finally, the book ends on a cliffhanger having been preoccupied by an unnecessary romance. Like everyone else I’m not a fan of the love interest.

The highlight for this book seems to be the accurate representation of anxiety. And for Stevie.

Unfortunately I wanted more for the plot and wasn’t a fan of the cliffhanger. I plan to read the next installment via library service to see if I will continue.
So far a lackluster start meant to introduce characters and set the stage for the rest of the series. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 18, 2021 Heli rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, contemporary, audiobook, ya

Truly interesting. Set in a boarding school in Vermont. Exceptional minds are invited to study. Our protagonist is Stevie, a true crime enthusiast and wannabe future FBI agent. Her goal is to solve a kidnapping and murder that happened in the Ellingham Academy in 1930's. The book alternates between 1930's and present. Soon a death occurs among Ellingham students in the present and Stevie is eager to find out the truth about that too. I loved the atmosphere of the Ellingham Academy. Studies were ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2020 Maddielucy(Patti) rated it really liked it

I liked it. Will continue with the series.

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Jul 22, 2020 Heather Kimball rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This book was a surprise. I didn’t think I would enjoy it, but now I cannot wait to get my hands on more. I already have the next book. There were seriously some surprises that I never saw coming.

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