Truly Devious (Truly Devious, #1) by Maureen Johnson → Start Date: March 25, 2018

[Krista]

Join Anna and I in reading

[Anna]

Great!
I'm excited for this one :)

[Krista]

Me too! It sounds so interesting.

[Anna]

Do you want to check in and discuss every few chapters or just whenever we make progress?

[Krista]

We can do every few chapters or so. Unless we get sucked in and it's longer.

[Anna]

I'm finished with the first four chapters

[Krista]

Ch. 7

Stevi (view spoiler)[I'm liking her as a character so far. I think she is intelligent and could solve the crime. I think she will have to go to the island in the middle of the empty lake at some point though. (hide spoiler)]

Mystery (view spoiler)[I'm enjoying all the aspects of this case. I didn't think the missing student happened around the same time as the kidnappings though. So I'm slightly confused about the ending of chapter 7. (hide spoiler)]

School students- (view spoiler)[ All the school students so far seem kind of odd...

For some reason Nate seems off to me though. (hide spoiler)]

Liking it so far?

[Anna]

Okay, I've caught up.

So about Stevie- (view spoiler)[ I like her too, she's smart and perceptive, although so far she seems a bit naive. It's not exactly a bad thing because I think it makes her more relatable. She does give me the Benedict Cumberbatch vibes (The Pixie teeth thing) though in a less egotistical way. (hide spoiler)]

The kidnapping- (view spoiler)[ The timing is interesting. If I remember correctly Iris and Alice went out for a ride around noon. Mr. E received a call with ransom demands at 6:45 PM and the student was attacked around 6:00 PM. The girl saw the man remove handcuffs and rope from the bag so he could be preparing for the kidnapping but that would leave less than 45 minutes to kidnap two people and make the call. (hide spoiler)]

Students (view spoiler)[
I'm wondering about David David David, and to be more precise- why does he seem familiar to Stevie...
I actually quite like Nate with his resigned sighs :) (hide spoiler)]

So yeah, it's getting interesting. Can't wait for some more action/snooping around :)

[Krista]

I think you're right about the timing! I've only read another chapter so far. Been cleaning my house for Easter haha.

[Krista]

Ch. 9

Flora (view spoiler)[What did she find in the purse? At first I was thinking drugs and maybe it still is but that whole thing is odd. Bring it up again also mean it's important. (hide spoiler)]

Mystery (view spoiler)[So their maybe marking the money. There are so many people at this place at anyone could be around seeing if they call the cops. With the time frame you mentioned 45 min to kidnap people are are suppose to be coming back in a car seems hard. Why wouldn't the notice the car coming back? What would they do with the car after because they haven't mentioned finding the car....I don't think. Since Albert took the money to the lake the first time and got hit in the head, wouldn't they have found then student's body then? Or am I misremembering ? (hide spoiler)]

Students (view spoiler)[Nate is growing on me and I'm feeling you on David. That breakfast conversation was a bit weird. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

Ch.9
So, about what you said.
Leonard and Flora (view spoiler)[ are indeed acting strange. From the purse Flora removed a makeup compact. April 14th at 10 am Leonard said that he was interested in chemistry and that he was creating makeup for Flora and Iris. And he was acting really nonchalant about the whole ordeal... not to mention the blacking out thing... (hide spoiler)]

The mystery (view spoiler)[ right now the 45 minute time frame seems really unlikely. The kidnapper probably went to the dome to observe the house (hence the binoculars and how he saw George arriving) but why would he still need robe and handcuffs? I guess he could have used them on Dolores but he didn't know she would be there. After he hit Albert he could disappear with dolores. Maybe to try get more ransom and when they found out her parents had no money they killed her? Or maybe he just hid the body in the chute and Albert didn't look around... (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

I've been busy with Easter too, now I'm wishing I choose audiobook instead of kindle, gotta love multitasking :)

[Krista]

I wish books could just come with both versions haha. That's how I'm reading it too.

[Anna]

Ch.13

I'm kinda annoyed with Stevie, (view spoiler)[ I mean I feel like Hayes is clearly using other people for their talents not contributing much besides his good looks and she just goes with it. It's probably how he created the zombie show, making people believe that he's making them a favor, which I guess is a talent itself :) (hide spoiler)]

Sherlock Holmes
(view spoiler)[ I was wondering what did Dolores underline in the book.
"I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose"

Don't know how that would have helped. Did she want people to find something in the attic...? But then, why would she underline the whole quote... She thought that no one would probably understand and I guess that's where Stevie comes in, since they seem to have similar way of thinking. (hide spoiler)]

David (view spoiler)[ is getting more creepy every day, which is kinda making me feel like he's innocent of the whole letter on the wall thing. I mean that would be too obvious, right? (hide spoiler)]

[Krista]

Ch. 15

Me too! (view spoiler)[Clearly he is! I get that in the beginning she may not have noticed but she has now and she still isn't doing anything about it! I also wanted to know what she underlined. I don't understand what it has to do with the murder though... (hide spoiler)]

Obvious (view spoiler)[That's what I keep thinking throughout this whole thing so far. It's not the obvious. What about the security guard. He seems interested enough...

and now Hayes is dead. Who? Why? I mean he seemed like a user. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

Yeah, I guess since this is a trilogy it's too early to guess who might be behind it all. Obviously it can't be the actual Devious, but I wonder if the copy-cat knows who the 1936 kidnappers were.
Oh, and Larry is an interesting suspect. He knows the estate and is capable enough I guess. I don't know what his motive would be though.

[Krista]

Hmmm...it would make more sense if it was two since she can only spend two years at the school. Oh well, it's interesting. Are you done? I'm hoping to finish today I think. Larry just popped up into my mind. I'm not convinced or anything yet though.

[Krista]

Ch. 22

David (view spoiler)[Is he being nice and helping Stevi? Is he trying to get in her good side? I don't get it. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna]

Finished

The case (view spoiler)[
Well, How stupid are they to leave an underage suspect in a room alone? XD Honestly I don't think that Ellie murdered Hayes. I mean, she was a bit wacky but maybe not THAT wacky.
And the Bonnie and Clyde students? Whew, Did not see that coming! I love it! But does that mean that they were working with the foreign guy in the observatory? (hide spoiler)]

Mr. E
(view spoiler)[ Did he know he was going to die? And what did the riddle mean... (hide spoiler)]

David
(view spoiler)[ Well, now I know why he's acting so strange and why he looked so familiar to Stevie. At first I wasn't feeling it between them but now I'm kinda into it. Now the initial attraction makes sense; they both want to distance themselves from their parents and I guess that's why he's fascinated by her. (hide spoiler)]

[Krista]

I'm done too :)

The Case (view spoiler)[No kidding! Why leave her alone? Why did she have all those pictures in the bed related to the case? Did someone in the art living have something to do with it? Did those creepy students have something to do with it? Could Ellie be related to the people who did it? What did Hayes know? SO MANY QUESTIONS! (hide spoiler)]

Mr. E (view spoiler)[yep I don't understand the riddle either. I feel like maybe he knew. Do you think the guy that went with him had something to do with the case? Then maybe E got him to confess and blew the ship up? (hide spoiler)]

David (view spoiler)[Seems reasonable. I kind of like them too but why is his dad there? Wonder if he's there to take them both home or something. (hide spoiler)]

I need the next book! haha

[Anna]

The guy that went with him- you mean George? I didn't think about that actually. I mean they are friends and nothing really pointed to him being involved but who knows.

And yeah, I wonder what the King guy is doing there too. A bit of a drama lama with that helicopter entrance haha :)

So many questions, can't wait to read more!

[Krista]

Me too! :) Good read :)