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Truly Devious: A Mystery
Book #1 in the
Truly Devious Series
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Book Overview
New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart.
Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. A place, he said, where learning is a game.
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym Truly, Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester.
But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.
The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Read More chevron_right
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Frequently Asked Questions About Truly Devious: A Mystery
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How long does it take to read Truly Devious: A Mystery?
It takes about 6 Hours and 19 minutes on average for a reader to read Truly Devious: A Mystery. This is based on the average reading speed of 250 Words per minute.
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What is the reading level for Truly Devious: A Mystery?
The recommended reading level for Truly Devious: A Mystery is 9th Grade and Up .
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How long is Truly Devious: A Mystery?
Truly Devious: A Mystery is 432 pages long.
- Who wrote Truly Devious: A Mystery?
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Which number is Truly Devious: A Mystery in the Truly Devious series?
Truly Devious: A Mystery is book #1 in the Truly Devious Book Series and comes before The Vanishing Stair
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Book Reviews (11)
Did you read Truly Devious: A Mystery? Please provide your feedback and rating to help other readers.
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Didn’t put it down
Hannah P , Jul 22, 2021
Age rating (in my opinion): 12+ (mentions of sex, brief making out)
I loved this series, and read it very quickly, but it was a bit of a slow-burn, which I usually love, but i just felt like it needed to go a bit faster. That’s the only reason i gave it 4 stars. I loved the protagonist, Stevie, though, and absolutely adored Nate. Definitely recommend. |
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Yes
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Simply Brilliant!
Derived From Web , Jul 4, 2020
Teen Queen of Teen, Mary Elizabeth W. Johnson, proves again why she is the talk of the town. This is a great series for teens and adults who want to be captivated by a true master of mystery.
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Yes
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a lot of twists and turns
Derived From Web , Apr 21, 2020
The book was a lot of twists and turns and surprises, Hughes said. Both the book and the mystery are well written.
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Recommended to buy:
Yes
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One of my alltime favourites!
Derived From Web , Oct 7, 2019
This book was absolutely incredible, and I couldn't recommend it enough. This book is a cozy murder mystery that keeps you on the end of you seat the entire time, the complex and original plot combined with Maureen Johnson's ammzing writing style makes for an amazing book that you won't ever want to put down.
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Yes
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The Game is Afoot
Derived From Web , Jun 25, 2019
I'm glad I did. This book is truly devious and truly delicious, Levine said.
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Yes
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Great mystery!
Derived From Web , Jan 27, 2019
Loved the way the two stories fused, said Gillian Malloch. The Cullens are central to the story. It was great fun, and I'll be back for more! Loved it! It was great fun, and I'll be back for more!
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Yes
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A Good Story, but comes with an Agenda
Derived From Web , Jan 3, 2019
I love a good mystery, and it is fascinating the way she goes back and forth between 1936 and 2018," said Lee Childers, executive director of the National Book Foundation.
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Not my favorite of her books, but still liked it
Derived From Web , Dec 10, 2018
I've known Maureen Johnson for a long time. The storyline for this book was right up my alley, Melissa wrote. Stevie is not interested in music, nor is he a big deal, Mr. Rule told the judge. I can relate. My only complaint is that i felt this book had no real momentum, and we finally started to get somewhere with the book and it ended up being a total flop. There is a book two, so I know there is a lot more to come. But honestly, if i didn't already love her books and was a reader reading her stuff for the first time, i would have been disappointed. No real cliffhanger either.
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No
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Fascinating... until the cliffhanger ending
Derived From Web , Jun 8, 2018
The first rule of murder mysteries is that no one is truly dead. It's always the killer at the end. There are some wonderful, suspenseful writing here, but ending with To Be Continued without telling us whounitd is unforgivable.
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No
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I don't always like YA books (I'm very out of the demographic
Derived From Web , May 7, 2018
I don't always like YA books, but I've enjoyed Michael Green's "The Fall" series and am excited to see what happens next. I also bought the Kindle ebook for myself and a physical copy of the book for my Little Free Library.
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