Welcome to Litsy!

Stevie Bell is asked to solve a murder that occurred at a camp in the 1970's. The ending was a bit “Scooby Doo“* (⬇️)- teenager solves the case, is allowed a big reveal, then Sheriff steps in to make the arrests. Still, the mystery was good, how the story was told was good (back and forth from 70s to present day), and I enjoy Stevie and her friends (Nate, Janelle, David). Overall, a good read.
4/5 #SeriesLove2024
Make a great day everyone 😊

The stand alone novel with Stevie and friends did not disappoint! The Box in the Woods incorporates danger, curiosity, and teen drama!

Stevie Bell went to Ellingham Academy made some friends, got a boyfriend, & solved the crime of century—or that of the kidnapping of the wife & daughter of the school‘s founder. But that was in the first three books of the series & her 15 minutes of fame are over. It‘s summer & summer is boring…until she gets invited to help investigate the cold case murder of four camp counselors at Camp Wonder Falls in 1978. Another fun read in this YA series.

Adding a little mystery to my day…🕵️‍♀️

This new mystery is a fun transition between two school years for Stevie. I will admit that the one-book format to solve the mystery makes it more difficult to care about all the secondary characters. Some of them fall a bit flat. However, David is much more tolerable in this book. I like him best in book one, but I like him well enough here too. Nate might truly be my favorite character. As a creative person, I relate to him so much.

Stevie and the gang are back, and for their summer vacation, they‘ve been asked to come to a summer camp and solve a cold case- 4 teens were murdered in 1978 and no one has been able to figure out who or why. I absolutely loved the Truly Devious trilogy and was so happy to be with these characters again! #scarathlon #teamslaughter +16pts #readmyowndamnbooks

I got into this one almost as much as the first three but didn‘t like the turn it took at the end 🤷‍♀️still kept me in suspense, though, and is a fun, easy read

The Last Bookshop in London - 🤘⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read a lot of WWII fiction and this is definitely at the top of the list. Such an amazing account of Londoners during the Blitzkrieg.

The Box in the Woods - 🤘⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just Wow! Maureen Johnson does it again. I absolutely love the Truly Devious series and this is probably one of my favorite books I've read this year.

Not as good as the original trilogy but still amazing!! ⭐️4

This was probably my favorite of all the books. The mystery is so much fun with the slasher vibe and the little tidbits of comedy had me laughing out at some points.

Oooo this was excellent. Having loved the boarding school setting of the 3 previous books, I wasn‘t as interested in this… plus, crimes in nature places are terrifying 😳 and oh boy this was definitely that. The audio was so awesome that I want to listen to the others now. Loved it so much and excited to see she‘s writing another. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished off Girls of Paper and Fire + The Box in the Woods this week!

8/10 I get wanting a series to continue and honestly it was interesting. I did have to take points away though for the awkwardness of just having a whole brand new setting on the 4th book. Overall not bad, I wish David was in it more. Compared to the others it did feel a tad rushed.

Not as good as the rest of the series. I miss the school and wasn‘t invested in the new characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Housework + audio this afternoon

This is the 4th book in the series, but it's a new cold case for Stevie and her friends. Set on a children's camp, Stevie is asked by the owner to solve the mystery of 4 young people murdered many years ago. It was gripped and interesting. I wonder if she will continue this series now.

I really enjoyed this one! It was fun revisiting old friend and very gripping towards the end. Reminds me that I'm due for a reread of the original series! 📚

#serialkiller #revenge
#scarathlon #littensdressedinblood
@MidnightBookGirl

Started this book yesterday and enjoying it!

Another fantastic addition to the Truly Devious series. I finished listening to this one this morning. Stevie and her friends have gone to a summer camp to solve a mystery from the 70s, and have a limited time to to do so. I really enjoy Maureen Johnson‘s writing and love this series. 4⭐️

I enjoyed this standalone mystery featuring the characters from the Truly Devious series. I did not solve the mystery myself, and it was actually a little creepy. This was a great way to continue that series even after the central mystery of the trilogy was solved. I hope there will be more.

I‘ve occasionally tried YA mystery and tend to find teen sleuths unconvincing. But Maureen Johnson has nailed believability in Stevie, who comes across as a real, flawed person. I loved the Truly Devious series and am delighted to see the characters return, this time in a new setting with a new mystery to tackle. It‘s terrific!

First of all, Stevie is as lovable as ever in my opinion. I know she has some oddities, but that makes her all the more likeable to me. Another aspect of the novel that I have to address is Maureen Johnson‘s impeccable ability to describe details. Finally, while reading The Box in the Woods I definitely got some Scooby Doo vibes (and I completely mean this as a complement)! I could see this series continuing on with many more successful books!

So happy we got another Stevie book!! Loved seeing her flex her skills in another setting. I just wish Vi had actually gotten to make an appearance! #yalit #murdermystery #latergram

My latest book haul!

A stand-alone mystery with the characters from the first three Truly Devious books solving a camp ground murder from 1978. I was not on the edge of my seat as much as I was with Johnson's first three books in the series, but it was definitely worth reading and the plot was solid.

This article by @Liberty of course reminded me of #LitsySummerCamp and while the tagged book is mystery not horror, I think the murder of four camp counselors could be a little terrifying.

https://bookriot.com/camping-horror-books/

5/5 for this one! I really loved this book. It was so good to do back to this world. I love Stevie. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the twists and mystery. I hope there is more in Stevie‘s world.

Stevie Bell is home for the summer after solving the Ellingham Murders. She's working at a deli and missing her friends and boyfriend when an email comes to invite her to a camp where 4 infamous murders occurred in the '70s. She can bring her friends. Good story but reader couldn't solve this one, but only suspect who did it because reader didn't have access to some of the info Stevie had.

A bit darker than the previous books in the series, Stevie's friends play a smaller role, and there aren't as many suspects in this one, so the payoff of the reveal is more focused on the how and why of the crime. The author leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for readers to follow, but when the motivation of the killer comes to light, it almost felt like it wasn't fair play. Still, another engaging and enjoyable Truly Devious mystery!

Takes place at a summer camp situated next to Lake Wonder Falls. But as the MC says, there are no #waterfalls and not a lot of wonder. #JulyJourneys

It was fun reconnecting with Stevie and some of her crew as she investigates another cold case murder. I forgive Maureen Johnson the “heard herself screaming” cliche because she gave me some Stairway to Heaven lyrics I didn‘t know. Also the sweet author‘s note about writing the book during lockdown.

A side adventure with the same old crew

I wish this tired expression would get permanently retired.

My afternoon reading spot.

Stevie Bell and the gang are back! This book felt like a summer vacation with some of my favorite people - with a tricky local murder mystery thrown in. (Honestly I would happily read a book full of just Stevie and Nate‘s sarcastic quips about life.) The mystery was puzzling and clever - a lot of fun overall. I just heard that we‘re going to get a book #5 - yay! #trulydevious #theboxinthewoods #maureenjohnson #steviebell

“She‘s like the Hulk,” Nate explained. “But instead of transforming when she gets mad, it‘s when she sees crafts. And she doesn‘t turn big and green. She just makes crafts. So not like the Hulk, really.”
#NateIsTheBest #TheBoxInTheWoods #TrulyDevious #MaureenJohnson

#CurrentlyListening — I loved the first three #TrulyDevious books 📚

review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#the-box-in-the-woods-truly-devious-4

I read this in two days. BUT. I knew who the killer was by page 122. I thought it was odd Johnson used the name Susan Marks as a character without acknowledging the producer of the Nutshell Studies documentary Of Dolls and Murder. And the ending was very Murder She Wrote-the reader doesn‘t have all the clues, and of course, let‘s gather all the suspects in one room and then give a tv show detective summary of how she solved the case. Hmmm.

I loved returning to these characters and following Stevie and her friends on their new adventure in this standalone murder mystery in the Truly Devious series. My full review, as well as information about how to win a finished copy for yourself is up on my blog: https://readingstewardess.wordpress.com/2021/06/20/book-review-the-box-in-the-wo... #BookspinBingo

Check out my book review at LaceyDoesLit.com! #books #bookworm #booknerd #reading #reader #ilovebooks #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview #bookish #totalbooknerd #newbook #currentlyreading #bookmail #read #bookshelf #bookphotography #booklove #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #igreads #igbooks #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeatures #instabooks

Not as compelling as the original trilogy, and derivative of those predecessors. However, there‘s a fun slasher summer camp throwback vibe, and the formula of Stevie solving crimes and then revealing the culprit a la Poirot still worked. Fun setting and characters. Somewhat thin plot. Thanks NetGalley. #birdsoflitsy

Book 4 is out soon.

Out June 15
#CoverLove #YAedition

A really great follow up for Stevie and her gang after the events of Ellingham! I think I actually enjoyed this more because I didn't have to wait for the next book to give me a conclusion to the mystery. I liked seeing where everyone was at I their lives! The mystery was fun and I definitely did not see the ending, but it tied together well.