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The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson centers around one of my favorite subjects: solving cold cases. It’s been awhile since I finished the original Truly Devious trilogy. I was thrilled when I found out there was more to Stevie Bell’s story.

Thankfully I didn’t really need to remember what happened in the last book. Stevie is on summer break from Ellingham when she receives an invitation to summer camp. It’s not an ordinary invitation. It’s an invitation to solve a quadruple homicide that took place in the 1970s at that camp.

I think one of the things I appreciated the most is that even at 17 the reader can already tell that Stevie is on track for what she was meant to do: solve all manner of cold cases. Stevie immediately sees the differences between the Ellingham Academy case and the case at Camp Wonder Falls: living survivors. Stevie knew she needed to approach this case differently and more delicately.

One of the things I really enjoy about mysteries is watching all of the pieces fall together. Even if I have a pretty solid idea of who may be involved, I often don’t know the why. There is something incredibly satisfying about hearing that final piece snap into place.

I highly suggest the Truly Devious series to everyone. The fifth book, Nine Liars, is set to be released in December 2022.