The Box in the Woods (Truly Devious, #4) by Maureen Johnson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on June 15, 2021
ISBN: 0063032600
Pages: 383
Genres: Mystery
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Stevie Bell is back! Solving a “crime-of-the-century” gave Stevie some good press and a reputation as a detective extraordinaire, so it is no surprise when the owner of a summer camp with a decades-long unsolved murder mystery enlists her help in solving the cold case. Stevie takes the case and, together with her two best friends, heads to Sunny Pines. Johnson does a nice job keeping the action moving, providing heart-pounding twists that are basically believable, and in crafting a stand-alone murder mystery novel that pays homage to summer-camp horror tropes and provides a Hercule Poirot-esque solution reveal. Fans of the Truly Devious series will benefit from the depth of knowledge about Stevie, Nate, Janelle, and David, which will enrich the storytelling. Readers new to the series can certainly enjoy this stand-alone mystery, but they may not feel as connected to the secondary characters as only Stevie really gets a voice in this book. Johnson continues to shine a light on anxiety and the compulsion and drive that Stevie has once her mind is hooked into an unsolved case. A delightful read. Hopefully, this is not the last we’ve seen of Stevie Bell & co.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth