Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

4.5/5 stars

I always forget how much I love mysteries! At first this book reminded me of a Westing Game with a Winchester Mansion twist.

The plot alternates between the Ellingham family kidnappings in the 1930s and the present day Stevie Bell who attends Ellingham Academy intent on solving the mystery of the kidnappings.

The book is full of riddles and puzzles, twists and turns. I found myself reading huge chunks at a time. There was some social commentary embedded within (mostly modern but one part was a clear JFK/LHO nod), but now I wonder if even some of that will be turned on its head. Despite murder and mischief, there was humor sprinkled throughout. The main thing I didn't like is that when I bought it I did not know it was part of a series (I knew right before starting) and that it ended on a literal "to be continued..." I don't have the best memory always and tend to mix up or forget things between books.

If you like The Westing Game, Chasing Vermeer, or things like Winchester House you should like this one.