Obviously, I have never claimed to be unbiased in my opinions here, but that will probably never be more apparent than in my recommendation of Maureen Johnson’s young adult mystery series. I’ve enjoyed her quirky writing and unique voice since Bermudez Triangle and 13 Little Blue Envelopes days, and she has never lost the spark in her writing that reminds me so much of the author herself. I’ll go into more about why you should check out her entire body of work (and her hilarious Twitter) later, so for now I’ll jump into my review of the Truly Devious series.
Right now, there are three books in this series. (The latest news from Johnson shows a fourth book being released next year! Yay!) It follows a girl, Stevie, as she attends an elite boarding school and simultaneously tries to solve a murder from the 1930s. What Johnson handles masterfully is a balance between glimpses of that past and the real-time crime and drama happening in the present.
I’ll be honest: there are a lot of characters that pop up and overlap in these books. But Johnson handles their development and presence in a way that makes them seem memorable but not overwhelming. Plus, she develops the setting (Ellingham Boarding School) into its own kind of character by the end of the series.
Seriously, if you are the sort that has ever dabbled in writing (just me?), this series does such an interesting job of balancing different times and characters and the growth and aging of settings that it’s inspiring to sit down afterwards and try to map it out.
So, if you are looking for some books to help you pass a socially-distant, long holiday weekend, I fully suggest diving into this series. Especially if you are also the kind who listens to true crime podcasts and enjoyed Unsolved Mysteries as a kid.
After you read the Truly Devious series, check out all of Maureen Johnson’s work.
Here is where I remind you all that I’ve worked at LeakyCon (and with Mischief Management) for about nine years, which also includes the time period when Maureen Johnson ran the literary track. (And what an amazing time that was!!) This means I have had the good fortune to be around Maureen quite a bit, though it was a few years ago.
I liked her writing long before I met her, but meeting her gave me a glimpse into her personality — the compassion, loyalty, and bravery that she exhibits. She’s undeniably eccentric. (One of my favorite conversations with her involved a serious discussion about cabbage as a viable furniture building block.) But she is also self-aware in a way I find admirable, and those that truly know her light up when you ask them about her. I feel like that’s a good indication of her as a person.
Her self-awareness (and a bit of her eccentricity) echo into her writing, and it means that I never worry if I am going to enjoy her work. Truly Devious is unlike anything else she’s written, which makes it feel brand new and lovingly familiar all at once. I pre-ordered these books, but I was so impatient to read this series that I had them put on my kindle. And then read them in one sitting. They were that engrossing.
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