Look! A riddle! Time for fun! Should we use a rope or gun?
Truly Devious is a 2018 Young-Adult mystery novel by Maureen Johnson. It takes place at Ellingham Academy, a private boarding school meant for high schoolers who are exceptional at one skill. The school is plagued by a 90-year-old mystery concerning the school's founder whose family was suddenly kidnapped in the 1930s. The only real clue was a letter written in the form of a riddle and signed "Truly, Devious."This is where true-crime enthusiast Stevie Bell comes in. When starting her first year, Stevie is determined to solve this mystery, and fortunately for her, Truly Devious has suddenly returned.
The story is told with a dual perspective, half in present-day and half via flashbacks to 30s.
The book's sequel The Vanishing Stair was released on January 22nd, 2019. The third and final book in the trilogy The Hand on the Wall is set to be released on January 21st, 2020.
Truly Devious contains examples of:
- Academy of Adventure: When a school is designed by a riddle-loving tycoon to entertain and stimulate the minds of brilliant children, it makes sense that wild things happen.
- Adorably Precocious Child: Dottie Epstein, which makes it extra sad when she dies right in the intro.
- Amateur Sleuth: Stevie never solved a real crime before, but that doesn't stop her from doing whatever it takes to save the day.
- Best Friend: Stevie's best friend Janelle, who helps her after she suffers from a major panic attack.
- Boarding School: The Ellington Academy is the top boarding school in America.
- Child Prodigy: A whole school of them!
- Drowning My Sorrows: Ellie when Hayes dies. However, This is actually subverted when we find out that she's in fact the killer and wasn't really mourning
- Elaborate University High: So much so that there's a map of the school grounds before the first chapter.
- Everyone Is a Suspect: Considering that Hayes is horrible to everyone, pretty much everyone has a reason to kill him.
- Evil Is Hammy: The new Truly Devious note projected onto Stevie's wall in the middle of the night was completely unnecessary, but completely the villain's style.
- Hidden Villain: Ellie seemed to be innocent enough, but it just so happens murder is on the menu tonight.
- Jerkass Victim: When Hayes is killed, Stevie finds out that this person ended up using everyone to do all of his work, even stealing credit and making a lot of money by ripping off other people's ideas.
- Kid Detective: Stevie, except she's a teenager. She is always constantly reminded of how she's only "playing" detective because she's a minor.
- Socially Awkward Hero: Stevie struggles interacting with everyone except Janelle, and frequently mentally berates herself for it.
- Summation Gathering: When Stevie has all the Minerva House kids play a game of "Never" and at the end of it, goes through her process of figuring out who did it.
- The Cynic: Nate. He constantly mopes and makes deadpan comments about how everything is terrible.
- Who Murdered the Asshole: Once the victim is dead, and his secrets are all revealed, it's pretty obvious that almost everyone has a motive.
