The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious, 2)
New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller!
In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.
The Truly Devious case—an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936—has consumed Stevie for years. It’s the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime.
Stevie’s willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity—Edward King’s son.
But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What’s the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn’t just a piece of history—it’s a live wire into the present.
* Junior Library Guild Selection * Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2019 * Hypable's Best Books of 2019 *
Praise for Book One:
“The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story.” —New York Times Book Review
“Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was special? There’s that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell.” —USA Today (four stars)
“Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart.” —Bustle
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Readers say *The Vanishing Stair* is a gripping sequel that deepens the mysteries with clever dual timelines and heightened suspense. Many praise Stev...
The book begins with Stevie's parents pulling her out of Ellingham Academy to come back home. However, she isn't home long before an important character offers to take her back and promises her parents that she will be safe. His one condition: watch over David. She agrees and is welcomed back on campus. We meet a new character in this book, Dr. Irene Fenton who wrote a book on the Ellingham Academy kidnapping. Stevie begins to work with her and Dr. Fenton asks her to gather some information for her. Through this, Stevie and the readers are given more pieces to the puzzle of just all that was involved in this crime. Along the way however, more suspicious events begin to happen in the present day Ellingham Academy. Once again, Stevie is solving two mysteries simultaneously and asking the question "Are these two things related?"
We get to see much more character development which really makes the book come alive in my opinion. For Stevie, she often blurs the line between caution and daring; she often puts her desire to find the answer and know the secrets before her safety, not always the best choice as we can imagine. However, by taking these risks and following the smallest of ideas leads to her finding extremely important information to both mysteries.
Throughout the narrative, I was once again asking myself, why is this detail put here because I know it is going to have a reason. In this second novel, the mystery really takes a turn, definitely in a direction that I was not expecting. And once again, we are left on quite a cliffhanger so have book 3 ready to go. Just when you think you have an idea of what is happening, something new pops up and/or you go back to the past or into the future. Once again the dual timeline not only add so much to the narrative itself but flips at just the right time, when you are dying to see what is going to happen next. Good choice, Johnson!
There were some parts like David's character and his and Stevie's interactions that kind of annoyed me but again, I feel like there must be a reason for it since this is how Johnson seems to write the characters in this series. I did really like that we picked up where we left off and there wasn't as much history needed here since we all know about the cases and are just finding new clues and pieces of the puzzle. I honestly can't wait to see what will happen in book three. Is Stevie solving two mysteries or are they somehow connected?
Quotes I love
"Reading is one of the greatest pleasures of life - maybe the greatest. All the money, all the power - none of it compares to a good book. A book gives you everything. It gives you a window into other souls, other worlds. The world is a door. Books are the key."
"The real magic rocks are the friends we make along the way."
"Click. Click. Click. Her mind was going faster now, showing her picture after picture. Ellie wearing a skirt made of garbage bags at the silent party. Up ahead, there was some trash on the ground. There was a subtle sheen from more garbage bag plastic, then something formless, purple. She didn't have to go any farther to know what she had found." pg. 224
"That would be my guess, Larry said. We tracked up to the other end of the passage. We had no idea it was there. Goes to a hatch in the Great House basement floor that blends in with the other stones. She went in, something blocked her way out" pg. 239
"There was so much to be done. There were several objects on his desk, and they all required his attention: a pile of legal documents, a Western Union telegram slip, a copy of the collected stories of Sherlock Holmes, and a spool of wire" pg. 291
This book delves deeper into the mysteries of Ellingham Academy. Stevie Bell returns, determined to uncover the truth behind the school's infamous cold case and the recent death that has everyone on edge. The author masterfully intertwines past and present mysteries, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with unexpected twists and turns. The suspense and intrigue only intensify, making it impossible to put down.
The Vanishing Stairs is a must-read for fans of thrilling, clever mysteries.
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