New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of
murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans
of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart. Ellingham Academy is a famous private school
in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by
Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a
wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. 'A place,' he
said, 'where learning is a game.' Shortly after the school opened, his wife and
daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods
of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym ?Truly, Devious.? It became one
of the great unsolved crimes of American history. True-crime aficionado Stevie
Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an
ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case
when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the
inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something
strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits
Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten
away with murder. The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly
Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her
relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.