IT’S TIME TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL
The Vanishing Stair picks up where Truly Devious left off. Stevie has made a major break in the Ellingham case. At the same time, a potential killer is on the loose at Ellingham Academy. Stevie finds herself having to make a deal with the devil to continue her investigative work.
Back in 1936, we meet some other players—two students, two dangerous lovers who also had a habit of being where they shouldn’t be. What did they see on the fateful night of the kidnapping?
In terms of dangerous lovers of the present…David Eastman, the handsome and troubled guy from upstairs, is proving to be even more trouble than Stevie could have anticipated. How can Stevie balance school, love, and investigating crimes? And is it possible that a series of crimes committed over eighty years ago could be related to a present-day murder?
Before it is all over, Stevie will crack the riddle that Albert Ellingham left on his desk on the day of his death:
Where do you look for someone who’s never really there?
Always on a staircase but never on a stair.
And someone else will die.
Praise for TRULY DEVIOUS
“Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was something special? There’s that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell in Maureen Johnson’s series opener….Parallel mysteries unfold with cleverly written dialogue, page-turning brilliance and a young sleuth just as captivating as Hercule Poirot or Nancy Drew.”
– USA Today, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of four stars
“Johnson’s novel is deliciously atmospheric, with a sprawling cast of complex suspects/potential victims, surprising twists, and a dash of romance. As in her Shades of London books, Johnson remains a master at combining jittery tension with sharp, laugh-out-loud observations.” – Publishers Weekly. ⭐ review
“A classic mystery that would make Dame Agatha proud.” -Kirkus Reviews
“The versatile Johnson is no stranger to suspense, and this twisty thriller will leave plenty of readers anxious for more.” -Booklist
“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
“Truly Devious” adds a modern flair to that delicious classic mystery novel-reading experience in which every passage seems rife with potential suspects and clues. – Chicago Tribune
“A great start to a new series.” – Entertainment Weekly
“Fans of puzzles, boarding school stories, and true crime will tear through this book and love every minute.” -School Library Journal
Praise for The Vanishing Stair
“Take it from the world’s most impatient reader: If the Truly Devious series is basically one long mystery book, The Vanishing Stair is a middle part so enjoyable you won’t even want to skip to the end.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Waiting for the next installment of Maureen Johnson’s Agatha Christie-Sherlock Holmes-classic mystery homage series was torture, but The Vanishing Stair is oh so worth it.” — Bustle
“Johnson builds her most original and elaborately plotted book yet, a novel with overlapping mysteries from the 1930s and present-day that she carefully unspools chapter by chapter.” — The A.V. Club
“In this second trilogy installment, Johnson gives and she takes away: a few major mysteries are satisfying solved, but other long-standing riddles remain tantalizingly indecipherable, and several new ones come into play by the enigmatic end. Readers, hang tight: there’s one more round to come, and if the signs are right, it’ll be to die for.” — Booklist