The Vanishing Stair

Murder and mayhem return to Ellingham Academy. This sequel to Truly Devious (2018), an engrossing mystery set at an exclusive prep school in the mountains of Vermont, ramps up the intrigue as teen sleuth Stevie Bell continues to probe Ellingham's troubled past and present. At the end of Volume 1, Stevie's parents, having gotten wind that following the supposedly accidental death of one student, another had gone missing, yanked her out of Ellingham and brought her home to Pittsburgh. Now Stevie gets to return to Ellingham thanks to the intercession of the "worst man in America," scheming, nationalistic Pennsylvania senator Edward King, for whom Stevie's parents work. King asks Stevie to keep an eye on his rebellious son, David, who's also her love interest. Once back, Stevie continues to investigate both the present-day death of housemate Hayes Major and the uncanny disappearance of Element "Ellie" Walker as well as the 1936 Ellingham kidnapping and murders. As before, Johnson deftly alternates between Stevie's first-person narrative, as her investigations yield new insights and dangers for her mostly white, serviceably diverse set of misfit-genius classmates, and historical flashbacks involving the original Ellingham mysteries. Throughout this volume, Johnson's compelling would-be Sherlock proves to be as bad at personal relationships as she is adept at solving mysteries. Teen angst soars as Johnson delightfully conjures up more nefarious deeds from the mountain mist. (Fiction. 14-18)

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January 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 When true-crime-obsessed teenager Stevie Bell made surprising headway on Ellingham Academy's infamous 80-year-old cold case, she wasn't expecting one of her classmates to turn up dead and another to vanish. But in Truly Devious? (2018), they did, and now Stevie's parents have pulled her out of school, far away from mysteries both past and present. Stuck, at least, until she gets an offer she can't refuse from a man with plenty of ulterior motives. But for this single-minded sleuth, nothing is more important than Ellingham's secrets. 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. That Johnson handles all these plots without stalling her tale or relying on shock value to hook her audience is a testament to her skills as a storyteller. Readers, hang tight: there's one more round to come, and if the signs are right, it'll be to die for.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2019
In this absorbing continuation of Truly Devious (rev. 1/18), amateur gumshoe and anxiety sufferer Stevie Bell is still trying?from afar, her parents having removed her from Ellingham Academy at the end of the first book?to solve both the eighty-year-old cold case at Ellingham and the recent murder of one of her classmates. (While Johnson skillfully weaves in critical plot points from Truly Devious, this is a true sequel, so reading the previous book is highly recommended.) After being returned to the Ellingham campus by a surprising ally, Stevie continues her investigation, focusing on the mysterious contents of an old tea tin she discovered in the room of a potential suspect. As the pieces of the past puzzle slowly come together, Stevie finds herself overwhelmed in the present when a shocking tragedy occurs?concluding book two. Johnson judiciously doles out some satisfying partial answers to the historical case while (presumably) saving the big reveals for the next installment. This fulfilling second volume will gratify serious mystery fans; and many readers will enjoy seeing themselves reflected in Stevie's diverse and eccentric group of friends. jennifer hubert swan

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
In this absorbing continuation of Truly Devious, amateur gumshoe and anxiety-sufferer Stevie Bell is still trying to solve both the eighty-year-old cold case at Ellingham Academy and her classmate's recent murder. As Stevie continues her investigation, Johnson judiciously doles out some satisfying partial answers to the historical case while (presumably) saving the big reveals for the next installment. This fulfilling second volume will gratify serious mystery fans.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)