Truly Devious
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. 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.'
What you might want to know about Truly Devious
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
True crime obsessed teenager Stevie Bell wins a spot at Ellingham Academy, a free Vermont boarding school for gifted students whose founder's wife and daughter were kidnapped in 1936 by someone signing the note Truly Devious.
Young adult. The protagonist Stevie Bell is a high school student at Ellingham Academy, and the writing is aimed at teen readers, though adult mystery fans enjoy it too.
It is more atmospheric than scary. There are deaths and a creeping sense of dread, but no graphic horror.
Truly Devious was written by Maureen Johnson, published in 2018 by Poradnia K.
Truly Devious is 432 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Truly Devious takes most readers 6 to 9 hours to finish.
Truly Devious is a standalone novel by Maureen Johnson, not part of a series.
Truly Devious is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
