Mystery

The Box in the Woods

The Box in the Woods

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  • Create Date：2021-06-03 07:51:21
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Maureen Johnson
  • ISBN：0063082136
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Summary

The Truly Devious series continues as Stevie Bell investigates her first mystery outside of Ellingham Academy in this spine-chilling and hilarious stand-alone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson。

Stevie Bell did it。 She solved the greatest unsolved mystery of the century。 So， what now？

Figuring it all out—the truth behind Truly Devious and what exactly happened in the Ellingham Affair—has granted Stevie Bell a bit of celebrity in the true crime community。 So she’s not surprised when she gets an email from the man who owns Camp Bounty Lake （now called Camp Wonder Falls）， the site of the infamous “Box in the Woods” murders from the 1970s。

Weird things are happening at the camp again， although nothing as sinister as before。 No murders， no bodies posed by the mysterious figure they called The Doll Collector。 But there is a threatening message chalked across a wall。 And a box has appeared， with three grisly dolls inside it。

Stevie accepts a job as a camp counselor so she can figure out what’s going on。 She recruits her friends from Ellingham—Nate， Janelle， and Vi—to become counselors， too， and even Germaine Batt turns up。 Not long after they arrive， the owner of the camp dies in a suspicious hiking accident。

Once again， Stevie will have to solve a cold case from the past before a killer catches up with her in the present。

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Reviews

Mel Lenore ，

6。57 on CAWPILEWhile these mysteries are always fun， they tend to leave me always wanting a little more。 I really enjoyed the camp setting and getting back with the gang。 I loved the mystery itself and trying to sort out what happened to these kids。 The ending though just made no sense。 It came completely out of left field。 There was NOTHING leading up to that big twist to make it make sense。 So sadly， while the lead up was pretty good， the ending just didn't do it for me 6。57 on CAWPILEWhile these mysteries are always fun， they tend to leave me always wanting a little more。 I really enjoyed the camp setting and getting back with the gang。 I loved the mystery itself and trying to sort out what happened to these kids。 The ending though just made no sense。 It came completely out of left field。 There was NOTHING leading up to that big twist to make it make sense。 So sadly， while the lead up was pretty good， the ending just didn't do it for me 。。。more

Amber ，

The Box in the Woods was an excellent follow up to the original trilogy。 I enjoyed revisiting the characters and appreciated that this was a stand alone and was wrapped up。 The mystery was a good mixed with part horror movies。 The twist were surprising and not predictable。 I would love to keep reading about Stevie。

Brenna Edwards ，

Stevie and the gang are back at it again！ I loved this summer adventure that gets them outside the walls and mystery of Ellingham。 I thought it pulled things together a little too quickly， but it works and the build up is worth。 Didn't guess the ending， which is always nice。 I would love more of these books！ ARC provided by NetGalley Stevie and the gang are back at it again！ I loved this summer adventure that gets them outside the walls and mystery of Ellingham。 I thought it pulled things together a little too quickly， but it works and the build up is worth。 Didn't guess the ending， which is always nice。 I would love more of these books！ ARC provided by NetGalley 。。。more

CR ，

Just a note to start， I have not read the Truly Devious series。 I was told you could read this as a stand alone。 For the most part I think that was right I liked the story it had a Nancy Drew feel and great characters。 I think the most thing that I missed in this one is the connections that correlate to the series as a whole。 Since this one follows the same characters I would have had a better time if I would already know their connections with each other。 Overall， it was a really good story but Just a note to start， I have not read the Truly Devious series。 I was told you could read this as a stand alone。 For the most part I think that was right I liked the story it had a Nancy Drew feel and great characters。 I think the most thing that I missed in this one is the connections that correlate to the series as a whole。 Since this one follows the same characters I would have had a better time if I would already know their connections with each other。 Overall， it was a really good story but I felt that I was missing something。 Go Into This One Knowing: Can be read as a stand alone 。。。more

Amy ，

Stevie Bell is back， and this time it's to solve a whole new set of murders。 After solving one of the most notorious unsolved crimes of the century， while also attending Ellingham Academy， Stevie is back home。 Now， she is stuck living an unprecedented， boring summer working behind the deli counter at the local grocery store。 It's not that Stevie wants there to be murders。 She just likes to solve them， especially cold-cases that no one has been able to figure out for decades， and working behind t Stevie Bell is back， and this time it's to solve a whole new set of murders。 After solving one of the most notorious unsolved crimes of the century， while also attending Ellingham Academy， Stevie is back home。 Now， she is stuck living an unprecedented， boring summer working behind the deli counter at the local grocery store。 It's not that Stevie wants there to be murders。 She just likes to solve them， especially cold-cases that no one has been able to figure out for decades， and working behind the deli counter was not solving crimes。 So， when Stevie receives a letter inventing her to stay at Sunny Pines Summer Camp to help solve the notorious 1978 'Box In the Woods Murders，' Stevie doesn't hesitate。 With just a few negotiations， Stevie and her friends were on their way， posing as counselors by day and crime fighters in their spare time。 Nothing could be better than a summer spent investigating a decades-old murder， or at least that's what she thinks。 The moment Stevie arrives， she knows things are a little off， and it isn't just the quirky， eccentric camp owner; it's as if the town is frozen in time， holding onto the past that sent shock waves throughout it。 But， just as much as the town wants answers， there are those that want the truth to stay buried。 As soon as Stevie opens up the case， she quickly realizes that once you take the top off of the box， there is not putting it back on， and those that want the truth to stay hidden will do anything to keep her quiet Maureen Johnson returns and this time with a whole new cold case to solve。 The Box in the Woods is a beautifully crafted murder mystery with interweaving timelines between the present and 1978， highlighting the casual and free decade of the '70s along with the ease of small-town rumors， misguidance， and coverups。 Maureen Johnson takes readers back to the days of summer camp， along with a few nods to the 80's classic movie Sleepaway Camp。 Readers will be left with the desire to grab a hot dog and a soda and read this one out by the campfire。 This book delivers just what readers want， another perfect page-turning mystery， this book keeps the same thrilling tempo as the prior series without being scary。 While this book may have the same cover as the Truly Devious series， this is a true stand-alone and can be read without reading the previous books。 Fans of Stevie Bell will be delighted that the same amount of detective work， mystery， and overall shock carries throughout this book， making fans of the current day Nancy Drew shout for more。For reviews， giveaways and body paints of book covers please visit my instagram page; https://www。instagram。com/amy_forthel。。。 。。。more

Lacy ，

Nancy Drew Stevie Bell takes on Summer Camp？ It was so exciting going on another Stevie Bell murder mystery adventure。 The Box in the Woods is just as captivating and edge-of-your-seat as the Truly Devious trilogy。 I couldn't turn the pages fast enough。 But where Truly Devious had the whole Hollywood Dark Academia vibe， The Box in the Woods has a horror slasher film feel。 Especially considering the setting。 I do wish we had a little more time getting to know some of the people at camp。 Can t Nancy Drew Stevie Bell takes on Summer Camp？ It was so exciting going on another Stevie Bell murder mystery adventure。 The Box in the Woods is just as captivating and edge-of-your-seat as the Truly Devious trilogy。 I couldn't turn the pages fast enough。 But where Truly Devious had the whole Hollywood Dark Academia vibe， The Box in the Woods has a horror slasher film feel。 Especially considering the setting。 I do wish we had a little more time getting to know some of the people at camp。 Can this series never end？ I'm not ready to be done。 Again。 ***Thank you so incredibly much to the publicist for sending me an early review copy。*** 。。。more

Patti Sabik ，

I wasn't expecting another "Truly Devious" mystery and that made this surprise all the more special。 This installment stands alone， yet adds a nice layer of character development to the series。 Stevie and friends go off to summer camp to solve a multiple murder and uncover a town's seedy secrets。 I am now eagerly awaiting senior year back at Ellingham Academy。 I wasn't expecting another "Truly Devious" mystery and that made this surprise all the more special。 This installment stands alone， yet adds a nice layer of character development to the series。 Stevie and friends go off to summer camp to solve a multiple murder and uncover a town's seedy secrets。 I am now eagerly awaiting senior year back at Ellingham Academy。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book！I was so excited to be able to dive back into the life of Stevie Bell！ Her intuitiveness and dedication to the case always hook me in。 I'm not sure how much I can go into detail plot wise since this book isn't out yet， but I will say it's a perfect summer read！ The case in this book definitely gives me Friday the 13th vibes。Admittedly， I was worried this case would be a 3 book endeavor like the Truly Devious cas Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book！I was so excited to be able to dive back into the life of Stevie Bell！ Her intuitiveness and dedication to the case always hook me in。 I'm not sure how much I can go into detail plot wise since this book isn't out yet， but I will say it's a perfect summer read！ The case in this book definitely gives me Friday the 13th vibes。Admittedly， I was worried this case would be a 3 book endeavor like the Truly Devious case （not that I'm complaining， but cliffhangers are awful！）， however， it is wrapped up in one book！ The killer was one I never saw coming but the explanation was very satisfying。I enjoyed reading more about the familiar faces as well such as Janelle and Nate！ （For those wondering， yes， David is mentioned！） I highly recommend this to anyone who fell in love with the Truly Devious series just as I did！ 。。。more

Sarah Taylor ，

This book has everything I'm looking for in a book。 Maureen Johnson shows off her skill in this new thriller， with the same cast of characters as Truly Devious。 This book does everything Truly Devious did， but somehow better--instead of a trilogy， she manages to pack all the suspense， mystery， humor， and more into just one incredible book。 The queer rep was amazing， the plot was AMAZING--I think it may be loosely based off of a similar cold case from Oklahoma that I'm familiar with， which made i This book has everything I'm looking for in a book。 Maureen Johnson shows off her skill in this new thriller， with the same cast of characters as Truly Devious。 This book does everything Truly Devious did， but somehow better--instead of a trilogy， she manages to pack all the suspense， mystery， humor， and more into just one incredible book。 The queer rep was amazing， the plot was AMAZING--I think it may be loosely based off of a similar cold case from Oklahoma that I'm familiar with， which made it all the better。 My heart was RACING in certain spots， and I had to stand up， walk a lap around the room to calm down， and sit back down to keep reading。 I love how even the minor characters were given subplots and character development！ I sincerely hope she keeps writing mysteries with this cast of characters。 It could not be better。 Every time I think I've read her best book， Johnson surprises me again。 。。。more

Rachel ，

I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I liked the change in pace from the old Ellingham murders/disappearances to the more recent slasher mystery in this book。 There seemed to be more action in this book than the first three books and I really enjoyed that。 I liked getting more time with Nate in this book， too！ I didn't love Stevie and David in this book， however， and that's what brought down my rating。 I'm just not really into Stevie's voice anymore， I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I liked the change in pace from the old Ellingham murders/disappearances to the more recent slasher mystery in this book。 There seemed to be more action in this book than the first three books and I really enjoyed that。 I liked getting more time with Nate in this book， too！ I didn't love Stevie and David in this book， however， and that's what brought down my rating。 I'm just not really into Stevie's voice anymore， and David seemed more annoying than anything。 It also felt like we weren't given a ton of clues to work with to figure everything out， which is always part of the fun when it comes to mysteries。 Instead， Stevie solved it in her head in the background and， while the resolution was interesting， it wasn't very fun。 This was a good book but not one that really grabbed me。 Rtc 。。。more

Emily Lantzy ，

**Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for providing an advanced copy of The Box in the Woods in exchange for an honest review**I really enjoyed this book！ For starters who doesn't love a good summer camp murder mystery？ Like Nate so often mentioned throughout the book it's one of the most common & beloved tropes in slasher movies！ Not only was the setting a great addition to the book， I loved how fast paced it was。 I'm the type of person who tries to figure out mysteries & thrillers as I'm re **Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for providing an advanced copy of The Box in the Woods in exchange for an honest review**I really enjoyed this book！ For starters who doesn't love a good summer camp murder mystery？ Like Nate so often mentioned throughout the book it's one of the most common & beloved tropes in slasher movies！ Not only was the setting a great addition to the book， I loved how fast paced it was。 I'm the type of person who tries to figure out mysteries & thrillers as I'm reading and this one kept me on my toes the entire time and I did NOT see the twist coming at all！The universe Maureen Johnson has built is so incredible （the Truly Devious series is one of my absolute favorites） and I'm so glad we got to read some more about Stevie and her friends！ I am super hoping we get to read about their new adventures at Ellingham throughout their second year there as well。 。。。more

Taylor ，

Impossible to put down

Kerri ，

It was nice to visit with Stevie， Nate， Janelle， and David agian。 That this mystery was self contained was also nice。

Katie Smith ，

I'm not ok。 I love this series so much and can't wait for more！！！！ I'm not ok。 I love this series so much and can't wait for more！！！！ 。。。more

Joey Cron ，

I know that this was a sequel stand alone to a larger series， but I was kind of hoping for a reveal that was a little grander。 I think my problem might be that I’m comparing it to the series as a whole， which I loved so much。 3-3。5 stars。

Jennifer ，

Stevie Bell has finally solved the Truly Devious murders and returned home for the summer。 The fame is beginning to wear off and she's got a job working in a grocery store。 Then one night she gets an email from the owner of a summer camp where four teenagers were brutally murdered in 1978。 He offers her and her friends a job if she'll come help him put together a podcast about this cold case。I was mesmerized by the Truly Devious trilogy and just could not put it down。 When I heard that Johnson h Stevie Bell has finally solved the Truly Devious murders and returned home for the summer。 The fame is beginning to wear off and she's got a job working in a grocery store。 Then one night she gets an email from the owner of a summer camp where four teenagers were brutally murdered in 1978。 He offers her and her friends a job if she'll come help him put together a podcast about this cold case。I was mesmerized by the Truly Devious trilogy and just could not put it down。 When I heard that Johnson had written another Stevie Bell mystery I was thrilled！ While it wasn't as good as TD， it did not disappoint。 This one was easier to put down as the secondary characters （the citizens of Barlow Corners） were less compelling and Stevie's friends Nick， Janelle， and David played much smaller roles in this book。The mystery was just as twisty and I did not come anywhere close to figuring it out before the big reveal。 If you enjoy mysteries or YA adventure， definitely give this one a try！ But， read the Truly Devious books first if you really want to know Stevie。 [Note: amazingly， there's no spoilers in here for TD except that since three of her friends are hanging out with her still， you can guess that they weren't the guilty party。]Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Stacey-Lea ，

4。5 starsI was devasted when The Hand in the Wall came out because I thought my time with Stevie and the gang was over， finite， done。 But here Maureen Johnson is blessing us with a new crime for Stevie to solve and let me tell you， she does not disappoint。 As with the originally trilogy there is no failing。 I’ve never been disappointed with a book or wanted more from them in this series。 Johnson knows just how much to give and it’s a true talent in the world of YA mystery thrillers。 This time Jo 4。5 starsI was devasted when The Hand in the Wall came out because I thought my time with Stevie and the gang was over， finite， done。 But here Maureen Johnson is blessing us with a new crime for Stevie to solve and let me tell you， she does not disappoint。 As with the originally trilogy there is no failing。 I’ve never been disappointed with a book or wanted more from them in this series。 Johnson knows just how much to give and it’s a true talent in the world of YA mystery thrillers。 This time Johnson brings the 70s summer camp slasher vibes to the party and I can tell you now， it’s a fun time。 From the very beginning I was hooked and ready to go， ready to find out just how Stevie was going to solve this case that was so new to her。 How will she solve the box in the woods murders from 1978？ It seems like a feat but Stevie rises to the challenge， as always， but not without a few bumps in the road。 The ending had me questioning everything because Stevie fooled even me which is what is so fun about this one。 Also， the summer camp backdrop was absolutely perfect。 It was refreshing to see the gang interact within a new setting， so it’s not just the same story rehashed。 We have new suspects， new witnesses， new secrets to unfold。 Though I will say， the romance moments in here don’t entirely do it for me but I can let that slide when the rest of the book is so damn good。 ARC kindly provided by the publisher through Edelweiss for an honest review 。。。more

Holly ，

3。5 rounded to 4 stars。 I want to start with the parts I really enjoyed。 I LOVED the 70's and camp vibes that were such a big part of the storyline and thought that was super fun！ I also loved the characteristic Stevie attitude where she tricked her mom into thinking the camp was her idea so that Stevie could go off and solve a crime。 I also enjoyed the inclusion of Stevie and Janelle talking about imposter syndrome because that is super relatable and something that should be talked about more i 3。5 rounded to 4 stars。 I want to start with the parts I really enjoyed。 I LOVED the 70's and camp vibes that were such a big part of the storyline and thought that was super fun！ I also loved the characteristic Stevie attitude where she tricked her mom into thinking the camp was her idea so that Stevie could go off and solve a crime。 I also enjoyed the inclusion of Stevie and Janelle talking about imposter syndrome because that is super relatable and something that should be talked about more in YA books。 While overall I enjoyed the book I think this one was my least favorite in the series just because there weren't as many clues to piece together。 It was like the entire book took place in Stevie's head as she solved the crime by just thinking about it but the reader didn't know any of this until the last possible minute。 Also she solved it so quickly considering it took her either the same amount of time or longer to solve the Ellingham case when she'd been studying that one for so long before working on it。 Lastly， the whole Nazi storyline kind of came out of left field except for the fact that Sabrina took German in high school。 It wasn't as satisfying of a resolution as the previous case had。 Overall though I enjoyed the book and would love to read more of Stevie and the gang's adventures in the future 。。。more

Emily Katzenberger ，

Actual rating: 4。75 starsMe before reading The Box in the Woods: Do we really need another Truly Devious book…？Me after reading The Box in the Woods: Okay， Maureen Johnson， where’s book 5！？！？A special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s books for allowing me to review this ARC！The first 3 novels in this series follow the protagonist， Stevie， throughout the course of a year at Ellingham Academy。 During that year Stevie works on solving the Ellingham mystery。 In The Box in the Woods， Actual rating: 4。75 starsMe before reading The Box in the Woods: Do we really need another Truly Devious book…？Me after reading The Box in the Woods: Okay， Maureen Johnson， where’s book 5！？！？A special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s books for allowing me to review this ARC！The first 3 novels in this series follow the protagonist， Stevie， throughout the course of a year at Ellingham Academy。 During that year Stevie works on solving the Ellingham mystery。 In The Box in the Woods， however， we see Stevie in a completely different setting， as she is invited to a summer camp where a quadruple murder occurred in 1978。 The first three books in this series were good， but felt like they were missing something。 After reading The Box in the Woods， I think that something was momentum。 The 4th book in this series moved at a quicker pace and definitely kept my attention throughout the entirety of the novel。First of all， Stevie is as lovable as ever in my opinion。 I know she has some oddities， but that makes her all the more likeable to me。 Who wants to read about a perfectly confident teen who has all her ducks in a row？ No one！ The awkwardness and uncertainty of Stevie is endearing and relatable， which made the book that much more compelling。Similarly， the book goes back and forth between present time and when the murders occurred in 1978。 While switching between two time periods can be extremely difficult to write， Maureen Johnson pulled it off flawlessly。 In both sections I felt completely immersed in the time period that was being described and the mystery of the box in the woods pulled me in from the outset。Another aspect of the novel that I have to address is Maureen Johnson’s impeccable ability to describe details。 Some authors use minimal description and let readers fill in the blanks and come up with their own picture， but Maureen Johnson does the opposite。 The lucidly clear details that Johnson incorporates give such a vivid and consistent image to the reader。 The book felt really immersive for this very reason。 I could picture the characters and the setting， down to the minute details of the changes in time periods to the changes in the weather。 I admire Johnson so much for this talent， because， as a reader it is more meaningful to be able to “see” Stevie throughout the story。 Absolutely phenomenal descriptive work in my opinion。Finally， while reading The Box in the Woods I definitely got some Scooby Doo vibes （and I completely mean this as a complement）！ While it was a little cheesy at some points， it felt right。 The compulsive need to keep reading and the overall mysterious tone of this book made it an outstanding read。 I’m not sure if Maureen Johnson has plans for a 5th book （or maybe even more）， but I could see this series continuing on with many more successful books！ 。。。more

Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader ，

I loved this！ RTC Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for my review copy。

Kristen ，

I'm sad to say that I was really disappointed in this book。 I loved the Truly Devious trilogy and was so excited that 1） there was another book following the same characters and 2） to have received an early copy， but it wasn't nearly what I had anticipated。 As an adult who enjoys YA， I was expecting this to be a similar experience， but this somehow seemed to be written for a younger audience。 I can't put my finger on why exactly。 In general， it wasn't written as well as the series before。 It isn I'm sad to say that I was really disappointed in this book。 I loved the Truly Devious trilogy and was so excited that 1） there was another book following the same characters and 2） to have received an early copy， but it wasn't nearly what I had anticipated。 As an adult who enjoys YA， I was expecting this to be a similar experience， but this somehow seemed to be written for a younger audience。 I can't put my finger on why exactly。 In general， it wasn't written as well as the series before。 It isn't until well into the book that anything really dramatic happens in the present and while a large focus of these books is of a cold case， there should also be suspense and mystery in the present day of the story。 I read the others fairly quickly and loved the flashbacks， but I felt like this one was a much slower， less interesting read。 I really like the author and was expecting so much， but as I said， I was disappointed。 。。。more

Leslie M。 ，

I hadn't realized this was part of a series。 While it made sense， it might be best to read them in order。 The mystery is solid， and it was fun to sleuth along with the characters。 The ending did seem a bit rushed。 The setting reminded me of the old-school slasher films， which made for a neat angle。 Some characters felt a bit lackluster and parts a bit choppy， but it did seem to come together in the end to create a quick read overall。Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy， but I wasn't requi I hadn't realized this was part of a series。 While it made sense， it might be best to read them in order。 The mystery is solid， and it was fun to sleuth along with the characters。 The ending did seem a bit rushed。 The setting reminded me of the old-school slasher films， which made for a neat angle。 Some characters felt a bit lackluster and parts a bit choppy， but it did seem to come together in the end to create a quick read overall。Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy， but I wasn't required to leave a review。 。。。more

Selena ，

4/4。5 startsI do so adore Maureen Johnson。 I was in a bit of a reading slump， and this pulled me right out， literally from the first page。 I love Stevie， the accurate representation of her anxious brain， her friends， and their usual inadvisable sleuthy shenanigans。 While I thought the mystery lacked a bit of the Ellingham atmosphere， it kept me in suspense and at the same time provided enough clues along the way to create a believable trail。 Definitely some Agatha-esque tricks were pulled off， p 4/4。5 startsI do so adore Maureen Johnson。 I was in a bit of a reading slump， and this pulled me right out， literally from the first page。 I love Stevie， the accurate representation of her anxious brain， her friends， and their usual inadvisable sleuthy shenanigans。 While I thought the mystery lacked a bit of the Ellingham atmosphere， it kept me in suspense and at the same time provided enough clues along the way to create a believable trail。 Definitely some Agatha-esque tricks were pulled off， particularly with the timeless devices described in the ending。I particularly admire that this is one of the only series where I’ve been as invested in the flashbacks as I am in the contemporary narrative。 My only complaints， and what kept it from being a 5 star like the earlier books in the series for me， were that the magic of Ellingham was absent， and David felt just。。。there。 There was both not enough of him and too much that felt detached from the rest of the novel。 I much prefer when they’re more actively partners in crime。All in all， a satisfying follow-up to a fantastic trilogy that I don’t think many authors could pull off。 While I’ll never turn down more Stevie， I will also never give up my undying hope for a conclusion to the Shades of London Series， which I’ve read so many times at this point I have parts memorized。 I’m hoping the allusions to London and Jack the Ripper at the end of this work were subliminal signs that something involving Rory and Stephen is simmering in the back of Maureen’s brain。Thank you to NetGalley， who provided me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Chris G。 ，

Those who loved the author’s Truly Devious mystery series will love seeing heroine Stevie Bell tackle a set of unsolved summer camp murders long gone cold。 Supported by her delightful set of friends， Stevie sets small goals and manages her anxiety as she interviews suspects， works around red herrings， and brings it all to a delightful， old style， get all the suspects in the same room and let them squirm conclusion。 I liked having everything wrapped up nicely in one volume and there’s a nice hint Those who loved the author’s Truly Devious mystery series will love seeing heroine Stevie Bell tackle a set of unsolved summer camp murders long gone cold。 Supported by her delightful set of friends， Stevie sets small goals and manages her anxiety as she interviews suspects， works around red herrings， and brings it all to a delightful， old style， get all the suspects in the same room and let them squirm conclusion。 I liked having everything wrapped up nicely in one volume and there’s a nice hint of what might be next for Stevie。 EARC from Edelweiss。 。。。more

Stephanie （That's What She Read） ，

I was so happy to revisit Stevie and her friends！ This was perfect as a ya mystery with nods to horror slashers with the camp murder setting。 We pick up with Stevie the summer after her eventful school year， where she has gained a bit of notoriety as a teen sleuth。 A subscription box CEO reaches out to her about being a camp counselor at a summer camp， but also helping him solve a cold case concerning the murder of four camp counselors in the woods a few decades ago。 She asks to bring her friend I was so happy to revisit Stevie and her friends！ This was perfect as a ya mystery with nods to horror slashers with the camp murder setting。 We pick up with Stevie the summer after her eventful school year， where she has gained a bit of notoriety as a teen sleuth。 A subscription box CEO reaches out to her about being a camp counselor at a summer camp， but also helping him solve a cold case concerning the murder of four camp counselors in the woods a few decades ago。 She asks to bring her friends as fellow counselors and the trouble starts。Coming into this a big fan of the Truly Devious series， I enjoyed the equivalent of hearing from old friends again。 As a horror fan， I enjoyed the nods to teen slashers with the nature of the Box in the Woods murders。 This is a fun spinoff， deviating from the dark academia setting to a light summer camp murder mystery。 。。。more

Miranda ，

Stevie is back！ She， along with her friends， find themselves on the trail of another murder mystery。 With Stevie on the case， it's not going to be long before the killer is brought to justice。 Due to her previous notoriety， Stevie is invited to investigate another cold case， this time at a summer camp for kids。 As she gets to know all of the players， the pieces begin to form the answer， but it may come with a price - or it may be too late。Plenty of twists and turns， the characters build upon eac Stevie is back！ She， along with her friends， find themselves on the trail of another murder mystery。 With Stevie on the case， it's not going to be long before the killer is brought to justice。 Due to her previous notoriety， Stevie is invited to investigate another cold case， this time at a summer camp for kids。 As she gets to know all of the players， the pieces begin to form the answer， but it may come with a price - or it may be too late。Plenty of twists and turns， the characters build upon each other and slowly create the bigger picture of what life was life at the time of the murders。 In this small town， it's only a matter of time before Stevie discovers the true reason behind the murders and solves the case。Thanks to the publisher for access to this title in return for a fair review。 。。。more

Emily ，

Advance copy from NetGalley 4。5 starsI had thought the Truly Devious series was done， but I was glad to see Stevie and co。 get a new mystery to solve in this fourth book。 I don’t know if I’m just out of touch with YA these days， but it seems like straight-up mysteries aren’t that common。 I don’t read a ton of mysteries， but I enjoy this series—the dual narrative for past and present crimes and the YA elements of found family， friendship， and romance are an interesting combo。 I never would have f Advance copy from NetGalley 4。5 starsI had thought the Truly Devious series was done， but I was glad to see Stevie and co。 get a new mystery to solve in this fourth book。 I don’t know if I’m just out of touch with YA these days， but it seems like straight-up mysteries aren’t that common。 I don’t read a ton of mysteries， but I enjoy this series—the dual narrative for past and present crimes and the YA elements of found family， friendship， and romance are an interesting combo。 I never would have figured this one out—it was quite a twist at the end！ I loved getting Janelle， Nate， and Stevie back together in an adventure。 As always， Nate had the best lines， but David was a close second。 It would have been nice to have him around more， and it looks like he’ll be somewhat out of the picture again if there’s another book。 I do hope that Johnson continues to do stand-alone mysteries like this one， as the pacing worked really well。 Maybe a tad too accelerated at the end， but Stevie was so clever and tricky I didn’t really mind。 A nice addition to the series and one I’ll be recommending。 。。。more

Gina Adams ，

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for early access！！4。5 stars - this might be the best one I’ve read from Stevie and the gang。。。 This book went from completely not on my radar to one of my most anticipated books of 2021 in the matter of a few weeks。 I recently read the entire Truly Devious series in one go and it kind of re-sparked a desire for reading in me。 It’s nothing *completely* out of the ordinary， just a fun and sometimes serious series about a girl solving an old murder case that tu Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for early access！！4。5 stars - this might be the best one I’ve read from Stevie and the gang。。。 This book went from completely not on my radar to one of my most anticipated books of 2021 in the matter of a few weeks。 I recently read the entire Truly Devious series in one go and it kind of re-sparked a desire for reading in me。 It’s nothing *completely* out of the ordinary， just a fun and sometimes serious series about a girl solving an old murder case that turns into a present day murder case。 But I read it at just the right time， where its bingeable format made it all I could think about for a week。 The original trilogy was paced a little strange， just because it’s not typical for one mystery to span an entire trilogy。 But it worked like one giant book， and I was happier for having read it。 Bring in The Box in the Woods。 It’s the perfect sequel spin-off a la High School Musical 2; it’s the summer time story。 Stevie solved the Ellingham murders， but now she’s home for the summer and selling ham （she works at a deli - see what I did there？） She gets an email asking her to come stay at a summer camp and potentially help solve a grisly crime that happened there in the 70s。 And this is Stevie Bell we are talking about。 She is practically headed there before the confirmation email even sends。 Even better， Janelle and Nate get to come along。 David isn’t able to because of work。 He does get to visit later， and I like that choice。 I like that no love interests actually stay at the camp and that the trio of friends get to just hang out together for a while。 Their school year was so stressful and it’s nice to see them， especially Nate， enjoying themselves。 I love that I already know and love these characters。 It really helped with the pacing of the story; we were able to dive right into the case way quicker。 Stevie quickly learns that this murder case is way different than the Ellingham murders of the 1930s。 There are still a lot of people in the camp’s small town who are still fractured from the stuff that went down in 1978。 The victims’ siblings， teachers， exes， friends。。。 they all have no answers and have been sensationalized by all kinds of reporters and such through the years。 Stevie knows how to keep emotions out of investigation， but it’s impossible not to see how this case affected people。 The murder case is pretty emotional - 4 teenage camp counselors were murdered in the woods one summer night， and it completely rocked the town， of course。 The way it ends （and it actually ends， in just this one novel！） is pretty okay。 It wouldn’t be as exciting of an ending if not for Stevie’s now-signature Holmes-esque crime explaining and solving sessions she gives in front of all the suspects and people involved。 Completely dramatic and probably unrealistic？ Maybe。 Trope-y and totally fun to read scenes？ Absolutely。 We also have Stevie and David’s relationship。 I’ve seen a ton of folks in reviews shipping Stevie and Nate。。。。。。 girl what？ They’re clearly best friends and I’m so obsessed with their friendship。 David has really come to be a great boyfriend in this book， he calls Stevie “princess” which is to die for and also which is just funny because she’s so not a princess type but she is to him which makes me emo lmao。 And David clearly has issues and so does Stevie and David even says at one point “we both have problems，” and idk， they’re not toxic with each other in any way， they just have difficulty communicating their true feelings sometimes。 Which， with Stevie’s anxiety and David’s upbringing， totally tracks。 They obviously think it’s worth working though so I support it， idc。 Also pleaseeeeee let there be more books about these guys and please let it be on a trip to England and I am saying this for no reason whatsoever absolutely none I’m appalled you’d think otherwise 。。。more

Caylie Ratzlaff ，

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this。 I was absolutely ecstatic to receive this ARC after falling in LOVE with the trilogy。 Seriously， this series got me hooked on mystery books。 5/5。 I was a little hesitant to read this just because the OG trilogy was beautifully done over the course of the three books， so I wasn't sure how much there was left in Stevie's world。。。but as long as there's a cold case， Stevie has a purpose。 I LOVE Stevie。 The way she functions is SO unique， an Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this。 I was absolutely ecstatic to receive this ARC after falling in LOVE with the trilogy。 Seriously， this series got me hooked on mystery books。 5/5。 I was a little hesitant to read this just because the OG trilogy was beautifully done over the course of the three books， so I wasn't sure how much there was left in Stevie's world。。。but as long as there's a cold case， Stevie has a purpose。 I LOVE Stevie。 The way she functions is SO unique， and I would love for her to continue being explored along with her handling of anxiety。 I was sucked in from the beginning with this book and could not put it down。。。SURPRISE！ （ahaha， you'll get it when you read the book）。 Seriously though， this is SO captivating， and I didn't see the ending of who committed the crime until it was being exposed at the end in true Stevie fashion。 I didn't even realize the book was ending until Stevie was exposing the crime and her logic and I was like。。。wait。。。WHAT？ It SUCH a good mystery also filled with Stevie's quirks， Nate's mannerisms， Janelle's love for crafts， and。。。。。DAVID！ I was pleasantly surprised to see the gang back together。。。including a surprise （ahaha） appearance at the end by another Ellingham person。。。I would 10/10 continue reading Stevie solving cases。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Box in the Woods

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Box in the Woods&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Box in the Woods&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0