Review: The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson
I love a good murder mystery and have been a fan of the Truly Devious series since the first book was published. There was an agonising wait for each new book, then one day it was all over but the rereads…or so I thought. Then up pops a brand new Stevie Bell mystery, a stand-alone too so no waiting around for the final solution.
There is enough background in this book for you to read it as a stand-alone, even if you haven’t read the original trilogy. It also avoids spoilers so if, having read The Box in the Woods, you want more, you can go back to the start with book #1, Truly Devious. I can also recommend the audio books which I used for re-reading purposes. Narrator, Kate Rudd, really brings the characters to life.
Like me, Stevie has been feeling a little flat after fulfilling her long time dream of solving the Ellingham Murders. She receives an invitation from entrepreneur, Carson Buchwald, for her and her friends to work at a summer camp with a side helping of cold case thrown in. The murder of four teenagers, christened the ‘Box in the Woods Murders’ occurred in 1978 at Camp Wonder Falls. The local town was devastated and never really recovered. When Carson brings in Stevie to solve the murders and help him make a true crime podcast at the same time, the locals are less than enthusiastic. Before very long it becomes obvious the case is not as cold as it appears.
This book, like the others, is written from Stevie’s point of view and she is an easy character to bond with. I feel the havoc that solving a mystery wreaks on Stevie’s personal life and the driven nature of her desire, not just to solve, but to provide closure to those close to the victims. Johnson’s mysteries are rarely ‘here are the clues, you could solve it for yourself’ stories. The details unfold to us as they do to Stevie. While I am skilled at picking out salient details and will happily puzzle away at their importance, I have accepted that I will never get to the solution first. I am happy just to let the story unfold. The pleasure is in watching Stevie unpick the mystery, facing increasing danger as she does, but unable to let go until the mystery is solved.
Stevie’s two sidekicks are a pleasurable background to the mystery. Johnson’s secondary characters are always interesting. I love Nate, the perennially blocked writer and Janelle the creative inventor. They always seem to be able to offer just the right support and practical assistance. Johnson is an amazingly inclusive writer. She normalises LGBTQ+ characters in a way that could teach some writers of adult fiction a thing or two. Boyfriend, David, also puts in an appearance but is less present than in previous books and there is a hint, just the tiniest hint that Nate also has feelings for Stevie. I’m taking this as a solid indication that more Stevie Bell Mysteries are on the horizon. Yay!
The Box in the Woods was is a first rate Young Adult mystery. Out now in hardback, ebook and audio.
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