The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious, #2)

by Maureen Johnson

New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller!

In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson's second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.

The Truly Devious case-an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936-has consumed Stevie for years. It's the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime.

Stevie's willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity-Edward King's son.

But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What's the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn't just a piece of history-it's a live wire into the present.

* Junior Library Guild Selection * Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books of 2019 * Hypable's Best Books of 2019 *

Praise for Book One:

"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 Book Review

"Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was special? There's that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell." -USA Today (four stars)

"Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart." -Bustle

Reviewed by Kat @ Novels & Waffles on

3 of 5 stars

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The Vanishing Stair is an adequate sequel to its predecessor, Truly Devious. But if "adequate" is the best adjective I have, then you know it could've been so much more. I was hoping for this book to resolve some of the issues I had with the first installment – namely the clumsy pacing and the stilted romance – but somehow all it managed to do is aggravate them.

It almost feels like there are two separate stories being told here; one focusing largely on Stevie's strange relationship with her fellow classmate, David, and the other on the unsolved mysteries of Ellingham Academy. I couldn't care less about the former; give me more chilling murders, please and thank you! I honestly find David's character, and Stevie's connection to him, baffling. This part of the story seems so disjointed with the rest of the plot. Removing it would've created a more streamlined narrative, in my opinion.

Additionally, the first two acts spend a significant amount of time laying the groundwork for the finale's big reveal, and while the payoff was thrilling and unputdownable, I wish I didn't have to slog through so much filler to get there.

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  • Started reading
  • 16 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 16 May, 2020: Reviewed