Review: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1)
By Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: True crime buff Stevie Bell has been admitted to Ellingham Academy, an ultra-exclusive school with a tragic history. Its namesake and founder, Albert Ellingham, was a wealthy industrialist whose wife and daughter were kidnapped. Although someone was arrested and convicted of the crime, Steve doubts his guilt. So she’s at Ellingham to solve the case and finally discover the real identity of Truly Devious, the author of a threatening letter that Albert Ellingham received shortly before his family was taken. Soon, however, Stevie finds herself with two possible cases to investigate when another death occurs at Ellingham Academy and the clues increasingly point towards murder.

Review: Having very much enjoyed Maureen Johnson’s Shades of London books, I was eager to check out Truly Devious, the first novel in a new series. I’m not a huge mystery reader, but after finishing this expertly plotted book, I have a new appreciation for the genre.

Truly Devious follows Stephanie “Stevie” Bell, a true crime fan who is about to begin her first year at the super exclusive Ellingham Academy, a private school that was once the scene of an infamous crime: the kidnapping of the wife and daughter of the school’s wealthy founder, Albert Ellingham. While an arrest was made and the case seemingly closed, Stevie is among those who do not believe that the authorities found the actual Truly Devious, the author of a threatening letter that Ellingham received days before the abduction of his family. Stevie arrives at the school ready to solve the case and uncover the real identity of Truly Devious.

The book shifts between the present, where Stevie’s story takes place, and the past, where we witness firsthand, sometimes in agonizing detail, Albert Ellingham’s life unravel from the moment he receives the terrifying phone call that his wife and daughter have been taken. Johnson intertwines the two timelines brilliantly. Both Stevie’s sleuthing, which is the real thing and not amateurish at all, and the backstory behind her whole reason for applying to Ellingham Academy in the first place are equally compelling. If the entire book had been set during Albert Ellingham’s time, I still would have read it.

As much as Stevie is driven to solve the Ellingham case, she also finds herself dealing with adjusting to a new school that her parents don’t exactly approve of as well as managing her anxiety. The latter was something that I could absolutely relate to, and I thought it was portrayed very realistically.

Another layer is added to the plot when death strikes Ellingham Academy again, and Stevie starts to suspect that it wasn’t accidental. As she tries to piece together the full picture of the victim’s life, both Stevie and the reader learn that not everything is at it appears with her classmates. I love how the tension and suspense build around both cases. Who’s responsible for this latest death? Could one of Stevie’s own classmates be the culprit? Who was really behind the kidnapping of Iris and Alice Ellingham back in the 1930s? Could the two crimes possibly be related?

The answers to these questions are not fully resolved by the end of Truly Devious. I wasn’t disappointed by this, however. Quite the opposite—I liked that there were no easy solutions wrapped up in a bow here. One minor thing that I wasn’t so keen on was the romance. It felt rushed, and I wasn’t as invested in it as I was in seeing all of Ellingham Academy’s dark secrets revealed. I’m definitely hooked on this series now and can’t wait to dive into the sequel, even if it only deepens the mysteries surrounding this seemingly unfortunate school.

All in All: An absorbing mystery/thriller with just the right amount of suspense. You can really feel the ominous shadow of Truly Devious that hangs over Ellingham Academy. Highly recommended!

Review: Every Breath by Ellie Marney

Every Breath (Every #1)
By Ellie Marney
Publisher: Tundra Books
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: With all of his logic and forensics knowledge, James Mycroft is more than an amateur sleuth. When he and his friend/neighbor Rachel Watts happen upon a murder scene, Mycroft’s brilliant mind immediately sets to finding the killer. Assisted by Watts, the two work to solve a mystery that looks likely to fall through the cracks in the justice system otherwise.

Review: Confession time: I’m one of the few people on the planet who’s never seen an episode of Sherlock; I’ve also never read any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels about the world’s most famous detective. I don’t even read mysteries often; I can count on one hand the number I’ve read as an adult (I did love reading the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was a kid, though). But I kept coming across Ellie Marney’s contemporary, Sherlock Holmes-inspired Every Breath, and, looking to read something outside of my usual genres for a change, I decided to give Every Breath a go.

James Mycroft and Rachel Watts are friends/neighbors/classmates in Melbourne, Australia. Watts handles the narrating duties; she’s still adjusting to city life after her family’s financial situation forced them to give up their farm. Mycroft is not without his own struggles; he lost his parents as a child and has been raised by an aunt who provides the basic necessities but with whom he has no emotional connection. If you’re beginning to think that Watts and Mycroft are two kindred souls who perfectly complement each other, you would be correct.

Many other readers have swooned over the development of Watts and Mycroft’s relationship, and I shall add my own swoons to the pile. Truly, truly, my favorite aspect of Every Breath was the irresistible Watts/Mycroft combination. Not only does the pairing work in the sense that they’re an ace investigative team, but there’s also the undeniable chemistry between them from the novel’s outset. Their banter is so easy, and there’s just always this sense, even when they’re at odds with each other, that they’re right together. This is one of the best written YA romances I’ve read in a while, and for me, was the standout here, even over the unraveling of the murder mystery.

I took to Mycroft straightaway because—what’s not to love? He’s hyper-intelligent, logical, and fastidiously attentive to details. In other words, he couldn’t be better suited to detective work. Mycroft is also on the quirky side, but he wouldn’t be Mycroft without his little eccentricities. And Mycroft is the real deal; he’s not playing at being a detective. The only thing that’s missing is the badge to make it official.

Watts may not be into studying forensics like Mycroft is, but she brings plenty of her own smarts to the partnership. She doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinions, either, and I can’t emphasize enough how she’s not merely second fiddle to Mycroft. My only quibble with Watts’s character was how much the novel seemed to dwell on her yen for the country. Granted, feeling out of place in the city and longing for her former way of life were central to her character’s conflict, but I couldn’t help feeling that Mycroft’s internal battles were integrated into the book more subtly. After the first few times Watts mentioned her difficulties adapting to Melbourne, I got the picture and thought the additional references began to belabor the point a bit.

As for the mystery that forms the heart of Every Breath, the suspense buildup is very well done. The crime itself is portrayed unflinchingly, and the fact that it’s not sugarcoated lends the book a rather impressive sense of gritty realism. What I was not so keen on was the big reveal. Although I really enjoyed following Mycroft and Watts as they looked into every possible lead to figure out who killed their homeless friend, Dave, I immediately picked out the perpetrator. When it came time for the culprit’s tell-all speech, the motives just didn’t deliver the impact that I’d been expecting in comparison to how skillfully the investigation itself was plotted.

Although Every Breath pulled up a tad short for me with its resolution, I loved Watts and Mycroft and their snappy dialogue and their wonderfully simmering romance. The latter was a most pleasant surprise, and I’d recommend this book on the strength of the romance alone. And believe me—I do not typically read books for the romance!

All in All: I thought Every Breath lost some of its steam toward the end, but that didn’t overshadow all of the Watts/Mycroft awesomeness. I don’t think anything could, really, because the relationship is developed so brilliantly.