The Box in the Woods

After solving the case of Truly Devious, Stevie Bell investigates her first mystery outside of Ellingham Academy in this spine-chilling and hilarious standalone mystery from New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson. Now available in paperback!

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 Sunny Pines (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 Woodsman. But there is a threatening message painted 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 and Janelle—to become counselors, too, and even David Easton turns up. But not long after they arrive, death returns to Wonder Falls. Something—someone—is out there in the woods.

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

“While fans of Johnson's Truly Devious trilogy (and there are many) will undoubtedly be eager for this spinoff, Stevie's summertime exploit both stands alone and adds compelling layers to the established characters—an impressive feat.” —ALA Booklist (starred review)