christina's book corner

October 1-26

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

Review : I freaking loved this book it was a crazy book of twists and turns . This book is taken place in the present and in the past . Ellingham academy is where the Ellingham murders took place where Albert Ellingham family were taken and murdered. Stevie Bell is looking forward to coming to Ellingham to solve the murder. Her family doesn't get stevie they work for a politician who Stevie doesn't support. Stevie gets to the school she makes some friends she get suspicious of one guy David he doesn't have any social media and he's very secretive. Hayes a guy who got famous from a online zombie show he made asks stevie to work with him to make a show on the Ellingham murders and she agrees and has her friend Nate write for the show. Then something bad happens Hayes died a malfunction with dry ice or maybe something else happened. David and Stevie made out oh my God. Stevie goes through David's stuff and he gets mad which I understand David tells Stevie his parents died . Stevie starts to figure out some stuff . Ellie might be involved with Hayes death . Ellie helped Hayes write his show and then she runs away and then someone shows up the politician that Stevie doesn't support shows up cause David is his son what the fuck.

Quotes :

Albert Ellingham said knowledge was his religion and libraries were his church, so he built a church.”

Did they know that Arthur Conan Doyle went on to investigate mysteries in his real life and absolved a man for a crime for which he has been convicted? Did they know how Agatha Christie brilliantly staged her own disappearance in order to exact an elegant revenge on a cheating husband? They probably did not. And no one was going to discount Stevie Bell, who had gotten into this school on the wings of her interest in the Ellingham case, and who had been a bystander at a death that was now looking more and more suspicious.”

I annoy people," he said. "Believe me. I'm aware. It's an effective way to communicate if you don't have any other options. If you can't get in through the door, throw a rock through the window. And I think maybe you're the same way.