Truly Devious: A Mystery (Truly Devious, 1) Paperback – December 4, 2018

I grabbed this because I wanted a fun mystery that wouldn’t feel like homework to finish. This was perfect. It’s fast-paced and actually kept my attention the whole time, which is saying something because I’m usually reading in short bursts while wrangling my kids.I really liked Stevie. She’s nosy, awkward, and smart in a way that makes you root for her. The boarding school setting is exactly the moody, creepy vibe I hoped for. I love the way the story switches back and forth between the old murder and what’s happening now. It’s easy to follow and makes you want to read just one more chapter… and then suddenly you’re done.Heads up though, it leaves you wanting more. It’s basically a setup for the next books so I already have book two waiting. No regrets.If you want something quick, a little twisty, and fun to read when you actually get five minutes to yourself, this is a good one. Loved it.

*ARC provided by Epic Reads Insiders in exchange for an honest review*"For anyone who has ever dreamed of finding a body in the library."If that isn't the best dedication you've ever read, I don't know what it.This is the second book I have read by Maureen but I honestly don't remember anything about the first one. As soon as I saw this book in my inbox and read the premise, I couldn't start reading it fast enough. I literally stopped everything I was doing (and reading) and proceeded to ignore the entire world in order to devour it.I have always been fascinated with true crime shows so the fact that this book fell onto my lap recently, felt like THE book I've been waiting for all my life."Stevie Bell had a simple desire: She wanted to be standing over a dead body."This book follows Stevie, who is as obsessed with true crime as I am, if not more. Definitely more. I don't aspire to stand over a dead body. Maybe a skeleton in a cemetery/crypt, but not a fresh corpse. Anyway, before I go off track, this book takes place at a fascinating private school, Ellingham Academy, where learning is a game. I've never read, seen, or heard of anything like it so I have to give huge props to Maureen for coming up with something so fresh and unique. Anybody who attends this academy gets to explore it as a form of learning so of course, I was jealous of the fact that I couldn't jump into the pages and attend this school myself. But anyway, while Stevie attends school there, she takes it upon herself to solve one of the most infamous murder cases in American history that took place there.I really liked that Stevie had a way of giving voice to a lot of my thoughts and desires. I had many problems with some of her characteristics. Even though Stevie and I shared such a fascination over crime, I found it difficult to really care for her as a MC. It did put a damper on my mood but what drove me was the crime itself.The reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because I had a huge problem attaching myself to almost all of the characters. Don't get me wrong, I really liked them but I'm just not crazy about them yet. I'm really hoping book two changes that for me.I found that my heart pretty much only ached for the founder of the Academy and everything that he went through. I wouldn't wish any of it upon my worst enemy and it really drove me off the wall that I couldn't just give him a happy ending. This book is told alternately during the present and flashbacks to 1936. I enjoyed both time lines to no end and it was very surprising since I usually prefer one time line over another, but that wasn't the case here. Since the present is a few decades after the events that transpired in 1936, the reader knows how it all ends but we are still forced to live through its every agonizing moment. I felt like I was on board a doomed roller coaster that I couldn't get off of while knowing that it was about end in the most brutal way. Yeah, it was intense.Another reason why I only gave this 4 stars was because the ending wasn't much of a shock for me. I was feeling kind of 'meh' about the reveal of Truly Devious' identity. I don't know, I saw it coming and I really, REALLY wanted to be proven wrong. I just hope that we are being thrown in a loop and it actually ends up being a more 'interesting' killer, if that makes sense? It basically wasn't a worthy ending for me, but my mind is still going crazy right now with anticipation for the sequel. So as you can see, I am still deeply invested in this story. I honestly don't think I can wait until next year but it looks like I have no choice in the matter, sadly. I will definitely be stalking Maureen Johnson from now on!"Schools may be famous for many things... They are not supposed to be famous for murders."

I loved this book! Tremendous character development. Murder mysteries are examined from two periods in time. I’ll definitely read the next books in the series.

Okay, here’s the deal. I liked the story overall—the mystery was mysterious and it kept me entertained. Do I want to continue reading the series? Not particularly.My beef:- I hate cliffhangers (and this one was particularly bad). So is it petty of me to not continue for that reason? Perhaps. That’s just a me problem though.- This novel was pretty woke. Obviously people can do what they want. I just don’t want certain things shoved down my throat and I have to pretend like it’s normal. They have LGBTQ+ relationships, someone is a they/them, and they have a big bad politician who is the bad guy and we are supposed to hate him for no other reason than Stevie’s parents work for him and they are uncool parents who just want their daughter to be normal like other girls.- Stevie is not like other girls. I hate that trope. She is “different” because she doesn’t care about looks or clothes and she just likes murder podcasts and being unique and has anxiety attacks.- Her relationship (or lack thereof) with David = red flag. Home girl is pining after a guy that she had two conversations with. And they weren’t very friendly conversations.Parental warning: Several deaths (hence the murder mystery, but they aren’t graphic or detailed), political content, underage drinking, talking about sex (but no spice, just some kissing), and swearing (they drop the f-bomb two or three times if I remember correctly).