All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.
For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.
The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel of the Truly Devious series, nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.
Read: March 19, 2026 – March 20, 2026
You could be naked, you could scream and hang out on the roof, but you do not mess with the place with the books.
The Vanishing Stair is the second installment in the Truly Devious series and follows our young detective, Stevie Bell, as she continues to uncover the Ellingham case from the past and the deaths that have occurred in the present. The first book holds a special place in my heart but this was a good sequel. I admit that I felt it moved a bit slowly up until the midpoint, and then I couldn’t put the book down as Stevie continued to connect all the dots. Much like in the first book, I loved the flashback entries (even more than present time, at some points). Maureen’s writing style is incredibly gripping, and you can see her improve from the first book to this one.
My gripe with this book is the romance. I do not like or care for David in any way, shape, or form. There is no growth on his end in my opinion. I don’t like his relationship with Stevie. I thought he would have a redemption arc (spoiler alert: he doesn’t). We could have done without and the book would have been that much better.
All in all, a great second installment. Before I was done reading, I added Book 3 on Libby lol.