El Caso Vermont (Truly Devious) - by Maureen Johnson (Paperback)

About the Book

Stevie Bell is an enthusiastic fan of the criminal investigation. And what better place to deepen your knowledge than Ellingham Academy, the private center founded in 1930 by eccentric millionaire Albert Ellingham in the remote mountains of Vermont? The prestigious and exclusive academy, which only accepts a small number of brilliant students, was the scene of a crime that has been unsolved for decades and of which Stevie knows almost everything. Coinciding with the arrival of Stevie, the past comes out of her grave and death revisits the mysterious Academy hidden in Mount Vermont.

Book Synopsis

Nada permanece enterrado para siempre Maureen Johnson nos presenta una sofisticada historia de asesinato y misterio, ambientada en la remota región montañosa de Vermont. Perfecta para los fans de Agatha Christie.

Stevie Bells es una entusiasta fan de crímenes reales. ¿Y qué mejor lugar para profundizar en sus conocimientos que en el Colegio Ellingham, el centro privado fundado
en la década de los treinta por el millonario excéntrico Albert Ellingham en las remotas montañas de Vermont? Poco después de su inauguración la esposa e hija de
Ellingham fueron secuestradas por alguien que se hacía llamar Perverso, además una alumna fue asesinada. Algún tiempo después encontraron el cuerpo sin vida de su esposa, pero el de su hija, Alice, nunca apareció. Stevie tiene la intención de resolver el caso.

Pero Perverso regresa por sorpresa y la muerte visita a Ellingham. El pasado ha salido de su tumba.

From the Back Cover

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont. 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."

In 1936, shortly after the school opened, Ellingham's wife and daughter, Iris and Alice, 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 crimes of American history. Something like that could never happen again, of course. . . .

Years later, 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.

Truly Devious is the first novel in a murder- mystery trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson.

Review Quotes

«Intrincadamente urdido. Compulsivamente legible» - John Greene

«VEREDICTO: Los aficionados a los acertijos, historias de internados y crímenes reales no podrán parar de leer y disfrutarán de cada página.» - Library Journal

«¿Os acordáis de cuando leísteis Harry Potter y sabíais que tenía algo especial? Existe la misma sensación mágica en la presentación de la adolescente aprendiz de Sherlock Holmes Stevie Bell en este libro, primero de una serie Maureen Johnson... Misterios paralelos se exponen con diálogos ingeniosos, una genialidad que impulsa a seguir y seguir leyendo y una joven sabuesa tan cautivadora como Hércules Poirot o Nancy Drew.» - USA Today

"Johnson deftly twists two mysteries together--Stevie's investigation is interspersed with case files and recollections from the Ellington kidnapping--and the result is a suspenseful, attention-grabbing mystery with no clear solution. The versatile Johnson is no stranger to suspense, and this twisty thriller will leave plenty of readers anxious for more." - Booklist

"Jumping between past and present, Johnson's novel is deliciously atmospheric, with a sprawling cast of complex suspects/potential victims, surprising twists, and a dash of romance. As in her Shades of London books, Johnson remains a master at combining jittery tension with sharp, laugh-out-loud observations." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The story raises more questions than answers, leaving readers hoping Johnson has another entry up her clever sleeves. A classic mystery that would make Dame Agatha proud." - Kirkus Reviews

"Stevie Bell is a dyed-in-the-wool true-crime buff...a smart, relatable, self-aware protagonist. There is a lot to love here. The cast is racially diverse and includes teens on various parts of the gender, sexuality, and neurotypical spectrums. Fans of puzzles, boarding school stories, and true crime will tear through this book and love every minute." - School Library Journal

"Stevie Bell is a dyed-in-the-wool true-crime buff...a smart, relatable, self-aware protagonist. Fans of puzzles, boarding school stories, and true crime will tear through this book and love every minute." - School Library Journal

"An intricately plotted, compulsively readable novel that explores not only fascinating crimes but also the mysteries of anxiety, the creative process, contemporary fame, and so much else." - John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down

"The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story." - New York Times Book Review

"Agatha Christie meets Riverdale in Maureen Johnson's latest, which offers two gripping mysteries rolled into one. Truly Devious adds a modern flair to that delicious classic mystery novel-reading experience in which every passage seems rife with potential suspects and clues." - Chicago Tribune

"Be still, my Agatha-Christie-loving beating heart." - Bustle

"This read is perfect for those who enjoy twisty, turny plots and a high-stakes mystery." - Buzzfeed

"Truly Devious is filled with twists and turns--plus Maureen Johnson is very, very funny." - Harlan Coben

"Maureen Johnson has a totally original mind, a passionate set of moral convictions, an extraordinary sense of bravery and ridiculousness, and she writes pretty sentences. Read whatever she writes." - E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud

"I devoured Truly Devious in a single sitting, enthralled by the central mystery of what happened to the Ellingham family eighty years ago, and how it continues to reverberate today. Maureen Johnson's love and deep knowledge of crime fiction shows through in every scene of the book, and her heroine, the crime-obsessed, detective-in-the-making Stevie Bell, is someone I will follow everywhere on her quest to uncover the present and long-ago secrets of Ellingham Academy. What a fantastic start to a wonderful series." - Sarah Weinman, editor of Women Crime Writers: Eight Suspense Novels of the 1940s & 50s

"Johnson quickly sets the game afoot, skillfully introducing a Clue-like set of characters, laying out various motives, and hinting at long held secrets. There's a delicious slow-burn element to the locked-room mystery in Stevie's present, while the chapters on the kidnappings read like a true crime novel." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was something special? There's that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell. Parallel mysteries unfold with cleverly written dialogue, page-turning brilliance and a young sleuth just as captivating as Hercule Poirot." - USA Today (four stars)

"Told in alternating chapters, Johnson's finely tuned plot effectively employs classical mystery tropes while maintaining a thoroughly modern sensibility. Stevie's quirky, ragtag bunch of new friends crosses sexuality and class lines, providing teen readers with a wealth of characters to connect with." - Horn Book Magazine

"So much to love in this book! The dueling mysteries, present and past. The incredible mansion/school setting. The smart, diverse and quirky characters. This mystery had us fooled at every turn! And the best news? It's the first in a series." - Justine Magazine