The Vanishing Stair

Truly Devious #2

by Maureen Johnson

New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller!

In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel in the Truly Devious series, there are more twists and turns than Stevie Bell can imagine. No answer is given freely, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.

The Truly Devious case—an unsolved kidnapping and triple murder that rocked Ellingham Academy in 1936—has consumed Stevie for years. It’s the very reason she came to the academy. But then her classmate was murdered, and her parents quickly pull her out of school. For her safety, they say. She must move past this obsession with crime.

Stevie’s willing to do anything to get back to Ellingham, be back with her friends, and solve the Truly Devious case. Even if it means making a deal with the despicable Senator Edward King. And when Stevie finally returns, she also returns to David: the guy she kissed, and the guy who lied about his identity—Edward King’s son.

But larger issues are at play. Where did the murderer hide? What’s the meaning of the riddle Albert Ellingham left behind? And what, exactly, is at stake in the Truly Devious affair? The Ellingham case isn’t just a piece of history—it’s a live wire into the present.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 22, 2019

Reviews

[chai ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

How am I supposed to....go on being a person after that ending?

Let me preface this by stating that this entire review could be replaced by a footage of me striding down a big hallway in a fancy period gown yelling “fuck fuck fuck” because that would more accurately sum up all my feelings.

So, what’s this book about?

Stevie is cast away from the Ellingham academy by her parents and promptly ordered to push the sour remains of her time in Ellingham to the back of her mind. But Stevie’s mind is still awhirl with thoughts and memories, and, at the center of everything: the mystery of “Truly, Devious”. She’d gone looking for answers, and gotten none, and the puzzle wouldn’t let her go. Now her friend is missing, one of her classmates is dead and When Edward King, the abhorrent politician Stevie’s parents work for, offers her a private jet ride to the academy in exchange of keeping his son in line, Stevie doesn’t hesitate before she claws at the offer with both hands.

Stevie thought she could catch the mystery of Ellingham like fireflies in a jar, but the enormity of it soon reaches out to catch her. Now she’s churned under the horrid sense that fate was hunting and had already picked out its quarry.

I finished this book with the sudden urge to pace, bitter and frantic and feeling every second of my frustration and deprivation. It was almost unbearable to come so close to getting answers, to barely feel and almost taste before being snatched away and left to walk the circle of my own thoughts, which centered partly on the question of: who the hell was the first person to invent the concept of cliffhangers and have they ever issued a public apology?

I really loved this book. The Vanishing Stair is immaculately plotted and a real page-turner. It’s outstandingly enjoyable and addictive. The author craftily takes on two timelines, two chilling mysteries with truly elusive solutions, multiple deaths and supports all of that with engaging characters and a strong action-thriller backbone. The result is a remarkably smooth narrative experience.

This sequel really outdid its predecessor. Secrets swell to bursting, tension rises, the pace picks up, dread lances through every moment until the story ends abruptly and leaves you panting for more. I was completely riveted. The characters dig up the past, push for answers, tip the dominoes, and alongside them, burning threads were racing through my mind, connecting far-flung dots and filling in blanks, erasing question marks and adding a dozen more for every one erased, before the truth is unraveled and recognition sparks, sharp as a shock.

I love Stevie’s character and how she often blurs the line between caution and daring, unwilling to yield to the tiresome compromise that striking balance between the two tends to be. She doesn’t dwell on the possibility that her ambition to solve a centuries-old mystery may lay far beyond her talent, instead, she accelerates towards doom and peril without thinking ahead of the repercussions. It’s pretty fun to spend time inside her head. I’ve also grown so fond of the cast of characters. Nate, especially, is my absolute favorite. If I were a fictional character, I’d totally be him: he’s extremely introverted, has zero conversational skills, represses emotional trauma, is unimpressed by the risks the main characters are taking because, and I quote, “why. do. people. do. stupid. things,” and will probably still be alive by the end of the series. New characters are introduced as well, demanding the spotlight for themselves and leading to further entanglements,  like the eccentric Dr. Irene Fenton who wrote about the Ellingham murders and recruits Stevie’s help to further her research.

I think my one and only quibble with this book is that I wanted more page time with David and Stevie. Their relationship has grown fraught with the untold weight of their secrets and I just wanted to grab them both by the shoulders and scream: “PLEASE COMMUNICATE.”

Overall, The Vanishing Stair was an immensely engrossing and rollicking experience and I can’t wait for the story to drag out all its secrets in the next and final installment!

If you liked this review please consider leaving me a tip on ko-fi !

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[Emma Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOWOWOW I loved this book so much!! A fantastic sequel, possibly even more enjoyable than the first installment, which was tough to beat.

CW: anxiety/panic attacks, murder, death, abduction

I came away from The Vanishing Stair with such a greater appreciation for this entire series. From the impeccable characterization to the flawlessly constructed plot, The Vanishing Stair is everything one would want from a second installment. It’s not as if anything was lacking in Truly Devious, but the sequel made me fall in more in love with every aspect of this story.

The mystery really takes an unexpected turn in this novel, going in a direction I had not expected and leaving me wanting more. It is truly difficult to predict the many twists and turns that make this one of the greatest young adult mysteries I have ever read.

I cannot recommend this series enough! If you have yet to start it, you are in for a real treat.

This book was sent to me unsolicited and for free by HarperTeen. I had no obligation to review this book and all opinions are my own.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truly devious :- ⭐⭐.15/5 Read review here
Vanishing stair :- ⭐.75/5

Hand on the wall :-⭐⭐.5/5 read review here

*Spoiler ahead*

I just finished the second book and all I can say and I can't stress enough

WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST READ ????



In fact, I could manage without reading the sequel. But as a reader, I tend to be optimistic when it comes to sequels or new book releases . I want to give this series another chance, even if I don’t agree with the idea of dragging out a mystery in order for it to be a series!!

Yeah so here we go again, by the time I completed truly devious I had :-

1. An amazing Elligham mystery about Albert, Iris and Alice .
2. Some robotic characters with zero emotional depth with their super lame leader Stieve trying to solve the 80 year old crime which the FBI couldn't solve !
3. And yess zero answers to anything that is happening .

So I was expecting some things from this book and none of my expectations were fullfilled !

The author left its readers speechless, speechless over the fact that it was incredibly underwhelming, with how Truly Devious ended. Thought it would be clever (not really) to drag out a mystery and to leave the readers wanting more. Not really, I don’t think so!

Why do this book even exist ?It was soo bboringggggg.
Author just dragged it to the point your mind just commit suicide !

these " tumblr aesthetic characters " were soo boring like I was expecting to get deeper in their shallow quirkiness but it never happened, they were same like in the first book, like the mystery wasn't boring enough so you decided to make your characters , even droopy was better than you guys !



I felt cheated like I was baited in reading entire series and I feel for it and I hate myself for it!

There is this character named Nate so he was so annoying ( not more than Stieve ) like it's okay Nate you don't like being around people we have heard it 5 times please don't repeat same shit over 65 times, just shut the fuck up !

and the relationship and friendships were just too much , they were forced on them

Speaking of relationship let's talk about our star couple

" David and Stieve aka two lunatics made for each other"

It would be no surprise if one day they both blew up their homes because they are both stubborn, stupid and just made for each other!

David :- Stieve is so cute, intelligent but do I love her?
Steive :- fucking Edward king
David :- I love you !

Now this is the point I wanna mention Steive hates Edward king to the point she wishes him to be dead but it was never mentioned why like the readers are forced to hate him because steive wants us to hate him!!

I really don't care why Hayes or Ellie died I just want to know what happened to Alice ?

I loved the Elligham mystery so much like i wish it would have been a standalone book exploring only Elligham mystery , with its characters like I loved Dottie, Albert, Francis i felt connected to them who were the side characters like they had that depth that something we need to love a character !

And the characters , plot, mystery isn't the most depressing thing about the book it's this thing:-

It's Halloween and Steive dresses as Hercule poirot and David aa Sherlock Holmes that's fine okay no problem but then this David said something and I was like dude you wanna get murdered or something!

"He said we look like couple like what Porlock or Sheirot "

Idk maybe most of you must have not noticed it but I can't just but this shit what the hell you even mean by this?

So yeah this is the most disappointing book of the series, it's bullshit like this series was better off as standalone or dulogy this book feels unnecessary to me!

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon reread, I have decided to up my rating a to a full 5-stars!! I loved this and picked up even more details this second time around.

I'm so stoked to finally continue on with this series!!!



Earlier:

Re-reading in anticipation of the release of Nine Liars in December. I'm super excited to return to this installment.

There's definitely some jaw-droppings moments in this one!



Let's do this!!

Original:

**4.5-stars**

Dear Maureen Johnson,



First of all, how dare you? It was truly devious of you to hit us with YET ANOTHER cliffhanger ending. Nevertheless, I will continue to read anything you choose to write.

Even if you happen to continue this series until the end of time, I can assure you I will read each and every one of them. That's a promise.

Love you like a friend,

Megs



I had many, many thoughts whilst reading The Vanishing Stair. For example, there was this:



Followed by this:



Wrapped up by this:



In all seriousness though, that ending!?!?



I really wasn't expecting that, even though Ms. Johnson has played me before.

I was totally invested in this story. I loved being back with Stevie and the rest of the cast at Ellingham Academy.



We meet some new characters and a few more pieces of the continuing drama are filled in. I really enjoyed the cold case aspect of the story once again.

Alternating timelines is an aspect I always seem to enjoy. I feel like it keeps me more engaged than a single, linear narrative would.

If you enjoyed the first book, I think you will enjoy this one as well. Honestly though, I did not love this quite as much.



I think part of my swooning over Truly Devious was being new to Ellingham Academy; learning about the school, its history and all of the people there. We had less of that excitement in this one, at least for me.

Would I say that this book suffers from the dreaded middle book syndrome? Perhaps, a little.



However, with this being said, I am still completely stoked for the next installment and will definitely be preordering it to add to my bookshelves!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four more astonishing and intriguing stars! Thank goodness I’m not disappointed this time!

This book differs from the first one because we no longer need introductions to Ellingham Academy, its history, or its past kidnappings and murder mysteries. It picks up right where the first left off, giving us revelations, more information, and crucial pieces of the puzzle.

This installment is faster-paced, more riveting, and highly entertaining. I even started to empathize with Stevie—her techniques, obsessions, way of thinking, and emotional ups and downs felt more relatable.
The characters remain quirky and emotionally unstable, yet they’re smart, unique, and entertaining in their own ways. I still like Nate and have grown used to his antics! I still have big questions about David, but once he came clean about his messed-up family history, I started to understand the source of his mean and douchebag behavior.

This time, there’s a real cliffhanger at the end! We finally learn the kidnappers’ identities, but this only leads to more unanswered questions. We’re still in the dark about the student murders and their perpetrators.

I’m so looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy! While this may not be the best YA murder mystery I’ve ever read, it’s still brilliant. The storytelling, combined with references to classic Doyle and Christie works, keeps you engaged and satisfied.

I wish I’d started reading this series after the release of the final book. Now I have to wait at least six months! That’s the worst part when you get attached to a story, its characters, and the author’s writing style. Damn!

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, Stevie Bell's parents pull her out of Ellingham academy due to safety concerns. She is missing all the excitement she had during the investigation in the school. One fine day Edward King comes to her house and offers a deal in which he will bring Stevie back to Ellingham if she promises if she behaves nicely with David and keep an eye on him. Stevie says yes and goes back to the school to solve the case she was involved with. Maureen Johnson somehow pulls out a somewhat exciting sequel within necessary twists and turns, which bridges the first and third books.

What I learned from this book
1) Why it is said that you should never mess up with a librarian?
In the first book, the author told us the importance Albert Ellingham gave to the school's library. A vital tenet that almost all the students know is that a good librarian can change your life unreservedly. They can direct you to the right books suitable for you at the right time in your life. Not only librarians but also anyone related to books can similarly help you. In a book by Abdul Kalam, I remember reading the significant role of a second bookstore owner in Madras in shaping his personality. The bookstore owner used to find rare books for Kalam as he was well aware of his reading taste. Kalam said that he wouldn't have read many of his favorite books if he didn't know that bookseller.

“Albert Ellingham said knowledge was his religion and libraries were his church.”

"You don't get things past librarians."

"I heard about her from one of the top librarians at the public library, this girl from Avenue A who read Greek and slipped into one of the rare books rooms three times. They said she was trouble, but good trouble."

"Back in Pittsburgh, if someone had infiltrated the library with fifty squirrels, that person would have been hailed as a hero. But Ellingham was full of library lovers, and there was the feeling in the air that this was, perhaps, a bridge too far. You could be naked, you could scream and hang out on the roof, but you do not mess with the place with the books."

2) The psychology of people trapped indoors
Emma Donoghue has wonderfully written a novel called Room on this topic. This is a crucial topic that was immensely discussed recently when the whole world had to stay indoors due to lockdown. We saw many people falling into depression and anxiety when they could not move outside as they wished. However, there are some other groups of people who want to stay inside than going out. They are usually patients suffering from mood disorders and agoraphobia. Maureen Johnston is also discussing about the similar attitude of people in this novel.

“Oh, I like it,” Nate said. “Snow makes it socially acceptable to stay in.”

3) What is the problem with the advertisement campaigns today?
George Lois is someone who brought revolutionary changes in the advertisement campaigns. The verisimilitude of the majority of the advertisements to reality was a specialty at that time. As time passed and legends like Lois left us. Many modern-day advertisements are nowhere near to reality. The author is aptly criticizing this loss of quality and ethics in advertisements through Stevie.

"Stevie hated football, and she specifically hated the car commercials that were in football, and she specifically hated the car commercials that were in football, with the meaningless slogans and aggressive masculine messages about how important it was for Americans to drive up rocks and treat every trip to the store or a soccer game like a single-person invasion."

My favourite three lines from this book

“When things are bad, give yourself a point for everything.”

“Reading is on of the greatest pleasure of life - maybe the greatest. All the money, all the power—none of it compares to a good book. A book gives you everything. It gives you a window into other souls, other worlds. The world is a door. Books are the key."

“The real magic rocks are the friends we make along the way.”

What could have been better?
This book is exciting to read but still faces the problems of the second book in the trilogies. There is no world-building in this one like the first book, Truly devious. There is also no proper ending as it happens only in the third book. The plot is engaging but nothing spectacular. So it will be challenging to find staunch supporters for this book.

Rating
3/5This is my least favorite book in this series. It is still a good one time read.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

book so nice i immediately felt like i HAD to pick up the sequel twice

(buddy reread with my dear darling lily)

keeping at 3 stars!

-------------

I can’t remember anything that happened in this book.

Judging by my pre-review (which consists of about one-third expletives and three-thirds surprise), I was shocked by something. I do not remember what that thing was, but considering this is a murder mystery, and also the second book in a series, I’m going to guess it was one part Big Reveal and one part cliffhanger.

How frustrating, presumably, for past me.

The only thing I really remember is finding this book slightly disappointing in comparison to the first one. Not by a lot, just a half-star or so.

I can assume I had some of the same issues with it I had with the first one: weird pacing due to this being a trilogy about one or two mysteries; an overwhelming onslaught of quirkiness. Also, something I loved about the first one was Boarding School, and this one consisted of way more time spent off-campus, leading to kind of a last-book-in-Harry-Potter-can’t-they-just-stay-at-Hogwarts type feel.

And we all know how I felt about Deathly Hallows.

But in the end, I have to assume that my main issue is the one I can recall with the most clarity:

I don’t remember jack sh*t about it.

Looks like I’ll have to reread this ahead of the next book.

Bottom line: ??? Also, why do I have to WAIT SO DAMN LONG. I am not patient enough for this.

--------

it is with great sincerity and the utmost respect that i must say:

WHAT THE F*CK???!!! what the f*ck


(rtc / 3 stars)
--------

started reading this as close to "immediately upon finishing the first book" as was physically possible for me

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know that feeling when you misremember how you felt about a book, potentially romanticising it, because you swear the story was just that good?? i think i did that with ‘truly devious’ because i went into this expecting it to be a five star read. and maybe thats my fault. i should have done a quick reread beforehand because this sequel did nothing to help me remember why i thought i was obsessed with this story.

dont get me wrong. its still a pretty solid sequel and a really good book, but it didnt live up to my unfairly high expectations. what i enjoyed most was that i kept wanting to turn the page. MJ has perfected the art of subtle giving - just enough to keep the reader satisfied, while also making them want more. the pacing is really good, there is never a dull moment, and i thought the story did a great job at picking up where the previous book left off.

however, there is a pretty big reveal in this book, one that readers have been dying to know since the beginning, and i was very underwhelmed with it. its one of those reveals that the reader would never guess because it kind of comes out of nowhere, with none of the given hints leading to it. so thats a bit of a bummer.

but overall this is a fun and exciting book. definitely not as good as the first one (based on how i remember it), but still very much worth my time. im looking forward to seeing how things get wrapped up in the concluding instalment!

↠ 3.5 stars

[Gaby (lookingatbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Maureen Johnson and whoever publishes this trilogy,
Please send me the arc for this immediately as I am having a spaz attack after the cliffhanger of book number one, okay?

Sincerely,
Someone who wants to know who’s in the photo

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

1.) Truly Devious ★★★★★
2.) The Vanishing Stair ★★★★.5
3.) The Hand on the Wall ★★★★.75

-----------------------------------------------

WHAT DOES THAT ENDING EVEN MEAN????

[Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription

“Where do you look for someone who’s never really there? Always on a staircase but never on a stair.”

🌟 The Vanishing Stair was what I expected it to be; an unnecessary bridge to the third book and this whole series could have been a duology. Yes, this book fell into the second book syndrome with much blabber and not much happening till the end!

🌟 I enjoyed book 1 more than I did with this one because there were much to explore in it and not much to do so here! I read the 2 books in January so I didn’t have to go through that excruciating waiting that most of readers went through. I was slightly disappointed with how things carried on from the start. After the ending of book 1, you would expect a better beginning than the one this book had.

🌟 My feelings toward the characters did not change, I am not a big fan of any of them but I stand corrected on one point; I mentioned on my review of book 1 that the characters should be better given that it is a school for the best of the best. I don’t know how it escaped my attention but really, most of the students in the school were there as friends of the owner or they are connected to him in that way whether in the past or present!

🌟 There wasn’t much happening and I got bored, the last chapters were good and maybe it is because things finally happened then and we got an explanation to one of the mysteries.

🌟 Summary: This book was like book 1 in terms of characters, writing and the world-building. Less happened but we got ourselves some answers at last. I am not convinced in the contemporary/ Mystery mix but I am willing to read the last book when it is out!

[✨ jami ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I. LOVED. THIS. SO. FREAKIN. MUCH

This was ... WILD. The twists?!?! The turns!!! The REVEALS. I think this is definitely becoming one of my new favourite series?? and I am DYING FOR BOOK THREE ALREADY

Where do you look for someone who's never really there? Always on a staircase, but never on a stair.

The Vanishing Stair starts a few months after the events of Truly Devious. Despite being pulled from Ellingham Academy by her parents, the mysteries of Ellingham Academy and the Truly Devious case still haunt Stevie. So she makes a deal with the devil (Edward King) and returns to Ellingham - in exchange for watching out for David, who she hasn't talked to since she left. But despite holding a fresh clue into the Truly Devious case, it seems harder than ever to solve - what does the new clue mean, what happened to Ellie, and how does the girl and boy who Stevie found in the photos tie back into the case.

Maureen Johnson absolutely outdid herself with this one! I enjoyed it even more than book one, which was one of my favourite books of 2018.

The Vanishing Stair was just as twisty and compelling as I expected. We're almost immediately thrown back into the mystery of Truly Devious and this book flew past for me. I finished the large majority of it in one sitting because it was so compelling and the time just flew past as I was reading it. I was totally immersed in the world, the characters, the mystery and everything.

I love the aesthetics of these book so much. The dark academia feel / mysterious boarding school element is an absolute favourite of mine. WE NEED MORE OF THIS !! This book is also kinda gory at times? And creepy? And ooh boy I loved that so much !! (Even though I was lowkey worrying about people appearing at the end of my bed as I was trying to sleep after finishing this)

I also LOVED HOW THE MYSTERY PLAYED OUT. I don't wanna reveal too much because spoilers, but Maureen Johnson reveals so much, and yet it doesn't answer anything - it just leads to more questions and I thought that was SO INTERESTING !! I loved how the mystery expanded and became even more thorny and strange. I also loved how many clues we're given, and there is a chance to put it all together alongside Stevie (though of course I didn't because I am a dumb dumb). And that ending .. KILLED ME. And you know what? I love a good cliffhanger. Yes they're awful but they're also THE BEST. They get me so hyped for the next book and let me tell you ... 2020 needs to come faster because I am HYPED.

lets talk characters

I really enjoyed Stevie in this once again! She is a super intriguing character to follow and I love how fleshed out she is. The representation of her mental illness is also really well done, and I related to a lot of the things about anxiety.

I do wish Janelle and Nate had been in this more. Especially Janelle and Vi, they are such cute girlfriends and we need more of them. But I enjoyed the new side characters. Those being, the two students in 1929 introduced as part of the mystery. Both those characters were intriguing and I hope we learn more about them in the last book.

My surprise stand out favourite was .. the romance!? Now I don't usually care much for romance subplots but I am FEELING THIS ONE. The miscommunication was kind of annoying, but overall I am really, really into David/Stevie and like ,, actually felt my cold dead heart move a little every time they talked.

"There's nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."

OVERALL, I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. I really hope more people pick up this series! I think it is so fun, so well written and has all that dark academia / creepy boarding school / mysterious aesthetic I know yall are hard for. @ the publisher if you're listening ................ send me book 3. (Actual rating 4.5*)

tws: anxiety/panic attacks, murder, death, abduction, dissections

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most disappointing part of the book?! The 'Acknowledgments' just after the last chapter! I wanted MORE...and yes, I can imagine how vampires must be craving for warm blood to survive.
Ok, for Nate's sake, how this book made my life incompletely complete:
The second book started with a bang! Each page was so entertaining, except for the David parts, of course. (I still cannot get used to this character nor to the awkward romance. I guess I never will.) I find almost every character really amusing. Each character introduced had a mystery. Things might appear simple and fun but the real fun began when the book was just about to end. One mystery gets solved, three or four mysteries jump up just like that (and we all know how we love to get our lives ruined when the book ends with cliffhangers).
There's still some three or more murder mysteries yet to get solved and one very important mystery that had started it all still looming large.

The second book is much more fast paced, packed with action and some pulse throbbing case solving adventure! Secrets, hidden answers, trust matters, weird characters.....gave me more than what I had anticipated.
I just don't like the awkward romance thing between David and Stevie. It's so awkward. I preferred the chemistry between Vi and Janelle more no matter how small their parts were. In fact, I like all the characters with all their flaws and perfections.
Looking past the weakest character and chemistry issue, the book is still a solid 5 star read!

I appreciate the Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe references!

Such a good nerdy read I was craving for!

😈 Hey, third book, you cannot do anything but get ready to get stuck with me for the next two hours or so eh?!

[Kai Spellmeier]

Three stars for a genuinely good second half but a) wasting the first half on retelling book one and b) the squirrels, the fountain, and the shit love interest

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Truly Devious and was so ready to also love book two, but this was... kinda shitty?

1) This never should have been a trilogy. It absolutely reeks of a cash grab. This story is so artificially inflated, which becomes utterly clear in this book. Absolutely NOTHING happens for about 300 of the 370 pages. The only time I ever felt any sense of suspense was during the last little bit, when suddenly things were coming together quite quickly. Before that it was random waffling about, unnecessary and, frankly, harmful to the mystery flashbacks and a ton of even more unnecessary teen drama.

2) Let's talk about said teen drama. The main conflict between Stevie and David in this book is - brace yourselves - his dad. David's dad is Republican politician/de facto Trump stand-in Edward King, who Stevie's parents are obsessed with and she loathes with every fibre of her being. She repeatedly refers to him as "the devil" and other such nonsense, even though we never actually find out why exactly she feels so strongly about him. Sure, he's clearly not a very good father, but in none of his scenes did he behave any worse than any other person in a position of power most likely would: using their influence to get ahead, and looking to make mutually beneficial bargains to achieve specific goals. Yet Stevie hates him to the point where she is repelled by the sight of his son, who she had been making out with a bunch before finding out. So clearly not that repulsive to begin with.
Not only is this reasoning patently absurd, it's also a way too integral part of this story and ensuing conflict. EK is the reason Stevie is allowed to return to the school - he convinces her parents in exchange for her being there hopefully being a positive influence on David, who'd kind of gone off the rails after she had to drop out. This is the mutually beneficial bargain I was referring to earlier: not only does Stevie get to return to Ellingham, literally all she has to do is keep hanging out with her crush. Wow. What a monstrous thing to require of someone in exchange for a favour. Stevie acts like she had no choice in the matter to begin with, then fails to tell David about this arrangement for plot reasons and actually forces herself to stay away from him because... somehow this has tainted her relationship with David? On what planet? It would be a different story if EK had told her to get close to him and befriend him, but THEY WERE ALREADY FRIENDS, MAYBE EVEN A COUPLE. She wouldn't even have to report back or anything, literally just keep being his friend. I'm sorry but I absolutely fail to see any catch here. Any and all issues that this causes are 100% attributable to Stevie's choice not to tell David about the circumstances of her return.

3) But let's get to - what should be, at least - the meat of the story: the mystery. I loved the sense of suspense in the first book, there were just so many small riddles and secrets to be discovered that I was kept on my toes the entire time. In The Vanishing Stair that all remains wishful thinking. Any time Stevie discovers a clue or has an idea, that idea is immediately confirmed to be correct in a flashback chapter, that spells out every second of it. Many times we don't even get a moment to consider it ourselves, or are left in the dark at all. It's way too much exposition and way too little suspense. Plus, as I said earlier, Stevie doesn't even discover much of anything until really late in the book. So much time is spent on wrapping up the end of the first book, that by the time the story actually starts the book is more than halfway over.
Honestly, the first about 150-200 pages of this should have been condensed down to maybe 50 and added on to book 1, the rest also condensed down and added to book 3.

Overall, this book has one of the worst cases of sequilitis I've ever seen. Crossing my fingers book 3 will be better again, because I really don't want to deal with a mess like this again.

[jv poore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man.

Maureen Johnson is master of ending a book in a way that makes the reader throw it across the room, and demand: I WILL HAVE MY SEQUEL NOW!

Cannot wait for the next Truly Devious novel.

And, you may recall my grumbling about punctuation in the first book "Truly, Devious"...well, I'd be remiss if I did not tell you that my little pet peeve did not appear in the second book.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

This was exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. It basically had everything I wanted from a sequel and, to me, is the perfect second installment in this series. The characters felt more fleshed out and charming, the dialogues felt incredibly realistic and well-written, the suspense was ridiculously well structured and executed and THE REVEALS were quite unpredictable and shocking to me. Once more I cannot wait for the next book. (Also Nate hi I love you.)

* * *

YOOOO THIS TITLE. (if you know, you know.)

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

"Where do you look for someone who's never really there?
Always on a staircase but never on a stair."

DID IT SERIOUSLY JUST END LIKE THAT???!!!
Wow.😠

Just wow. Someone should seriously congratulate Maureen Johnson with her amazing cliffhangers.

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW FROM BOOK 1!!!! (spoilers from this book are in tags)
You have been warned............

I thought Truly Devious's ending was bad but no...........this is WAY worse.
Again, I never thought George Marsh would be the one behind the Truly Devious case. He really did seem like a good friend of Ellingham. But they do say never trust anyone during a case, especially if they're close to you.
And I can't believe that two students came up with the Truly Devious letter as a prank and in the end that prank just complicated the investigation 75 years after. Frankie and Edward are actually geniuses, though they obviously didn't think it'd turn so serious.

Honestly, I would be such a bad detective.😅 I see Stevie saying that she's figured it all out and I'm just like.......wait who is it????

And then after Stevie figured out that Ellie was the murderer of Hayes and had escaped, I thought that they'd eventually track her down and find Ellie, but no..........it was much deeper than that. Ellie hadn't even left Ellingham this whole time and was hiding underground, but when Stevie and David found her body, she was dead.........which makes me wonder.........was she really the one who killed Hayes? I feel like maybe she had something to do with the murder but I don't think she intended for Hayes to die or something?
Also, I know she has to be guilty of something because she ran away and I don't believe that she ran away from fear, but I think it wasn't really fear of being put into jail but maybe something bigger than that. She might be working with powerful people who might do something to her if she talked. Haha Idk. Maybe I'm thinking too much into it or completely off. I do wonder tho........🤔

There are SO MANY suspicious people in this book, that I think I've just decided to not trust them all. Everyone's a suspect now (minus the crew cuz I really don't think they have anything to do with this). David is also being really suspicious but I don't think he has anything to do with the murders, though I could be wrong. I mean, I didn't think Ellie was evil, but look at how that turned out😕.
HUNTER IS DEFINITELY ON MY SUSPECTS LIST. I thought it was Dr. Fenton but she's dead now (or at least that's how the book ended) so she can't be a suspect anymore. Right.....?

Honestly, this whole thing is confusing. I'm so not cut out for detective work. I'll leave that to Stevie.😎

Oh and every time I see Albert Ellingham talking about how much he loves games, I just picture an mischievous smile on his face—maybe even evil .😨

Scary pikachu.......... *shudder*

Also, I don't know if it's just me but Edward King reminds me a lot of Donald Trump. I was wondering before why Stevie hated the politician so much, but now......I completely understand your hatred Stevie.😔

"Edward King was the worst man in America.
Well, that point could be argued. But Edward King was a powerful man. He was a Pennsylvania senator, based here, out of Pittsburgh. This was the man who wanted to keep “outsiders” and “bad elements” out of America, which largely meant people who weren’t white, weren’t rich. For Edward King, wealth was goodness. There was no climate change in his world—the earth was there to produce more life-affirming dollars. This was a man who wanted to be president."

I swear this sounds exactly like Trump🤣 Especially the 'there's no such thing as climate change'.

Also, David is still.........well, let's just stay that I still don't like him. He really annoys me. Although, I've gotta say that he is funny, if crazy.

“Tell her about the screaming,” Janelle said. “Because I can’t.”

“The screaming?” Stevie repeated.

“The other morning he started something called ‘screaming meditation,’” Nate said. “Guess what happens in screaming meditation? Did you guess screaming? For fifteen minutes? Because that’s what happens in screaming meditation. Fifteen. Minutes. Outside. At five in the morning. Do you know what happens when someone screams outside for fifteen minutes at five in the morning at a remote location in the mountains, especially after a . . .”

The implied dot dot dot was “student dies in a terrible accident or maybe murder and another one goes missing.”

“When security got to him he claimed it was his new religion and that it is something he needs to do every morning now as a way to talk to the sun.”

Ahhh David was really not okay in this book.🤣 And now he's run off and away from Ellingham. RIP David.

Nate as always, was awesome. I seriously love this guy so much. He literally just speaks his mind and was even said to be the only smart one in the group. He's almost always with Stevie on her investigations and like Stevie can confide with Nate on the big stuff. He was like the first person to hear from Stevie that she'd figured out the Truly Devious case. Nate🥰

“. . . the last few weeks have been a time of such sadness. What you need to know, what you must know, is that your safety, your health, your emotional well-being is what matters the most. We are going to be here for you. We’re going to have . . .”

“Counselors,” Nate mumbled under his breath. “You get a counselor and you get a counselor, and you get . . .”

He's so annoyed.😂

And Dottie. I love how even though she knew there was something wrong and was super scared, she was still able to think straight and leave a clue in her Sherlock Holmes novel. No way would I have ever thought of that. I would've been way too terrified to move if I knew I was probably about to die. She's got guts. Especially trying to escape afterwards right in front of the murderer Curse you George Marsh for killing Dottie. She was a nice girl😥

I'm deciding whether I should just wait for the library copy of The Hand on the Wall or be impatient and read the ebook.😅 I have no idea what to do.🤷‍♀️

|Blog|

[Kyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

**This book should be called: The Vanishing Cash, because I didn’t learn my lesson the first time around, and yet again spent real money on this trash.**

This is bullshit. I cannot stand by another cliffhanger ending, and an author who thinks it’s okay to manipulate their readership into buying another book to find out what happens. This whole series screams “CASH GRAB!”, and I’m done.

I should have been done after book one (which, of course, also ended on a cliffhanger), but more-so because of Maureen Johnson’s clearly biased politics. Now, some may find this to be nit-picking on my part, and maybe a bit overblown, but I need to say it:

It takes a really bitter person to fashion a series around a kidnapping/murder investigation, and make the main villain totally unconnected to that a (although never explicitly confirmed, but glaringly obvious) Republican Senator. A man who is cold, so far as of now unrelated to the central mysteries, and evil for the sake of being the story’s antagonist. We’re never told why he’s a bad guy in any direct way; He’s obviously not a very good father, shady, and has a hidden M.O., but Stevie frequently refers to him as “the devil” and “racist, fascist scum.” This is a person who Stevie blatantly wishes, while on a private plane with the man, was dead— she wonders at the plane crashing, and if the world would be better off if he perished. Like... what the fuck??? Even if she were to die as well, she says it would be for the greater good. That is a RADICALIZED, HATEFUL mentality. Everyone in the book has such strong, negative reactions to this Senator, and the fact that David is his son repulses Stevie. Okay, so, you’re saying the guy you like has a Republican father, and that means you cannot like him anymore?? Puhhh-fucking-lease! I continue to love everyone, even if we disagree on things.. And don’t try and tell me that Edward King is never mentioned being a Republican. It does not take a genius to put it together, and here is just another case of a bitter author using her platform to demonize the Republican Party. We’re not all racist, bigoted, xenophobic sheep. What I get from this is that anyone who associates with Republicans is shunned and ostracized. It’s shameful. That’s right— shame on you, Maureen Johnson! The story could’ve been so much better without this plot line. It was unnecessary to what I wanted to read based on the initial blurb from book one.

That rant over, I can get back to the book as a whole— but whole, it really isn’t. Splitting up a YA mystery into three books is a strrrretcccchh. And it feels that way. There is so much expository stuff that could have been chopped away, and turned this trilogy into a fairly longer standalone. It would have worked better that way. Even a damn duology would’ve been fine! No more frustrating cliffhangers, and a lot less (if I’m being honest) boring filler.

Some random side notes:
•A good mystery typically lays most of their cards on the table and begs you to “SOLVE ME (if you can)”. Here, we’re given some clues to start, and then thrown other tidbits of clues at the very end we could never have picked up on. Ever. And again and again, we’re fed more, but it doesn’t feel fun. I want to know the broad strokes, and THEN the smaller details. And we can’t do anything about any of it, even if we knew the answers to some, until Stevie gets it in her head.
•David and Stevie are toxic together. I don’t understand the pairing AT ALL!
•Again, I found this book too “young” for me. It lacked the hardcore sleuthing I craved, and was pretty “Nancy Drew for the modern age”, but with more hipsters.
•I wanted more Nate, Janelle, and Mudge— the only sensible and interesting characters.
•I have to give credit for the way Stevie’s anxiety is handled. Props for accurate depictions of panic attacks. Mental illness is no joke... but there is something seriously problematic with David’s behavior, and no one acting on getting him help is sad.

I’m done with this.

[Shaun Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one hit the spot in all the right ways. The first book felt a little unfinished for me, but this one fleshed out the mysteries, gave us answers, and set up the mysteries for the next book. All in all a really great read.

[♛ may · Rating 4 out of 5]

where can i petition to have more YA mystery series?

i love this SO. MUCH. and frankly it's disrespectful to have me wait until 2020 to get some real answers

rtc

[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1) Truly Devious ★★★★★
#3) The Hand on the Wall ★★☆☆☆
#4) The Box in the Woods ★★★★☆

I hate that I didn’t love this as much as Truly, Devious. This was no more than a bridge to the finale. It took a solid fifty pages for the story to get on track and another fifty pages for me to get invested. It took the whole book to unravel the most obvious foreshadowing from book one and left us with the juiciest questions unanswered.

I also dislike David. I don’t understand him on any level and his relationship with Stevie let me down. They have no chemistry whatsoever! I wanted more of Nate, Janelle & Vi. I did love Mudge a ton, though.

➸ Trigger warnings for anxiety, panic attacks, alcoholism, suicide mentioned, smoking, murder, explosion recounted, physical assault, kidnapping.

▷ Representation: Stevie (mc) has a panic disorder; sapphic & nonbinary scs.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph

[kezzie ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 4 stars
~
“Where do you look for someone who’s never really there, always on a stair case but never on a stair.”
~
umm, that was a wild ride..
~
i love how setvie’s anxiety is portrayed in such a realistic way, so honest & as someone with anxiety i felt seen <3

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WAS RIGHT FROM THE FIRST BOOK. I can’t believe that damn first book made me question my theory and I was right, smh. That ending reveal was wild

[laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9/5 :)

OMG OMG OMG EVEN MORE THINGS HAPPENED WTF-

me after reading this book:



a thought that nobody asked for~ when Stevie was describing Edward King it really really really reminded me of Trump (trump supporters don’t attack me :))

[:) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

“a book gives you everything. it gives you a window into other souls, other worlds. the world is a door. books are the key."

synopsis:
the vanishing stair takes place directly after the events of Truly Devious, as stevie continues to try solving the ellingham case, and the mystery of the death of one of her classmates.

trigger warnings:
light violence, mention of drugs, drinking, alcoholism, anxiety, death

overall thoughts:
okay im pretty conflicted on this book. because honestly, it wasn’t that good. the plot was slow moving at times, the side characters were shallow (except for one), and the "answer" to the mystery was predictable and kinda pathetic. but for some reason, i could not put this book down. the writing wasn't even that good, but it was formatted in a way that kept me curious throughout the entire story. there were definitely many flaws, but i will admit that this was a captivating book!

main characters:

stevie:
can we talk about how smart stevie is for a second?!? shes literally a genius. i dont understand how she figures out the things she does, but she does, and it blows my mind everytime. i loved following her train of thought, and watching her connect the dots of the mysteries was so fun!! i also thought her anxiety was so well written. her mental illness was subtly incorporated into every decision she made, and it was so fascinating to read about.

nate:
WORDS CANNOT EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I LOVE NATE
BUT I THINK THESE QUOTES CAN
HDSASJDHKJA
"im hugging you with my mind."
"this is cheerful. can we eat? lets be morbid over food."
"this is why i prefer books to people"
"its been all feelings and love. i want to go back to numbness and avoidance."
"why. do. people. do. stupid. things."
"oh i like it. snow makes it socially acceptable to stay in."
I THINK YOU GUYS GET THE IDEA. BUT HONESTLY. NATE IS THE BEST CHARACTER. I LOVE HIS SARCASM AND HIS PERSONALITY AND HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH STEVIE!! UGHHHH.

HUNTER:
HUNTER DESERVED (oh- im still in caps lock from talking about nate. oops.) hunter deserved better. nothing can change my mind. he is superior to david in every way.

david:
you guys wanna hear this david quote? because it pretty much sums up my thoughts on him.
"sometimes i dont think people like me."
oh really david? i wonder why!?!?!?
maybe its the whole "im an attention seeking, condescending jerk, but its fine because i have daddy issues!" thing you have going on. anyways, stevie can do so much better.

janelle:
at least she contributed something to the plot this time.

larry:
hi proud larry stan over here! i wish we had more of him. ALSO HE REMINDS ME OF REMUS LUPIN.

OH WAIT I HAVE ONE MORE NATE QUOTE.
"”okay,”nate said. “my motive is that i prefer dragons.”
”to what?”
“to the absence of dragons.”"

things i liked:
- at the start of this book, stevie is at home. i had a mini heart attack when i read the first chapter. i thought maureen johnson was about to pull a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on us and have the story take place outside of the boarding school. but she didnt!!! and the boarding school aesthetic was still there and still amazing. it makes me wanna go to boarding school.
- i mentioned in my last review that the chapters that took place during the original ellingham murder and kidnapping were boring but i actually enjoyed them a lot more in this book!
- EDDIE AND FRANCIS
- the underlying political tones were awesome. i love political references and metaphors and they are very rare in YA, so i appreciated that.
- nate. but i think we already established that.
- the story was layed out in a way that kept me turning the pages!

things i did not like:
- i was very disappointed by the motive behind the crime. maureen johnson had the opportunity to create very complex reasoning behind the murders, and i dont think she seized that opportunity.
- the romance in this story is so bad. it didnt make any sense and the characters had absolutely no chemistry. IF YOURE NOT GOING TO WRITE A GOOD ROMANCE, DONT PUT ONE IN!
- the entire david subplot is boring and unnecessary.
- this book reads like a middle grade book, with some cursing and mature themes. when you write a book for a specific age range, not only does the content have to cater to that age group, so does the writing.

i liked this book well enough, but it wasnt my favorite thing in the world. i will say that i am very curious on how this mystery will wrap up, so i will be picking up the final book!

also sorry this review was a chaotic mess 💀

my reviews for:
book one: truly devious
book two: the vanishing stair
book three: the hand on the wall

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot thickens.

Now that's what I call a cliff-hanger! So much was revealed in the last 50 pages, and for it to end like that? Bravo, Maureen Johnson.

I definitely enjoyed this second novel in the Truly Devious series more than the first. It still carried all the luscious descriptions of crisp Autumn mornings that I so loved in Truly Devious; I'll never tire of reading about fall in New England.

The characters felt worn-in, in the best way possible. Nate is my favorite, by far. David's still weird. Stevie's still Stevie. But we were also introduced to a few new characters! Fun, fun.

I'm so happy we finally got concrete answers toward the Ellingham case. I won't spoil anything, but I was genuinely perplexed as to who the kidnapper was.

The first half of the book felt like nothing was really happening, and that's because nothing was really happening. I did appreciate, however, the recap of the events from the first novel. It was a thorough recap, but never tedious.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing how everything wraps up in the third book!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just gets more and more addictive.