Friends, friends, friends.
Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.
A few episodes back, I reviewed Maureen Johnson’s fantastic YA detective/murder mystery trilogy that began with Truly Devious. At that point, I mentioned that there would be a fourth book set outside Ellingham Academy: the setting for much of the original trilogy.
However, the main characters Stevie, Nate, Janelle, and David all returned for this new mystery. After the events of the main trilogy, I was unsure about the need for a fourth book, titled The Box in the Woods. Since Stevie had solved the Truly Devious cold case by the end of the last book, I didn’t really see why they needed to bring the gang back.
I needn’t have worried. I was really entertained by Billionaire Tech Bro Carson Buckwald of ‘Box Box’ fame (apparently, Box Box was a huge tech success in the world of these characters). His money and influence was hilariously overstated and the complete cluelessness on his part always made me laugh.
The cold-case, though, was not so pleasant. I had a good enough time with this audiobook, but it got very convoluted by the end. The best part, personally, were the inter-personal dynamics between our current protagonists and the survivors of The Box in the Woods murdersat the town of Barlow Corner. The lasting impact of tragedy and horror were given a surprising amount of attention and empathy as Stevie and her friends (along with Billionaire Box Bro) tried to get to the bottom of this cold case.
Unlike the Truly Devious Case, this case took place in 1978, not the 1930s, and consequently, there were plenty of people here who remembered the events of those horrible nights. That added intriguing wrinkles to the larger story of this novel.
After four books in this world, I still found myself inexorably drawn to Stevie and her friends. Nate and Janelle were as delightful as always. David was, well, David, and Stevie continued to fascinate me. In a way, then, this book made me realize that this series has always been about the characters. Sure, the cases gave these books meaning, but the characters are whom I came back for.
The Box in the Woods was a good sequel to a trilogy that felt like it had ended. I suppose that deserves a round of applause, but most of all, I give most of the credit to Stevie, her friends, and the friendships that were evolved along the way.
Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.
Peace, Love, Pages
Note: As Always, Affiliate Links are here for your convenience at no cost to you. All reading was at my own expense.