The Box in the Woods
Truly Devious, Book 4
By: Maureen Johnson
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Categories: Teen & Young Adult, Literature & Fiction
4.7 out of 5 stars 4.7 (534 ratings)
The Name of the Star
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city - gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific work of Jack the Ripper in the autumn of 1888. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect.
Paranormal Ripper-Related YA
By Amy on 08-05-14
Truly Devious
A Mystery
Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early 20th 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." Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym "Truly, Devious".
I enjoyed it, but I'm pissed about the ending
By Laura on 04-08-19
The Cousins
By: Karen M. McManus
Narrated by: Sarah Skaer, Kate Reinders, David Garelik, and others
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised...and curious.
By LoCFo22 on 12-04-20
The Hawthorne Legacy
By: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Narrated by: Christie Moreau
Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, two of the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.
I was here for the ride!
By Heather on 09-11-21
A Study in Charlotte
Charlotte Holmes, Book 1
By: Brittany Cavallaro
Narrated by: Graham Halstead, Julia Whelan
Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers were one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She's inherited Sherlock's volatility and some of his vices - and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she's not looking for friends.
3.5 ☆s
By Ashley C on 01-21-18
You'll Be the Death of Me
Narrated by: Rachel L. Jacobs, Anthony Rey Perez, Max Meyers, and others
Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day. So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they've barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say...until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school - and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it's about to get worse.
McManus' best work so far
By Ashley on 01-18-22
As Good as Dead
The Finale to a Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Book 3)
By: Holly Jackson
Narrated by: Bailey Carr, Kristen DiMercurio, Robert Fass, and others
Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She's used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can't help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you're the one who disappears?
Narrated by: Amber Faith
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
When will the rest of the series be released?
The Ivies
By: Alexa Donne
Narrated by: Phoebe Strole
Everyone knows the Ivies: the most coveted universities in the United States. Far more important are the Ivies. The Ivies at Claflin Academy, that is. Five girls with the same mission: to get into the Ivy League by any means necessary. I would know. I'm one of them. We disrupt class ranks, club leaderships, and academic competitions...among other things. We improve our own odds by decreasing the fortunes of others. Because hyper-elite competitive college admissions is serious business. And in some cases, it's deadly.
By Brendan Guyre on 05-25-21
The Mary Shelley Club
By: Goldy Moldavsky
Narrated by: Carla Corvo
New girl Rachel Chavez turns to horror movies for comfort, preferring stabby serial killers and homicidal dolls to the bored rich kids of Manhattan Prep...and to certain memories she'd preferred to keep buried. Then Rachel is recruited by the Mary Shelley Club, a mysterious society of students who orchestrate Fear Tests, elaborate pranks inspired by urban legends and movie tropes. At first, Rachel embraces the power that comes with reckless pranking. But as the Fear Tests escalate, the competition turns deadly, and it's clear Rachel is playing a game she can't afford to lose.
Truly twisty tale for lovers of final girls
By Anosz001 on 04-17-21
All Your Twisted Secrets
By: Diana Urban
What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it's a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill...or else everyone dies.
One of Us Is Next
The Sequel to One of Us Is Lying
Narrated by: Maria Liatis, Holly Linneman, Fred Berman, and others
A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it's not an app, though - it's a game. Truth or Dare. Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark. Then comes Maeve, and she should know better - always choose the dare. But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous.
AMAZING from beginning to end
By Jenn Pierre on 01-11-20
Two Can Keep a Secret
Narrated by: Sophie Amoss, Kirby Heyborne
Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age 17. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now, Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows. The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.
Couldn't stop listening
By James ODonnell on 01-09-19
Lights over Cloud Lake
By: Nathan Hystad
Narrated by: Melissa Thompson
Reporter Eva Heart is sent to Cloud Lake to write an exposé on flying saucer sightings, a subject she is extremely familiar with. Nearly 20 years ago, Eva, then known as Jessica Carver, went missing, only to appear a week later, confused and frightened. A man went to jail for the crime. Now Eva must face demons from her past as she meets both old and new friends along the way. Will her real identity be exposed? Can history truly repeat itself?
Suspenseful scifi mystery at its best!
By Rhett C Bruno on 12-03-19
That Weekend
By: Kara Thomas
Narrated by: Phoebe Strole, Kristen Sieh
It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past 48 hours. Now everyone wants answers - most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but, after that...nothing. And now Kat and Jesse - her best friends - are missing. What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory. But as she's learning, everyone has secrets - even her best friends.
By Megan on 07-02-21
They'll Never Catch Us
By: Jessica Goodman
Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky, Phoebe Strole, Kristen Sieh
Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the course.
Far Fetched
By Gretchen on 09-24-21
A Lesson in Vengeance
By: Victoria Lee
Narrated by: Lindsey Dorcus
Felicity Morrow is back at the Dalloway School. Perched in the Catskill Mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she's returned to finish high school. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students - girls some say were witches.
unsure how I feel about it
By Carlie Sparks on 09-28-21
After solving the case of Truly Devious, Stevie Bell investigates her first mystery outside of Ellingham Academy in this spine-chilling and hilarious stand-alone mystery from New York Times best-selling author Maureen Johnson.
Amateur sleuth Stevie Bell needs a good murder. After catching a killer at her high school, she's back at home for a normal (that means boring) summer.
But then she gets a message from the owner of Sunny Pines, formerly known as Camp Wonder Falls - the site of the notorious unsolved case, the Box in the Woods Murders. Back in 1978, four camp counselors were killed in the woods outside of the town of Barlow Corners, their bodies left in a gruesome display. The new owner offers Stevie an invitation: Come to the camp and help him work on a true crime podcast about the case.
Stevie agrees, as long as she can bring along her friends from Ellingham Academy. Nothing sounds better than a summer spent together, investigating old murders.
But something evil still lurks in Barlow Corners. When Stevie opens the lid on this long-dormant case, she gets much more than she bargained for. The Box in the Woods will make room for more victims. This time, Stevie may not make it out alive.
* Cosmopolitan Best YA Books of 2021 * People Magazine Best Books of Summer 2021*
©2021 Maureen Johnson (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers
Historical Fiction Mysteries & Detectives Thrillers & Suspense
Featured Article: Best Young Adult Audiobook Series to Listen to Right Now
Is there any better feeling in the world than discovering a new young adult book series to devour? Whether you're into epic fantasy, the supernatural, rom-coms, or a great mystery, there is definitely a YA book series out there for you. And in audio, there's the added benefit of talented narrators bringing these stories to life in exciting ways. We've compiled 20 of the best completed and ongoing YA audiobook series out there and broken them down by genre.
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What listeners say about The Box in the Woods
Underwhelming
I've loved this series since book 1 but this one was a letdown in both plot and character development.
Marvin R.
Maureen Johnson does it again
Truly devious was one of my favorite ya crime mystery and being able to follow Stevie while she solves this one was amazing. The ending was so unexpected and the story just takes fo a ride. Ladies and gents, we have our modern Nancy drew. Hope you write more of Stevie Maureen!
Utterly Enjoyable
Couldn't stop listening until it was over, a great stand alone mystery in the Truly Devious franchise, highly recommend!
Fun and clever YA mystery.
I guffawed a few times and was compelled to finish all. Loved Stevie in the Truly Devious series ( finished the books in a week), and this felt like a perfect dessert.
Emily Pancoast
Another great mystery
So good! I loved the first three books and was worried that the change in scenery might make the story less interesting. On the contrary, the new crime and cast of characters, along with the twists and turns, made the book fascinating. Great performance again.
This series is great!
I've really enjoyed all the books in this series. The author does a good job of keeping you guessing about what's going to happen next. I look forward to the next one.
Steve Alcorn
Even better than the first trilogy
This is one of the best mysteries I've listened to. All the clues were there, and some seemed obvious, but I couldn't put it together until the end, just as a mystery should be. It's also a great YA novel that takes advantage of all the wonderful characters from the first books.
BookNerd
Stand alone follow up to a great series
I loved the Truly Devious series and was really excited to read this follow up story. The Box In The Woods and Maureen Johnson did not disappoint! While there are many of the same characters, the setting of this book is different as well as the mystery, meaning that if you haven't read the Truly Devious series, there absolutely no reason you can't start with this book (although I'd really suggest you do read Truly Devious, just for the pure enjoyment of it).
B. Smith
Love Maureen Johnson and her story's I hope she writes more in this series soon!
Exactly what I needed!
I love this series! It's witty and funny and twisty and - let us not forget - murdery, and it's exactly what I needed to get me through a hot and horrible couple of days. Kate Rudd is pitch perfect with her nuance and inflection. I didn't have a single one of those moments where you wince and have to say the thing with the right inflection because you just heard it done the wrong way and it makes your brain itch. with Kate, there's none of that. All hail Kate!
I sincerely hope we get more of Stevie and her Scooby gang!