Truly Devious: Truly Entertaining
Photo by Sarah Gerovac
Hamilton’s “Novel Idea” book club recently finished our second book of the year which happened to be another murder mystery. This interesting tale begins with a flashback of a student at a prestigious but unusual boarding school in the early 1900s, and her unfortunate murder while reading a murder mystery novel of her own in a secret location at the school. Eventually, we discover that the school that so many talented students attend today was the site of not only this student’s murder, but also the kidnapping of the owner’s family and eventually his own death.
Stevie, the novel’s main character, is a current attendee of the school with an obsession with mystery and true crime, and she is determined to finally solve the cold case of this family’s murder. Soon, though, the story takes an interesting turn when the death of one of her classmates shifts her attention to investigating the cause of this ‘accidental’ death. Eventually, Stevie makes a revelation about the identity of her classmate’s potential murderer, but the mystery is certainly not solved by the end of the novel, which is part of a series. After Truly Devious, this trilogy proceeds with The Vanishing Stair, and then The Hand on the Wall. So, if you are looking for a mystery with a satisfying ending that you can reach right away, this book is certainly not for you, as it leaves plenty of loose strings to be tied in the rest of the series.
Additionally, Stevie’s character as a student interested in crime is certainly a cliché for murder mysteries, and her character seems to have been written with a twist of traits that specifically make her relatable to a modern audience, such as a focus on her struggles with anxiety. While such parts of her character are certainly helpful in appealing to readers, they are not overly forced, which helps them to give at least a somewhat genuine portrayal. Additionally, the 1936 original owner of the house’s love for puzzles, secret passageways, and riddles gives a fun twist to the storyline, allowing it to develop a unique tone and story progression.
If you enjoy murder mysteries and don’t mind having to read a few more novels before you can find complete answers to the storyline, this book is certainly one that we would recommend. It follows plenty of clichés of mystery novels, but it develops its own unique twists and has many interesting characters and character development that make it enjoyable and entertaining to read. And even if you’re not planning to read the rest of the trilogy, this story is certainly an interesting one that you can draw plenty of your own conclusions about and then Google the rest. If you’re looking for another fun murder mystery novel or novels, go ahead and check out Truly Devious!
4/5 Stars: Recommend
