A great book to read for my intro to Maureen Johnson. I had no guesses as to how the story would end, which really kept me interested throughout the whole book.

I still find myself enjoying the characters, and I'll gladly read about Stevie solving more cold cases. But! This had a very... sneaky ending/reveal. I prefer to be shown the answer, in a mess of other details, that don't quite add up until the protagonist (detective) pulls them all together for me. This ending felt more like, "SURPRISE! Here's all this stuff you didn't know about." Takes some of the suspense and fun out if the read.

2.75*

I don't really fully know how I feel about this one. I feel a bit deflated tbh. that culprit and motive came a bit out of left field and it also felt like it wrapped up too quickly. I mean idk.. it wasn't bad like there was a chapter to wrap up stevie and her friend's individual storylines but there was nothing about how the solving of this 40 year old crime affected Barlow Corners and the people in it. And I just feel like we didn't really get to sit with the resolution for long enough. It felt like when you do something really exhilarating and then just it suddenly stops like ok thats enough. there's a metaphor I'm trying to get at here but I can't quite remember what it is. Also the actual solution like yeah there were definitely clues and groundwork laid throughout to point to this ending. but I still didn't like it and it felt a bit off

Spoiler

like a secret nazi murdered 5 teens to protect his identity like ..really??!

I just kinda hate it and it feels out of the blue despite the aforementioned groundwork.

I know I just said I didn't really like the conclusion but I do think the rest of the story and mystery was surprisingly well plotted. I wasn't sure if it would be tbh since the original trilogy was so stretched out I was unsure how Johnson's style would fit in a conventional mystery novel. but it was fine. There were good clues throughout and multiple moments of tension that were well written (honestly the part where

Spoiler

the culprit chases stevie and nate through the woods and is shooting at them..

it was exhilarating I was on the edge of my seat tbh). We also learnt the facts of the case at a good pace and built up an idea of what happened and what could've happened. Although i don't feel like stevie ever really had any theories or worked through things in a typical sleuth way until the end, when yknow she got the answer. I do feel like that was a little bit of the point as she didn't know this case like she did the Ellingham case and for most of the book she didn't feel like she could reasonably solve it and just wanted to find Sabrina's missing diary for her sister. Which is like fine but it did make it a little less interesting.

I did like the flashbacks as well. They were only at the start so didn't feel as intrusive as the Ellingham ones and like that was how the mystery was being solved for the reader. They just set the scene of the original 70s murder well and introduced the feelings of the characters at the time. It was definitely interesting to see them then and then through stevie's eyes now. Also to get a glimpse of Sabrina's feelings before her uh demise, as everyone has a different view of her to what she fully was like. I feel like the Ellingham ones are used so much to yes solve and show the mystery but also to try and humanise the victims and everyone affected by the case but the reader and stevie still feel distant from them. That's obviously not the same in this one since the murder happened in 1979 so all of the teens at the time and some of the adults are still alive as stevie is solving it. The difficulty of this and like the realness of the crime and how she is confronted with this is discussed minorly but it does affect how she approaches the case and what she tries to do so it made for a different and interesting story (like in comparison to being diverse from the story told in the original trilogy). Also witnesses being alive meant stevie got to interview them and actually interact with humans in the case not just paper evidence so again added a different aspect to the trilogy. And this was again different and difficult for stevie because she was nervous as this was never really something she'd done before. I enjoy that this was explored how different this case was for her to solve compared to the Ellingham case. in a way easier and some ways harder. Also the use of techbro Carson who was obsessed with the case and wanted to make an exciting podcast from the solving of it, really highlighted the flaws and dehumanising of the people involved in true crime stories, so I thought there was some good commentary there.

Overall though the mystery did feel much simpler in comparison to the grandness of the Ellingham mystery (even though I didn't love how drawn out it was and the elements that were solved in the third book, but it's impossible not to make comparisons really) and that is a little disappointing even though it's understandable since its only one book. Honestly though I wasn't bothered by the change in setting as I never really felt drawn to the Ellingham academy atmosphere I never really felt there was much of it at all. so this summer sticky small town camp vibe was fine and just as enjoyable and just as evoked by the writing for me.

i have to say the murder was incredibly disturbing. I know all murder is disturbing but usually not as much in books because the focus is on the story and the excitement and the solving rather than the tragedy and disturbingness of a murder and a murderer (which is obviously fine because they're fictional characters and its written to entertain and cause suspense and tension, although commentary is obviously good in mystery novels sometimes). obviously some mystery thrillers are dark and disturbing but that's the purpose and you know that's what it's going to be and it's tonally like that the whole way through. this is a ya mystery series about a teen sleuth though so like.. that's just not the vibe to have such a horrifying murder. And like .. ok for the plot johnson went with I see why it was like this

Spoiler

(like they were killed by an adult man not another teen who probably wouldn't be capable of such violence. and that adult man was a nazi who almost definitely had killed people in more horrific ways before. and also it was done in that specifically horrible way and arranged like that to make it look like a specific serial killer so like I get it I really do)

but I still didn't enjoy it and it makes me feel sick and i can't stop seeing their bodies arranged in the box like that.

One thing I did like about the mystery was sabrina being the key to solving it. She is the good girl, the unexpected one of the group to be out in woods. and maybe that makes it obvious she's the key because the murders obviously couldn't be about her because she wasn't "supposed to be there" so she obviously is (because its always who it couldn't be etc). but for me because she is the last one to be killed I kind of had the thought for the most of the book that the killer didn't even know she was there until she realises the others are gone and calls out for them. so finding out its about her wasn't exactly shocking? but more like a ohhh I see how this all adds up kind of thing. I like it because she's seen as the tragic loss but her death was unavoidable because she was actually the reason for the murders "had to happen" so she always would've died. 

Spoiler

and then the partial culprit is the one that "should've" been there so it's an interesting swap. and so she has survivor's guilt that is weird because she purposely stayed behind and all that and ugh i so wish the end had explored patty's real guilt and how she convinced herself what she did was alright all these years and the pyschological toll it all took because like it's so interesting when you remember she was friends with the victims and then friends with their families ie. alison (presumably to ensure she never found out what sabrina knew about her dad, and not a genuine friendship over shared trauma and loss,but maybe it was, we'll never know because none of this was explored in great detail unfortunately).

For me stevie is the best bit about these books so I'm going to keep reading them even if the mysteries don't fully impress me. however there were elements of her personality and character that were touched on in the third book that were kind of hinted at would be explored later and we didn't get any of that in here. not really too much new about her character other than her approach to crime and solving it. and her relationship with David which I love. I love how happy he makes her ahhh and I love how their relationship develops in this one bearing in mind stevie's difficulty to express and feel her emotions. and that scene in the car yeah I love it and them. but yeah I did still want more from just her. And janelle and nate are just there I guess hahaha. no really I do like them now after all this time we've spent together and I do really like stevie's relationship with both of them, especially with nate that was really enjoyable in this one (like why are they always getting into danger together

3.75/5 - Surprisingly my favourite instalment of the series. Not perfect, but overall enjoyable for a YA mystery. Some of Stevie's actions towards the end of the book really vexed me, but I was more intrigued by the mystery explored here than the Ellingham case covered in the main trilogy. You do not have to read any of the previous books before getting into this one, but it is nice to be familiar with some of the characters before going into the story.

This was a fun standalone to add to a trilogy. Usually I hate that stuff, but given that Stevie is just a new Nancy Drew or Veronica Mars, it makes perfect sense. Totally would be on board for more standalones.

I was obsessed with truly devious as it was coming out. I think the mystery was really interesting and I loved how they went about solving it. It made me waant to contunie on with the series! This book was a little different as it wasn't a part of the main story line. However I loved getting back in to this world with the characters we know and love. It was still a wonderful mystery and it kept me guess until the end.

The Truly Devious series, and now this standalone, The Box in the Woods, has the certain something I look for in books. It kept me hooked. Stevie, Janelle, and Nate (for some reason especially Nate) are such well written characters. And I enjoyed the inclusion of David this time around.

The case here was nuanced, but not overly complicated, and the pieces feel together at the right time. As with most murder mystery books, there were some unbelievable moments, but the writing and excellent pacing covered them up. A satisfying read for sure.

I was very excited at finally having a standalone BUT it feels like there is a lot of context and then the mystery is solved in 10 pages, v rushed :( and a bit out of field