Book Review: The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson

It probably goes without saying now that this is, let me check my notes, yes, the SIXTH Truly Devious novel but I am a big fan of this series. I've followed Maureen Johnson since The Name of the Star in 2011, so when the original opening book came out in 2018, I knew I had to read this book. I've held a fascination with mystery novels since discovering The Boxcar Children when I was in elementary school and anything that sounds like it has a good hook will grab hold of my sternum and yank me along. Hearing this idea of a student, Stevie Bell, who has planned to solve the cold case that is centered in the school she will start attending was just the right amount of everything needed for me to grab that first book and here we are, eight years and six books later and I still want to be Stevie Bell when I grow up.

Having Ellingham Academy as one of the main settings of these books is always a plus for me. This is a place where Stevie has been able to grow into herself, where her fascination with solving mysteries, finding the things the others don't see and putting the puzzles together in her head actually makes her belong amongst her peers. This is their home, more so than any other place and The Velvet Knife opens with Stevie back at Ellingham, trying to understand the bombshell that blew up what she thought she knew at the end of Nine Liars. Stevie needs to make a change, to snap out of what is bringing her down, so she asks Nate if she can go with him to New York for the winter holidays. Each book has Stevie and her friends start at their home base and then they move on to another location, where Stevie's luck usually leads her to another case to solve. This time around, Stevie and Nate are staying in an apartment building that is filled with various kinds of people, where a lot of them are focused on the writer (Nate) staying in the apartment on the eighth floor. One person recognizes Stevie for the cases she has solved and this brings Stevie into the fray of solving another mystery, this one being the mysterious sudden death of a neighbor. We have the same back and forth in time, showing the case as it unfolded in the past and then joining Stevie again in the present as she starts to find the pieces of the case and puts them in the right order. I love how accepting her friends are about her ability to solve cases and I loved the fact that someone recognized Stevie because I truly believe it's impressive, the way her brain works. The case itself was a little more on the tragic side but I still loved the way the world of this book worked and how Stevie fit in it.

I said it before and I'll say it again, I want to be Stevie Bell when I grow up. The way her mind works felt familiar, made me smile and laugh because she felt like someone I could be and for the length of a book, I get to watch her be brilliant and solve another mystery. I loved the fact that Stevie, in her way of realizing that her future would be changing soon, has decided to push back on her parents and the way their relationship has been going. Stevie is definitely growing up and the break she took away from her parents for the winter holidays was exactly what I thought should happen for her. She needed that space to be independent and then see how things would be when she reached out to her parents again. The fact that she had her friends around her proved that she'd found the people she belongs with and I have no idea what college will bring them but I do hope this group stays together. I love Nate, Janelle and Vi. I love the trust that Nate has in Stevie and the love that he has for his friend, knowing she needed somewhere to run to and agreeing to let her accompany him to New York even though he needed to focus on his own work. I love and adore Janelle and Vi, Janelle especially though, the mama bear best friend who would take down the world if it hurt Stevie. Vi is the balance to Janelle, the voice of reason and the three of these friends together are the pillars that Stevie needs while at the same time the kick she needs to be better for them in return.

As for the plot, Johnson has these mysteries fine-tuned, without a doubt. Everything unfolds at the pace needed, clues are found with some effort and pieces are put together in ways that lead Stevie and the reader wherever they need to go. This one was a little sad for me but Johnson handles the case with deft care and by the time Stevie is back home in Ellingham, I was happy with where the group had ended up. I know this series will eventually end but I really hope there is another book after this one. I'm not ready to let Stevie go yet and I'm not sure if it's possible to follow her to college after we've spent so much time with this group at Ellingham. So, in conclusion, fingers crossed we readers get one last hurrah with our girl, Stevie. No matter what, I'll read the book as long as Maureen Johnson has written it.

Read this book if the ending of Nine Liars left you wanting more. Read this series if you love smart kids being awesome at different things and mysteries that only make sense once all is said and done. If you haven't read this series yet, what are you waiting for?! Go meet Stevie Bell and marvel at the way she solves mysteries and gaze in wonder at the amazing school she attends.

My thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books and Maureen Johnson for the eARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.