The Box in the Woods brings you back into the world of Stevie Bell, and I really enjoyed the past/present timeline setup - it was a great way to build intrigue early on. The summer camp setting gave the mystery a nostalgic edge, and revisiting Stevie and her friends after reading the original trilogy felt like catching up with an old friend.

The epigraph at the beginning immediately grabbed my attention, and the mention of

the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Deaths by Frances Glessner Lee was fascinating! I just wish that theme had been explored more deeply in the story. It had so much potential to tie into the case, but ended up feeling more like a side note than a central thread

 

While I loved the core mystery premise, the pacing threw me off. It felt like nothing really moved forward until 60% in, and then everything unraveled at once. I was hoping for a slow-burn investigation like in the Truly Devious trilogy, with layered character and plot development, but this one leaned more toward a quick conclusion with fewer clues to follow along the way. Stevie’s relationship with David didn’t hold my interest either, but then again during the original trilogy I also felt like it was more distracting than impactful.

That said, the book still delivered a fun mystery vibe, especially if you are a fan of Stevie Bell, and the concept behind the crime was compelling. I just wish it had dug a little deeper and given us more room to solve it alongside her.