The Vanishing Stair

Stevie Bell just intended to solve the Ellingham mystery, but instead she discovered her classmate had passed away. Even if she managed to solve that murder, there are still unsolved cases from the past. As Stevie is about to come to terms with her situation, her parents force her to leave Ellingham Academy.

They claim it's for her own protection. She has to get over her fixation with crime. After leaving the school of topiaries, hidden tunnels, and her quirky but lovable pals behind, Stevie starts to feel cut off from the outside world. She won't have to see David anymore, at least. And she kissed David. David, the disgraced politician Edward King's son, deceived her about his identity. Subsequently, King shows up at her residence with a proposal: he would promptly return Stevie to Ellingham. She must be cordial with David in exchange. King cannot afford for his son to cause problems while the kingdom is in the middle of a war. David won't move if Stevie is in class.

Though the intriguing mysteries surrounding the Ellingham killings need to be solved, Stevie is aware that she is getting very near. She can't anticipate all the detours on the road to truth, however, and getting there will mean harming someone she loves. Nothing is free in Maureen Johnson's second book in the Truly Devious series, a New York Times bestseller series, and someone will pay with their life to discover the truth.