by Maureen Johnson - undifferentiated
First published 2021
Stevie Bell craves another mystery to solve. Her summer at home feels painfully ordinary after catching a killer at Ellingham Academy. Then the owner of Sunny Pines contacts her with an irresistible offer. The property once operated as Camp Wonder Falls, where four counselors died in 1978 in what became known as the Box in the Woods Murders. The case remains unsolved. The owner wants Stevie to help create a true crime podcast about the killings. She accepts on one condition: her Ellingham friends can join her. The group arrives at the remote camp in Barlow Corners, eager to dig into decades-old evidence. Stevie begins piecing together what happened that terrible summer. But someone else is watching their investigation. The killer may be long gone, or they may still be waiting in the woods. As Stevie gets closer to the truth, new victims appear. The Box in the Woods case isn't finished claiming lives. Stevie must solve the mystery before she becomes the next target.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, young-adult
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, investigation
Setting: Barlow Corners, Camp Wonder Falls, Ellingham Academy, Sunny Pines
Period: 1978
400 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins
Content warnings: violence