In this sequel to Truly Devious, Stevie Bell continues to unravel the mystery of the Ellingham kidnappings.  After being pulled out of the academy by her parents, Stevie would do anything to return, including making a deal with the devil, Edward King. Now back at Ellingham, Stevie works to solve the case while keeping secrets from her crush David, Edward King’s son. And as if that isn’t already enough, the mystery is creeping into real life, and Stevie must solve it before it is too late.

This sequel introduces many new characters, including two students involved with the 1936 kidnappings. These students are Edward, a dramatic poet, and Francis, a pyromaniac with a love of crime. Edward and Francis bond over their dislike of the world they live in and share a dream to become the next Bonnie and Clyde. When a joke written by the students is mistakenly connected with the kidnappings, they suddenly become wrapped up in the mystery.

Maureen Johnson is great at writing characters emotions. Stevie feels constant guilt throughout the book, while Francis feels worry and David feels betrayed. Their emotions make the book what it is, and you empathize with the characters and their situations. Some other emotions that reoccur in the story are frustration, jealousy, loneliness, and confusion.

This book was well written and kept you guessing, similarly to Truly Devious. The different perspectives of the story all connected and led to Stevie solving who was responsible for the Ellingham kidnappings. The drama between Stevie and David added to the suspense of the book, as you wonder when David would find out about the deal Stevie had made with his father. The many secrets revealed add intrigue as do the relationships between the characters.

I have no problems with this story. It leaves you with many unanswered questions, but those will be answered in the next book, the conclusion of the series. Although Stevie has solved who was responsible for the kidnappings, she still needs to unmask Hayes’s murderer and solve the problem that is Edward King. Maureen Johnson’s writing style is unique and she is becoming one of my favorite authors.

The Vanishing Stair was a great book that I would highly recommend, but only after reading the first book in the series. Stevie and her friends are funny and stay strong in hard circumstances. I loved how quickly the mood of the book could change, especially in the scenes on Halloween. Stevie was able to solve the case in this book, something that many adults had tried and failed at before her. Stevie proves that age doesn’t determine what you are capable of doing.

I would rate this book a ten out of ten stars. I love books that make me think but can also make me laugh. This book does that perfectly, switching from Stevie piecing together clues about the kidnapping to David filling the library with squirrels. The characters are great and so is the plot. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!