The Box in the Woods

This young adult mystery follows Stevie Bell, a renowned teen detective, as she tackles a new challenge at a summer camp with a dark past. Camp Wonder Falls was the site of the unsolved "Box in the Woods" murders in the 1970s, and now, unsettling events, including threatening messages and grisly dolls, are resurfacing. Stevie, along with her friends from Ellingham, goes undercover as a camp counselor to investigate. The stakes escalate when the camp owner dies under suspicious circumstances, forcing Stevie to race against time to solve both a cold case and a present-day threat. Parents should be aware of themes involving murder, suspense, and some potentially unsettling imagery (grisly dolls), suitable for the 12-18 age range. It's a compelling read for teens interested in true crime and detective stories.

"Stevie Bell did it. She solved the greatest unsolved mystery of the century. So, what now? Figuring it all out-the truth behind Truly Devious and what exactly happened in the Ellingham Affair-has granted Stevie Bell a bit of celebrity in the true crime community. So she's not surprised when she gets an email from the man who owns Camp Bounty Lake (now called Camp Wonder Falls), the site of the infamous Box in the Woods murders from the 1970s. Weird things are happening at the camp again, although nothing as sinister as before. No murders, no bodies posed by the mysterious figure they called The Doll Collector. But there is a threatening message chalked across a wall. And a box has appeared, with three grisly dolls inside it. Stevie accepts a job as a camp counselor so she can figure out what's going on. She recruits her friends from Ellingham-Nate, Janelle, and Vi-to become counselors, too, and even Germaine Batt turns up. Not long after they arrive, the owner of the camp dies in a suspicious hiking accident. Once again, Stevie will have to solve a cold case from the past before a killer catches up with her in the present.