A review by oceanwriter
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Questions finally get answered in The Hand on the Wall. Who is 'Truly Devious'? Who killed two of the academy students? What happened to Alice Ellingham? And the latest question, who killed yet another connection to the school and the Ellingham case? With all of the recent tragedies, the school risks being closed for good.

Stevie isn't the only one desperate for answers, and though she does have the biggest piece of the puzzle figured out, she still doesn't know why two of her friends have been killed. Meanwhile, David is on a mission to sabotage his father's presidential campaign. This leads to a group of the academy students staying behind at the school despite an evacuation order... because nothing could go wrong trapped in a blizzard in a school that's shaping up to be cursed.

The story winds down in this book and focuses a lot on the historical part of the mystery. It's also slightly more character-driven than the previous two books. I'm curious about what's next given this one doesn't end on a cliffhanger. So far, I've had fun with this series and plan on finishing it in the near future.

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