From the publisher: "Ginny Blackstone never thought she'd spend her summer vacation backpacking across Europe. But that was before she received the first little blue envelope from Aunt Peg. This letter was different from Peg’s usual letters for two reasons: 1. Peg had been dead for three months. 2. The letter included $1000 cash for a passport and a plane ticket. Armed with instructions for how to retrieve twelve other letters Peg wrote—twelve letters that tell Ginny where she needs to go and what she needs to do when she gets there—Ginny quickly finds herself swept away in her first real adventure. Traveling from London to Edinburgh to Amsterdam and beyond, Ginny begins to uncover stories from her aunt's past and discover who Peg really was."

From the publisher: "New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart. Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. 'A place,' he said, 'where learning is a game.'"

When we had our Best Books of the Summer event with the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, Shannon picked this one saying it was everything she was looking for: "Mystery + Summer Camp + Excellent Quirky Characters and Witty Smart Dialogue... in this fun yet serious escapist summer read." This is the forth in the Truly Devious series, but Shannon assured us that it definitely stands alone.

There you are, innocently planning a trip to a charming English village, when you remember just how murderous those places can be. (If you’ve read the Inspector Gamache series, you’ll know this applies to quaint Canadian towns as well.) Good thing author Maureen Johnson and illustrator Jay Cooper are here to provide much needed tongue-in-cheek guidance!