Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Boarding school mystery finale is a twisty page-turner.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE HAND ON THE WALL, Stevie is reeling after the death of her advisor from a house fire. She knows it's no accident, like the other deaths at Ellingham School. She just needs to prove it, like she solved the cold case that originally brought her there. But she may not get the chance to look into the crime at all. Her house mate's Rube Goldberg invention goes haywire -- mysteriously -- and breaks a student's arm, prompting the closure of the school for the rest of the semester. As everyone prepares to go home in a hurry ahead of a massive blizzard, Stevie's ex, David, shows up with a proposition for Stevie and her friends to ride out the storm at the school in secret. It may just be the time Stevie needs to solve the case before she leaves Ellingham for good, or it may be a decision that leads to disaster.
Is It Any Good?
This hip mystery trilogy finale is an addictive page-turner that piles on the murder plots and intrigue in two time periods. When Stevie and jer friends in The Hand on the Wall get trapped in a Vermont blizzard, you'll wish you were in similar straits, just so you can speed to the big reveals at the end without interruption.
All the fun elements of classic mysteries are here: secret passageways and family secrets aplenty, the gathering of the suspects in a mansion, ransoms and kidnappings, and millions of dollars at stake. Author Maureen Johnson takes these classic components and spins them into something modern with a relatable teen sleuth who suffers regular panic attacks, her eclectic group of talented friends, and a rebellious love interest with a very Trump-like father. This is the kind of absorbing series that teens and up will be reading and rereading for years to come.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Stevie's decision at the end of The Hand on the Wall. What is she not telling? Why?
Whom did you suspect throughout the series for murders past and present? Did it change with each book? Were you right?
Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes mysteries are mentioned often in this series. Will you read some of the classics after reading this mystery series?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date : January 21, 2020
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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