Books Like The Velvet Knife
by Maureen Johnson
The Velvet Knife continues Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious saga by putting Stevie Bell exactly where she most wants to be: sleuthing. This installment alternates two interconnected narratives — back at Ellingham Academy and over the holiday break in New York City with her friend Nate — as Stevie, restless about her relationship with David, deliberately seeks out “a good old-fashioned murder” and promptly finds one (or two). Expect the book’s familiar mechanics: an amateur detective’s close third-person voice, puzzle-solving driven by clues and ragged emotional stakes, and a boarding-school setting that collides with big-city complications and black-humor moments.
Readers come to The Velvet Knife for different, precise reasons. Some will be following Stevie’s emotional arc — how her romantic friction with David refracts her need for control. Others will be after the structural pleasures: dual timelines that echo and inform each other, the contrast between cloistered Ellingham and gritty New York, and the way Johnson uses comic beats to lighten otherwise tense murder investigations. The list below separates recommendations by what element of Stevie’s latest case you might want more of: procedural sleuthing, elite-school secrets, witty duo dynamics, or atmospheric, puzzle-forward mysteries.
Recommended for fans of The Velvet Knife
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Holly Jackson
A determined teen investigates an old murder through clever sleuthing, layered evidence, and escalating danger.
Pick this if you loved Stevie’s methodical evidence-gathering and single-minded chase of a cold case; this book is the closest match for a clever, driven teenage investigator.
The Agathas
Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
Two unlikely teenage detectives tackle murder with sharp humor, alternating perspectives, and classic-mystery inspiration.
Pick this if you liked The Velvet Knife’s snappy, dual-perspective banter and sharper comedic beats; this one pairs two teen investigators with brisk, humor-tinged chapters.
The Ivies
Alexa Donne
Academic rivalry becomes murder at an elite boarding school filled with secrets, ambition, and suspicious classmates.
Pick this if it was the elite-boarding-school setting and academic rivalry that drew you in; this book concentrates on campus ambition and the chilling underside of scholarship.
One of Us Is Lying
Karen M. McManus
Multiple teenage suspects unravel a classmate's death amid secrets, romance, humor, and shifting perspectives.
Pick this if you enjoyed multiple possible culprits, shifting loyalties, and a tone that mixes romance and humor with the mystery; expect similar twists and classroom politics.
The Inheritance Games
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A resourceful teenager navigates riddles, family secrets, romantic complications, and a mansion built for mysteries.
Pick this if you want more intricate puzzles and a heroine thrust into a household of riddles and secrets; this leans more toward elaborate game-like mysteries than school-based detection.
The Naturals
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Gifted teenage investigators use deduction and psychology to pursue killers while navigating friendships and attraction.
Pick this if you liked Stevie’s amateur-forensics and interpersonal friendships under pressure; this series focuses on teens with special investigative talents working in a team dynamic.
Murder Most Unladylike
Robin Stevens
Boarding-school friends investigate a teacher's murder in a witty, affectionate homage to classic detective fiction.
Pick this if you wanted a cozy-yet-serious homage to classic detective fiction set in a school, with two friends who investigate together — a tone very close to Johnson’s boarding-school episodes.
Ace of Spades
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Two students confront an anonymous tormentor in a tense elite-school mystery driven by secrets and social manipulation.
Pick this if it was the social manipulation, anonymous threats, and high-stakes reputational damage you found compelling; this is darker and more modern-vengeful than Johnson’s blend of humor and mystery.
The Counselors
Jessica Goodman
A summer-camp murder draws a teenage amateur detective into buried secrets, tangled loyalties, and romantic complications.
Pick this if you preferred a contained setting where loyalties and secrets among a small group drive the plot; this is a summer-camp analog to Ellingham’s tight social web, with romantic complications layered on.
At a glance
These matches were chosen to reflect the Velvet Knife’s main dimensions: an amateur-teen sleuth, alternating/dual narratives, boarding-school versus urban settings, and a blend of humor with serious mystery beats. Each pick emphasizes which of those aspects it most closely shares with Johnson’s book.
| Book | First published | Pages | Closest match on | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Holly Jackson | 2019 | 431 | Determined teen sleuth | 95% |
The Agathas Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson | 2022 | 424 | Alternating-perspective wit | 93% |
The Ivies Alexa Donne | 2021 | 328 | Elite-school secrets | 91% |
One of Us Is Lying Karen M. McManus | 2014 | 360 | Ensemble of suspects | 90% |
The Inheritance Games Jennifer Lynn Barnes | 2020 | 392 | Puzzle-driven riddles | 89% |
The Naturals Jennifer Lynn Barnes | 2013 | 290 | Profiling & team dynamics | 88% |
Murder Most Unladylike Robin Stevens | 2014 | 348 | Boarding-school detective duo | 87% |
Ace of Spades Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | 2019 | 432 | Social-pressure thriller | 85% |
The Counselors Jessica Goodman | 2013 | 140 | Closed-community murder | 83% |
About The Velvet Knife
The Velvet Knife is a YA mystery published in September 2026 and is book six in Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series, following Nine Liars. It follows aspiring detective Stevie Bell as she investigates one or more murders across Ellingham Academy and New York City, with an interwoven dual-narrative structure and recurring characters from the series.
Frequently asked questions
If I liked Stevie’s voice in The Velvet Knife, what should I read next?+
If Stevie’s dogged, witty amateur-sleuth narration is what appealed, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder mirrors that voice-driven, evidence-forward investigation by a determined teen. The Agathas is another close tonal match with its sharp humor and alternating perspectives.
Which of these is closest to the Truly Devious boarding-school vibe?+
For boarding-school atmospherics and an ensemble of suspicious classmates, The Ivies and Murder Most Unladylike both echo Ellingham Academy’s mix of privileges, secrets and student-run investigating.
I liked the romantic complications alongside the mystery — any recommendations?+
The Inheritance Games and The Naturals both balance sleuthing with romantic tension and complicated friendships; each emphasizes different tones (puzzle-house riddles vs. profiling dynamics) that pair well with Stevie’s personal stakes.
Are any of these more intense or darker than Velvet Knife?+
Yes. Ace of Spades and The Counselors lean heavier into social manipulation and reputational harm; they share the elite-school setting but bring a darker psychological pressure than Johnson’s consistent infusion of humor.
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