Maureen Johnson Books In Order

Publication Order of Little Blue Envelopes Books

Publication Order of Scarlett Books

Publication Order of Shades of London Books

Publication Order of Truly Devious Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Ghosts of the Shadow Market Books

Publication Order of The Bane Chronicles Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Maureen Johnson is an American author of literature and fiction novels famously known as the author of Suite Scarlett series and the Shades of London series. Maureen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended an all-girl Catholic high school and is a graduate of the University of Delaware. In the short period between her graduate and undergraduate careers, Maureen worked in New York City and Philadelphia, London. She was also the manager of Philadelphia Theater Company, a bartender in Piccadilly, a secretary, a waitress in a theme restaurant and a seasonal performer. She studied both theatrical dramatically and writing at Columbia University where she graduated with an MFA in Writing.

Maureen Johnson’s debut novel The Key to the Golden Firebird was published in 2004. Maureen’s book The Bermudez Triangle was challenged by a parent of a student in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The author responded on her blog calling for transparency in the school system’s challenge process. To address this controversy, the school board did not remove the book from the library but instead placed it in a restricted part of the high school’s library. Ms. Johnson is a resident of New York City.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes is the first book in Little Blue Envelope series by Maureen Johnson. It is a modern day coming of age tale that centers on Virginia Blackstone, also known as Ginny, a 17-year-old girl who receives a letter in a blue envelope from beloved her aunt. She is to fly to London, but she cannot carry with her any crutches. The envelope contains money (1000 dollars) in cash and the instruction to pick up several packages of letters that begin Ginny on a trip around Europe tracing the steps of her outlandish aunt. The instructions are quite specific, no maps, no cell phones, and Ginny can only open one envelope at a time after the task in the previous letter has been completed.

Through these letters, Ginny gets to learn more about what led her aunt to flee Europe in pursuit of her art. She also learns about her aunt’s last year of life since she had already died from brain tumor by the time the first letter arrived. Though Ginny’s adventures, she learns more about herself, her own ingenuity, strength, and abilities to forgive and also discovers that she too can be an exciting person.

Some of the tasks she is to complete seem impossible to her- like finding a restaurant in Paris where he aunt spent about a month decorating the restaurant to pay rent and sleeping behind the bar. Other tasks are more straightforward to crack, and as a reader, you will laugh at some of Ginny’s troubles and flinch at her mistakes as the envelopes take her on a trip across Europe.

Filled with the strong supporting cast (like the annoying family of Americans with plans in Amsterdam and the beautiful playwright she meets in London) the story unfolds at a steady pace, while never losing its evoking nature as Ginny retraces the steps of her beloved Aunt.

The Last Little Blue Envelope

As the first book in Little Blue Envelopes concludes, Ginny’s bag containing the last of her aunt’s letter is stolen before she can read the letter. Even though she manages to work out her aunt’s final message, she still wishes that she had read the letter herself. Several months letter, Ginny is contacted by a man who claims to have claiming to have her letter and wants to meet her in England. Oliver the man, claiming to have the letter rather than handling it over Ginny’s property proceeds to blackmailing her. He informs her about how much her aunt’s painting made at an auction and claims that he wants a cut. Oliver is cruel, selfish, and denies Ginny to see the letter.

The second book in Little Blue Envelops is a brilliant one and what makes this novel unique is its traveling aspect. The great journeys through Europe as seen through Ginny’s eyes are incredible. The character addition in this second novel is nicely done with each character being multidimensional. Overall, the second series installment novel is simple but also entertaining and just like all Maureen Johnson’s novels, the writing is nicely done, the dialogue is witty, and the characters are likable.

The Name of the Star

The Name of the Star introduces us to Rory a southern girl going to London. She is having a good time while at school in London, making new friends and learning to fit in and then she suddenly starts seeing things that no one else can.

Then she also sees a man that her roommate did not see that murders start occurring in London. Could this be the work of a serial killer? Can the cops stop the next killings since they already know the place and time when they will happen? What can anyone draw from surveillance footage that doesn’t show the attacker?

Rory soon discovers that what she actually saw was never normal and she is subsequently tossed into a world of paranormal investigations and secret police. Will the specialized team of Scotland Yard cops be able to stop the killer before he strikes again? The Name of the Star is a story full of laugh out loud moments, the edge of your seat thrills and quotable phrases. Maureen has breathed life into the mystery genre rapidly turning blended and stale thriller with paranormal humor in a recipe that guarantees satisfaction.

The plot is multi-layered and well woven, and its evident that the author did extensive research before writing this novel. The historical facts were truly accurate and interesting, and the description of the locations is also detailed as well. Maureen Johnson switches between informal and informal, first person and the third person making the story engaging and easy to understand. The main character is Rory; her humor is fresh, witty and the kind of person you aspire to be. She is brave, kind, and shows all the characters that she is human. She is also relatable, loyal, trustworthy and a genuinely lovely person. Additionally, all the characters are also interesting each with a distinct personality, and with their own secrets.