A 2021 Edgar® Award Winner, Best Juvenile A BookPage Best Book of 2020: Middle Grade A Mighty Girl’s 2020 Books of the Year Introducing Myrtle Hardcastle, your favorite new amateur detective: a wickedly smart twelve-year-old with a keen interest in criminology and a nose for murder. Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal … passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England.
When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes he –not even her father, the town prosecutor.
With sparkling wit and a tight, twisty plot, Premeditated Myrtle, the first in a series from an award-winning author, introduces a brilliant young investigator ready to take on hard cases and maddening Victorian rules for Young Ladies of Quality in order to earn her place among the most daring and acclaimed amateur detectives of her time or any other.
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Myrtle, the main character, is a 12 year old interested in criminal science in England. She is precocious and interesting. I know a few readers who would fall in love with her. In this book Myrtle tries to prove her neighbor was murdered.
I tried reading the NetGalley copy several times but the footnotes and such threw me off terribly. I decided to listen to the audiobook and it was a tad better but not much.
Please give this a try if you love mysteries. I know it is loved as there are two Published and 3rd to be published in October. It just was not for me.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own
A middle-grade Edgar winner with a delightful, turn-of-the-last century young lady forensic detective surrounded by believable characters and real problems. Highly recommend!
I was given a free review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was so good! Myrtle is such a great character. The story was interesting and immediately pulled me in. I cannot wait to read more in this series. I would recommend this book!
I was extremely excited about this when I saw it on here – I’ve been in a bit of a reading funk lately and the thought of a Victorian Nancy Drew, struggling not only with the standard “nobody listens to children” issues of a young detective but also the strictures against women of the time period, really drew me in. I expected a fun quick cozy mystery. The book was a little more complicated than that, and while on one hand I think that’s a cool thing, on the other it made for a much slower-going read than I expected and I’m worried about how middle grade readers will approach it as a result.
I work part-time in a library with some voracious young readers, so I’m always eager to recommend a strong female protagonist, particularly in a historical fiction context they might not stumble upon or select on their own. While this book delivers the attitudes that will appeal to them in Spades, I felt like the pacing was slower than I wanted from a book like this, and it was also longer than it needed to be. As a result I struggled to find my way into it more than I expected and on the whole liked it but didn’t love it…
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Thank you Algonquin for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Premeditated Myrtle
By: Elizabeth C. Bunce
REVIEW
Premeditated Myrtle is first in a series with a heroine after my own heart. Myrtle Hardcastle, age 12, Swinburne, England, defies the conventions of 1893. She will not do what proper young ladies are supposed to do. No, Myrtle spends her time studying her father’s law books and examining things under her mother’s microscope.
Myrtle’s agile mind is on a mission when her neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances. Putting her knowledge and instincts to the test, with her governess, Myrtle intends to prove this death was actually murder. As Myrtle follows the clues, does she doubt herself? Is it possible that she’s wrong?
The mystery, adventure, humor and everything else are great fun, but the highlight is Myrtle herself. Young but determined, wise beyond her age, shaking off societal expectations and following her own path instead-yes! Myrtle is a wonderful female lead character for young readers. I highly recommend reading this forward thinking delightful book!