Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #1)

A saucy, likable heroine shines in a mystery marked by clever, unexpected twists

[A] clever and lively Victorian English village murder mystery . . . Bunce does an excellent job of making Myrtle the lead actor but gives her a strong set of (mostly female) supporters.

A joyful thing to behold. Set in Victorian England, this mystery gleefully overturns sexist norms and celebrates independent women of intellect, with Myrtle Hardcastle leading the charge.

Gr 5-8--Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle is not your typical well-bred young lady of 1893 English society, and she has little interest in becoming one. Myrtle's interests lie more in solving crimes, proving her aptitude to her prosecutor father, and arranging his marriage to her beloved and continually supportive governess. When her next-door neighbor, an eccentric elderly woman known for cultivating exotic lilies, dies suddenly, Myrtle finds herself in a mystery worthy of her mettle. Was it a murder? Will Myrtle finally prove herself to her father and the many adults who underestimate her deductive prowess? What can Myrtle do about the incorrigibly flirtatious young woman threatening Myrtle's well-laid plans for the stepmother she has already chosen? A well-plotted mystery, a stubbornly brilliant yet fallible female protagonist, and adorably clever footnotes make this novel shine. The vocabulary is massive, with many potentially unfamiliar terms left undefined. Young readers without background knowledge of Victorian-era England may be confused by some references to historical events and concepts. It is a fantastically large jump from many mystery novels in this target age range to Myrtle Hardcastle, in both lexicon and depth of historical reference. VERDICT While many young readers may struggle with the advanced vocabulary, those history buffs who have long outgrown simple mysteries will find a relatable and delightful companion in Myrtle.--Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Schools

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Channeling classic Victorian whodunits, Bunce's (the Thief Errant series) detective series opener features a quirky, winning narrator and a lively secondary cast. Thanks to governess Miss Judson, 12-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle, who is middle-class and white, is training to become a Young Lady of Quality. Inspired by the examples of her late mother, who was a medical student, and her widowed lawyer father, Myrtle tends to be anything but proper, for example erecting an observation point from which to chronicle neighborhood events. When elderly next-door neighbor, scornful Miss Wodehouse, doesn't follow her routine one morning, Myrtle summons the constabulary. After the revelation of Miss Wodehouse's death and the arrival of the elderly woman's heretofore unknown relatives, Myrtle suspects she was murdered and enlists Miss Judson to solve the mystery. A generous, well-wrought relationship between governess and charge complements tightly plotted twists. As "the precocious daughter who lurked about everywhere being impertinent and morbid," Myrtle is as clever as she is determined, and her expertise--seen in evidence collection and courtroom antics--is certain to delight genre stalwarts and mystery novices alike. Publishing simultaneously: How to Get Away with Myrtle (A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #2). Ages 10-up. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Oct.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Premeditated Myrtle is a book young readers will love and adults may well sneak out of backpacks and off of nightstands for their own enjoyment... Here's hoping for more adventures with this delightful, heroic protagonist."
—BookPage, starred review

"Bunce crafts a truly captivating murder mystery, throwing in a delicious mix of twists, red herrings, and relatives excluded from the family fortune. Myrtle is an entertaining protagonist, not afraid to get her hands dirty, sneak into mansions after dark to find a clue, or call out sexism of men toward her scientific interests or the racism toward her governess. The book will make readers yearn for more of Myrtle's (mis)adventures."
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"In the tradition of heroines like Flavia de Luce and Harriet the Spy, Myrtle is a fine example of the Victorian scientific female—smart, inquisitive and fearless. Written with a terrific mixture of humor and suspense, Premeditated Myrtle is a perfect read for any budding detective."
—Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of the Her Royal Spyness series