PREMEDITATED MYRTLE - Elizabeth Bunce

3.75 stars

The perfect mystery series for the young Sherlock Holmes in your life—or for anyone who enjoys historical mysteries with a modern sense of humor. Myrtle was a HOOT!

Characters: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★ 1/2
Dialogue/Humor: ★★★★
Mystery: ★★★ 1/2

Myrtle Hardcastle has an Unconventional Obsession with crime. Unlike other Proper Young Ladies during these olden times, Myrtle doesn't like tea time, dresses, or spending time sitting still. She likes to investigate. And what's better to investigate than murders and crimes?

One morning, Myrtle is observing her neighbor's estate through her telescope and she notices something odd. Something is afoot at Redgraves, and the mistress of the house hasn't gotten up yet. As this highly irregular behavior, Myrtle calls it in to the police.

Turns out, her wealthy spinster neighbor has been murdered.

Myrtle Hardcastle is on the case. With her sharp-witted governess in tow and her prosecutor father in the background, Myrtle is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery—no matter what is at stake.

What a clever, funny, and engaging middle grade mystery novel. As someone who enjoys Sherlock Holmes-inspired tales and has a soft spot for plucky historical female characters, this was a win-win for me. While this series IS meant for a middle grade audience—and it is an excellent novel for that group—I would also highly recommend it to adults who love Deanna Raybourn and other such historical mystery writers as the tone and feel is quite similar.

A fun-filled ride from start to finish! Looking forward to catching more of Myrtle's antics in the sequel, How to Get Away with Myrtle.

Thank you to Algonquin for my copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Blog | Instagram