Premeditated Myrtle

By Elizabeth C. Bunce

Book #1 in the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries series

A young detective uncovers a murder mystery in Victorian England.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 3,106 ratings

368 pages

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Bookroo's summary

In Victorian England, twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle, with a passion for criminology, faces her biggest challenge yet. When her eccentric neighbor dies mysteriously, Myrtle, alongside her governess Miss Judson, is determined to prove it was murder. As she navigates societal expectations and skepticism, even from her prosecutor father, Myrtle's wit and determination are put to the test. Can she uncover the truth and catch the killer in a world that doubts her abilities? Dive into a twisty tale of intrigue and justice with this brilliant young detective.

From the publisher

A 2021 Edgar Award Nominee, Best Juvenile A BookPage Best Book of 2020: Middle Grade 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 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 her – 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.

At a glance

Format
Pages: 368
Reading age: 9–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 740L

Themes & topics

Books about death Books about history Books about family Books about parents Books about violence

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Presence of Death

The main character, Myrtle, helps to solve the murder mystery of her neighbor.

For readers who can't stop at one