MIDDLE GRADE HISTORICAL FICTION & MYSTERY : Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce
ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
REVIEW
Myrtle Hardcastle's fascination with science and investigation comes in handy when her neighbor, Miss Wodehouse dies mysteriously. At first she has a hard time convincing anyone other than her governess, Miss Judson, that a crime has been committed. But due to her bulldogged persistence, the case is taken over by the police and a suspect arrested. Despite finally being listened to, unusual for a 12-year-old young lady who is constantly being reminded that she isn't proper, Myrtle can't quite accept the suspect's guilt. She keeps investigating using everything she's learned from her father, the prosecutor. But the closer she gets to an answer, the less clear-cut things become and Myrtle struggles to separate her feelings from the facts.
Myrtle is one of those characters who tries so hard to be cerebral that her feelings often get shoved aside. But her feelings won't be ignored. Feelings about her mother's sickness and death, feelings about her governess and her father, frustration with 'being a proper young lady', feelings about being mistreated and ignored, and feelings about Priscilla, Miss Wodehouse's heir, who might be the killer. I enjoyed Myrtle's voice, her precocious yet vulnerable storytelling made for a sympathetic character that I could relate to. Myrtle's interests aren't considered appropriate for a young lady of her time but thanks to the unconventionality of her governess, she's allowed quite a bit of leeway to pursue her interests. Her footnotes provide an amusing side commentary on context and experiences.
Combining the mystery genre with an historical context made for an interesting blend. Enough historical details were included to provide context, but the mystery carried the story. There were several interesting side stories as well that added to the depth of the story. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were interesting as they introduced the criminal science concepts that appeared in that chapter. It was intriguing to me to read about how certain things were done in that historical context and compare them to how things are done now. A fun new series with a fascinating historical context, sympathetic, diverse characters, and criminal science in action.
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