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...

Jumping right into the action, this middle grade mystery is perfect for the 4-6 grade readers. That being said, I’m not going to purchase for my (6-8) middle school collection because the protagonist felt young.

Plot: The mystery in this was good! The backstory was unique, and I quite enjoyed the setting for this book. I'm happy that I guessed the culprit! I don't want to write too much about the plot, for fear of spoiling the mystery.

Characters: All of the characters were well written! I liked how your opinion of a character could change, based on how Myrtle viewed them. And her governess was an excellent character!

The Cover: I like it! And I really love how there are nods to parts of the story on the cover, which after having read the book, are very obvious, which is fun!

Overall: I very much enjoyed reading this Middle Grade book, and I will definitely be reading the sequel! (Which according to the summary, takes place on a train, which I always love!) As an adult I found this to be very good, and I know I would have also loved it when I was a middle grader. I would definitely recommend this book! :)

A fun period mystery for middle-grade readers. Although a little more light-hearted than the Enola Holmes mysteries, hand this to fans of the series by Nancy Springer.

This book is listed as children's literature. Netgalley listed it as middle grades, amazon has it as grade 5 and up with an age range of 10-18. I must disagree. I think it is a fine book for adults, too!

The main reason it is seen as a children's book is that the protagonist is a 12 year old child which would make this attractive to that preteen set. But the nuances and the vocabulary can easily make it enjoyable for an adult.

Myrtle is an only child whose mother has died, she has a governess who she adores. Miss Judson encourages her in her interest in criminal science, an interest he has obtained form here father who is a lawyer and prosecutor. Next door is an old spinster who is famous for her lilies. When Miss Wodehouse dies, Myrtle observes things that make her believe it was not a heart attack that caused her death, but murder. No one believes her, but she continues to investigate as best she can, upset that something she said has put an innocent man in prison who now faces the death penalty.

I mentioned the vocabulary. It is wonderful! Thankfully I read this on a kindle and was able to use the dictionary easily. Many words I was familiar enough with but knew that they are not in the common vocabulary of the average elementary student. Like many Lemony Snickett books, it is a great, easy way to enlarge the vocabulary of the reader. What was not good about the kindle edition that I read is that there are footnotes at times that show up on a different page. The asterisk was so faint that as I scrolled back to find the reference, it was sometimes hard to find. I imagine that those footnotes are on the page with what they refer to.

I so enjoyed this book that I am preordering a copy for my granddaughter. This is as delightful as they come! I hope that Ms. Bunce will continue to regale us with further adventures of Myrtle.

Set in Victorian England, Premeditated Myrtle features Myrtle, an irrepressible, precocious polymath who is fascinated with forensics and crimes, and knows Greek and Latin to boot. When her next door neighbor suddenly dies, she is convinced that it is murder. Eventually the police agree, but Myrtle realizes to her horror that she has led the police to arrest the wrong person. She has to get the right suspect before it's too late. Myrtle and her governess Miss Judson, a more grown-up version of Myrtle, make for a great partnership in solving the mystery. The witty narration and fun footnotes make this a delight to read.

This book for middle grade readers has such a lovely old world feel. It is a cozy mystery for kids, something I was drawn to immediately. Our heroine is Myrtle, daughter of a busy prosecutor and mad keen investigator of mysteries and pursuer of science. When the neighbour meets an unexpected end by dying in the bath, Myrtle decides to investigate. Young ladies in Victorian times however are not expected to be running around interviewing gardeners and pursuing clues, but Myrtle is not interested in behaving as other girls do.

This is a lovely cozy mystery, it is way too long. The story stalls a little in the middle and I admit to skimming some chapters where nothing in particular was happening. A tighter editing would have been good. Having said that it is a lovely novel and Myrtle is a great character.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access.

Myrtle is a plucky detective in the making trying to get around societal demands of a young lady near the end of the 19th century, When her neighbor, and the gardener are not to be seen one morning, she calls the police. Indeed, her neighbor was found dead, in the bathtub. Myrtle suspects a murder.

Awesome characters abound in this book, from the smart, artsy governess to the hilarious law clerk who is a minor character, each character has a way of surprising the reader.

Mystery lovers young and old would enjoy this book.

This has got all the ingredients to make my favourite sort of 9-12 book, and how much GIRL POWER!? Awesome story, great messages and makes me want to go back to my forensic science days to solve mysteries!

What a fun mystery with a compelling female protagonist at the center. Perfect for budding sleuths and future Sherlock Holmes fans. Hand this to any reader who enjoys suspense, puzzles, books set in England, and a strong sense of justice.

Set in Victorian England, Myrtle Hardcastle loves mysteries and is interesting in lots of things other girls her age aren't interested in - like solving murders and how people died. She's fascinating by dead bodies and causes of death. One a murder happens right next door, she has to convince the adults around her that it was, in fact, murder.

An intriguing mystery, a wonderful cast of characters, and a clever cat!

I thoroughly enjoyed this middle grade historical mystery and I'm looking forward to sharing it with readers at my library,

I will admit, when this book was described as a Victorian era Nancy Drew, I made a beeline to NetGalley and requested access to the title. Then, before I could even begin reading it, Pamela Thompson posted about it and doubled my curiosity. Both sources were right - it is a delightful book with a wonderfully complex heroine.

Myrtle lost her mother to illness several years ago and is being raised by her father (a lawyer) and a governess who understands Myrtle's preoccupation with crime and mysteries. I do not envy Miss Judson the task of meeting the emotional and intellectual needs of a precocious girl during that restrictive era, but somehow she manages. Whether it is taking a healthy walk, so they might "accidentally" observe the police investigations in the house next door, or taking her downtown to watch her father in court, Miss Judson comes through.

The other characters also provide glimpses into the social structure of the time. There is the gruff-seeming gardener, Mr. Hamm, with his more rustic way of speaking. Cook with her spanner is a delight in her unending battle with the hob in the kitchen. The other girls seem complete opposites to Myrtle with their concern over fashion and social position, although there are hints that at least one neighbor may not be as shallow as she appears. And the technology itself will be a bit of a mystery to modern readers: boilers for the "modern bath" in the neighbor's house, the newness of bicycles, the fact that not every home has a telephone (not to mention that cell phones are decades away).

If you know middle grader readers who enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, determined young protagonists, and some humor mixed in with the action (murder, kidnappings, blackmail, explosions), then you should recommend Premeditated Myrtle to them. Publication date is set for October 6.

I had a really hard time connecting with the characters in this book, and I am not sure that my younger patrons will have an easier time. For a mystery, it was surprisingly slow and (sorry to say) boring.

Premeditated Myrtle will take you on a trip across the world and back in time to meet Myrtle, an unofficial child detective. Instead of performing tasks for "young ladies," Myrtle is always out and about solving crimes. After a neighbors mysterious and sudden death, Myrtle is on the case. Myrtle is an admirable and strong heroine that serves as a great reminder for being yourself! Great characters and a light hearted writing style make this a great mystery read for everyone!

I received an electronic ARC from Algonquin Young Readers through NetGalley.
Nancy Drew meets A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Myrtle is fascinated with the law and crime solving. Her father is a prosecutor and she thrives on investigating mysteries. She and her governess explore all sorts of subjects rather than the expected topics for young girls in the early 20th century. In book one, she figures out that her elderly neighbor was murdered and proceeds to figure out how it happened and by the end - who did it.
Times of suspense and action weave through the book. At times, the pace is a bit slow, but readers will appreciate Myrtle and her family.

This is a delightful tale of a very clever girl who keeps tugging at a mystery until she unravels it. I love the way that Myrtle interacts with the different adults around her. She is self-confident, clever, and utterly a delight. This will be a wonderful adventure for mystery lovers, historical fiction aficionados, and anyone who appreciates strong women who break the mold.

I was so excited to see new work from Elizabeth Bunce (if you haven’t read Starcrossed and Liar’s Moon, go find them today). I was surprised to find that her new series was middle grades, but I love a good mystery, no matter the age. Thanks for the ARC, netgalley!

So Myrtle is a precocious, intelligent, somewhat unlikely little girl, but I loved that, unlike many “special” or “different” heroines, she was still relatable. She is a veritable mini-Marple with a depth of character that makes you root for her every moment. The mystery is fascinating and kept me turning pages through an admittedly rather slow start. But midway through, the story really picks up. I really appreciated that Myrtle’s world was not filled with hard, stifling adults. Her father, Ms, Judson, and the cook may want her to act with propriety, but they encourage and respect her talents as well. Throw in a hilarious cat and a charming law clerk, and the cast is absolutely adorable. Ms. Bunce also manages some diversity without beating you over the head with it at every turn.

To be honest, I spotted the villain very quickly, but I did not understand the scheme until the end. I tried to ask myself, “Would I have enjoyed this when I was 12?” IF I made it far enough in (about the flower show and onward), yes. But I worry I may not have had the fortitude to make it that far. Some of the laughs and the charm needed to come a bit earlier, I think.

That being said, I really enjoyed Myrtle’s adventure, and I look forward to the next installment

A great character, interesting surroundings, and a fun read. A great vacation read for the middle grader looking to get lost in a new world!

I absolutely loved the voice! The style of writing reminds me of the Lady Janie series in that the author uses a lot of a quick humor in the dialogue and at times breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader. As a Nancy Drew fan who read all my mom's old books, I love that I can now recommend this book to patrons at my library. It's an updated, very funny, and determined lead character who knows she wants to be a detective when she grows up and she's already pretty dang good at it! The book drew me in from the start with Myrtle's playful and loving relationship to her governess and her fun observation notes as she's keeping watch around the neighborhood. Charming and lovely, will definitely recommend.