Myrtle Hardcastle, a twelve year old was blessed with a sharp mind and a passion for justice . After reporting the death of her neighbour, Ms. Woodhouse to the police, she became suspicious that it wasn't a natural death. She was sure of her murder but no one believed the 12 year old, not even her own father. So she along with her governess, went on the mission to uncover the mystery behind Ms. Woodhouse's murder with the help of her partner PEONY, Ms. Woodhouse’s cat!

Will she be able to prove her stand?

Written beautifully, I loved how the author entwined everything. I loved her writing style, it really made me suspicious of almost every character until I finished the book.The principles of Investigation were like a cherry on the top. With the twists and turns, the book kept me hooked till the end and the climax was something unpredictable.

Myrtle and Miss Judson, her governess, are going on an unwelcome vacation with Aunt Helena. Aboard the train, Myrtle meets Mrs. Bloom, an insurance investigator and fascinating woman. When a valuable tiara is stolen, Mrs. Bloom and Myrtle begin to investigate. However, when they arrive at the seaside village, Myrtle finds Mrs. Bloom murdered in the baggage car. Now Myrtle must discover took the tiara and who killed Mrs. Bloom. Fun story and wonderful characters! I especially liked the return of Mr. Blakeney and his role in the story. This one kept me guessing to the end! Looking forward to the next!

I received an electronic ARC from Algonquin Young Readers through NetGalley.
The second book in this series picks up shortly after Myrtle solved her neighbor's murder. She and her governess, Miss Judson, accompany Aunt Helena on an excursion to the shore. Myrtle wanted to go with her father to the forensic science conference in Paris but has been told to stay away from criminal investigations. That lasts for the time it takes to sneak aboard the train early. She meets a female insurance investigator and is thrilled to see a woman in an investigative field. An expensive tiara is stolen and Mrs. Bloom invites Myrtle to join her investigation that first evening. Sadly, this becomes a murder investigation, and Myrtle and Miss Judson spend the rest of the book solving this rather than enjoying a quiet vacation.
Bunce continues to develop her main characters. Readers see more about their lives, thoughts and emotions. They even get to see a very different side to Aunt Helena than was shown in the first book. The plot had several twists that may surprise middle grade readers but will make sense as they move through the story.
Looking forward to the next in the series.

The author sent me both this book and the first to review. They are wonderful additions to my shelves and I have since gifted a set to a girl I know.

In How to get away with Myrtle Myrtle, her governess and her great aunt are leaving for a holiday by the sea. Unfortunately while onboard the train and expensive tiara goes missing. Myrtle immediately decides that she can solve the mystery. Soon a body turns up too! And when her aunt is arrested, Myrtle becomes more determined. Will Myrtle help to solve the case again?

This sequel is just as good as the first book. Just the right blend of action, deduction, and not so scary but realistic violence. I think if all the books are as good as these first two, this will be a very popular series.

How wonderful to look in on Myrtle Hardcastle again! And she is up to her old tricks- falling into a murder investigation. This time Myrtle is headed to the seaside when the train trip is derailed by the discovery of a body! If you liked Myrtle's first adventure you'll love this one too. The series continues to delight and I can't wait to see what Myrtle gets into next!

Love it love it love it!!!! I'm kind of sad that there aren't more Myrtle Hardcastle books to read now that I've sped through these last two! I think that this one might have been better than the first. I liked the setting and it seemed that Myrtle's side notes in the footnotes were even more sarcastic and humorous. I caught myself laughing quite a few times while reading her little comments and couldn't help but think, I agree!

This was such a different book than the first, it almost felt more mature in a way? Myrtle was faced with trying to prove she wasn't an incompetent child, but in fact a talented investigator who knew more about solving a murder than most of the adults in this situation. I was so frustrated with the railway officer that I could have jumped through the pages of the book and strangled him myself. He was definitely my least favorite character (even if he did try to be civil in the end. too late buddy!)

I felt that even though we don't get to see Myrtle's interaction with her dad in this book, there are still plenty of key characters, even Peony made it on vacation! I was actually stumped through most of this book as to who the killer was. I love that even though there are so many clues and hints here and there it isn't overly obvious. I was kept guessing to the last pages!

There are so many redeeming qualities to these books and I really did enjoy them very much. I can't wait until another comes out in this series so I can gobble it up as well!

How To Get Away With Myrtle is the second story following young Myrtle, who loves mysteries and crime. Her love of mystery and crime comes from her late mother who was a medical student and her father who is a prosecutor. Due to this upbringing, she wants to be an investigator when she grows up. To get Myrtle away from the previous murder, her father gets Myrtle and Miss Judson to go on holidays with Aunt Helena. However, little does anyone know, a robbery and murder is about to occur, so this type of mystery seems to be following Myrtle, to her happiness and everyone else’s dismay. But how can she do this when she is supposed to be a Proper Young Lady according to her father and her aunt. She continues with the help of her governess Miss Judson and her personal assistant, Peony the cat.

I was truly shocked at how much I loved this book. I did struggle initially, but I put that down to my own reading slump and life struggles, but once I got into it fully, I struggled to put it down! There are so many things I loved about this book. From the excerpts from H.M. Hardcastle. These again were a fabulous inclusion at the beginning of the chapters. It truly gave me a feel about what the following chapter would be about. The addition of the footnotes were great, and definitely suitable for the intended audience. They would definitely be suited better for a physical copy of the book, which was mentioned in the disclaimer at the beginning, which I was incredibly thankful for!

The continual character development of Myrtle was again some of the best I’ve read this year. I loved reading Myrtle as grow as a young girl, surrounded by others in an unfamiliar environment. The writing style of Bunce was so descriptive, yet not overly descriptive and so very engaging. I loved reading how Myrtle interacted with all the adults within the book. Her relationship again with Miss Judson was so incredibly well done and I loved their relationship and trust. It was great seeing more a complex relationship form between them due to the nature of this book. The relationship of Myrtle and Aunt Helena is one that looking back, I actually loved by the end of it. It’s definitely a lot more of a complex and tough relationship. I love reading about arguments in families as they feel so much more real.

I can normally struggle with background characters sometimes, and the background characters within this book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. They were a fabulous addition, due to the nature of the story. I went from hating some to loving them, and vice versa. The townspeople telling their stories of knowing other characters and the background history was fabulous to read. It was such great writing, I’m still in shock at how Bunce once again took me on a rollercoaster ride.

The complexity of this story was around Myrtle having to find the background history of certain characters and how they related to the town and its people before understanding and figuring out the murder mystery and thieving crime. I think this added to the fantastic growth of Myrtle along with the depth of the story line.

As I said, once I was hooked in this book, I couldn’t put this book down because I just loved reading about the new clues and trying to figure out who the murderer and thief was. The murderer and thief who I thought it was changed about 5 times. So I definitely didn’t pick it until the scene where it was revealed. I really hope there’s going to be more books in the series, so I can be once again reunited with these fantastic characters and Bunce’s beautifully vivid storytelling and writing style.

Thank you very much to the Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review and allowing me to participate in the blog tour.

These books are really great for a middle grade audience. I think that I have finally reached a point in my life though that middle grade books are just not entertaining anymore. 3 star rating because it wasn't bad for what it was, I just didn't finish it.

After reading the first Myrtle Hardcastle mystery, I hoped I wouldn't have to wait long to spend more time with this delightful and surprising kid in her quirky Victorian world. Bunce's second book more than lived up to my hopes!

#NetGalley

How To Get Away With Myrtle: Myrtle boards a train with her insufferable Aunt Helen for the countryside anticipating a relaxing--and boring--vacation. Till a precious cargo goes missing and a body is found, the trip is derailed. What’s a smart, bored Young Lady of Quality to do but follow the evidence to find out which of her fellow travelers is a thief and a murderer?⁣
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This was such a cute fun read from the curious perspective of a 12-year-old. So be sure to check em out. ⁣
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Many thanks TO @algonquinyr for the gifted eARC and the opportunity to participate in this tour. ⁣

Another great Myrtle mystery! Love this series and recommend it to my middle grade readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This series is perfect for fans of Enola Holmes. Surprisingly dense mysteries that actually took some concentration to follow. Great for advanced readers and anyone who loves a smart, determined, stubborn female character.

Fans of the first book in the series, Premeditated Myrtle, will enjoy this sequel where twelve-year-old Myrtle solves a jewel theft and a murder mystery that take place upon a train heading to the seaside. There are several mysteries to unravel and the writing style suits its precocious protagonist (lots of legal jargon, footnotes, etc.) so the series is best suited to young readers who, like Myrtle, enjoy learning new vocabulary and solving complex mysteries.

This book was even better than the first book. So Myrtle goes on vacation with her aunt and her governess. This vacation was supposed to get Myrtle out of trouble, but it seems to always follow her of course. In this book we will see Myrtle in action, I kept forgetting that she is a kid. There are so many twists and turns, and murder of course, and secrets uncovered. Even aunt Helena surprises us all throughout the whole book. I really enjoyed this read. Thank you to Netgalley, and Algonquin YR, and even the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book, cant wait to read part 3 and hopefully we see more of what Aunt Helena can bring to the table.

The second book in the new Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series takes place on a train as Myrtle and and her governess, Miss Judson, are accompanied by the dreaded Aunt Helena (whose presence all but guarantees a horrid holiday). So imagine Myrtle's delight when a jeweled tiara goes missing and she gets drawn into helping the insurance investigator. Her holiday is definitely looking up...until said investigator gets rather fatally silenced and now Myrtle must find not only a jewel thief but a murderer.

When it is obvious that traditional law enforcement is woefully lacking skills and brain power, Miss Judson and Myrtle take matters into their own hands. Not an easy task when Aunt Helena is working overtime to keep Myrtle away from what she considers an unsavory pasttime for proper young ladies.

As in book one, readers will be privy to rich vocabulary and instructive (and entertaining) footnotes. Keeping one step ahead of her controlling Aunt Helena is almost as difficult as keeping one step ahead of a murderer. How to Get Away with Myrtle is another literary home run. I highly recommend this marvelous new middle grade mystery series. I cannot wait to tag along on future Myrtle Hardcastle adventures!

The author, Elizabeth C. Bunce has one of the coolest websites around. You can check out other books she has written, link to her blog, and discover future author events.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of How to Get Away with Myrtle from publisher Algonquin Young Readers through NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

I enjoyed the first Myrtle book, but this sequel was even better. Since the series world-building and early character development were out of the way, this book could be faster-paced, and it has a delightful twisty mystery. Even though this is a great book for its target middle grade readers, this will also appeal to teenagers and adults who are interested in historic mysteries and strong, iconoclastic female protagonists.

This book has everything. The setting is wonderfully vivid, and once again, the story provides convincing reasons for a twelve-year-old girl to get involved in a criminal investigation. I also appreciate how Myrtle, her aunt, and Miss Judson discuss the previous events, and are on their seaside holiday because the adults in Myrtle's life want to distract her from the recent murder that she solved. Books like these can often stretch credulity by putting their characters into similar situations again and again without dealing with the logistics of this, but this book makes it convincing.

The cast of characters is engaging and memorable, and even though I was able to accurately predict some aspects of the ending, other twists took me completely by surprise, and the main subplot mystery was also top-notch, providing a separate mystery thread while also tying into the main story. It fascinated me to see how well the author was able to place her red herrings, weave her mystery, and make person after person seem totally suspicious. This is very well-crafted, and the pacing is excellent. I read this over two nights, and didn't want to tear myself away.

The historical time period is also well-researched and convincing, and the author's inclusion of dialect worked well because it was both accurate and consistent, which are booth difficult things to achieve. It gave a sense of the time and place without overwhelming the dialogue or distracting me. The author also writes with a strong awareness of what it was like for a Young Lady of Quality to live in a world that expected her to be prim, proper, and sheltered from all things exciting, interesting, or unpleasant. This book delved into these themes even more than the first, but I won't go into detail about this, because it would give away aspects of the story.

Myrtle is an excellent heroine, and this book is wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, regardless of their age, and will eagerly look forward to new installments. There is no release date for the third book yet, but according to the back of this book, it shall be entitled Cold Blooded Myrtle. I'm sure it will be another fantastic mystery novel to look forward to. In the meantime, if someone has enjoyed this and is looking for a read-alike, I would recommend the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens, and Julie Berry's "The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place."

I enjoyed the first Myrtle Hardcastle book but I loved the second, How to Get Away With Myrtle. Reading it further solidified my previous opinion that this is a wonderful mystery series for the young reader in your life AND it now convinced me it’s also for the adult who loves cozy mysteries. I didn’t want to put this down!

Readers will love the young, vivacious Myrtle and her thirst to find and solve mysteries. The Victorian setting is perfectly delightful and extra fun in this one where our murder is set on a train and in a seaside town. Once again, the charming, witty use of footnotes make the book extra special. They deserve their own shout out. I also love the selective use of capitalization to emphasize Extra Important mentions.

The mysteries in this one are more intriguing and less predictable than the first. We have a jewel robbery, a murder, a young woman who may be being poisoned, and a train car full of viable suspects. It has enough complexity to be fun without ever becoming confusing.

Myrtle Hardcastle, her Aunt Helena, and her governess Miss Judson have been sent on a vacation in a seaside town. As soon as they board the train, Myrtle can sense a mystery coming. A priceless tiara is on display on the train, with an insurance investigator on board to protect it. However, the tiara is stolen during a power outage on the first night. Myrtle and the insurance investigator, Mrs. Bloom, search the train for clues. The next day, Mrs. Bloom can’t be found. Her body is eventually found in the luggage car when they arrive at their destination. The murder weapon points to Myrtle’s Aunt Helena. Myrtle doesn’t trust anyone else to investigate the connection between the robbery and Mrs. Bloom’s murder, so she takes the investigation into her own hands.

I enjoyed this story more than the first Myrtle Hardcastle mystery. The first one was a good introduction to the characters. This one had a clear, straight forward mystery to solve.

I loved the classic setting of a train. It is an enclosed setting that limits the people who can be involved. The murderer has to be on the train with everyone else because there isn’t any way to escape the train without getting hurt. This is a great classic setting.

I’m looking forward to reading more Myrtle Hardcastle books in the future!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The follow-up to Premeditated Myrtle is yet another quirky, sharply-written murder mystery. This second installment sees Myrtle–along with Miss Judson, Peony, and her aunt Helena–departing on a week-long trip to a beach town. Before they can even get there, though, Myrtle discovers a dead body amongst the luggage.

The murder weapon happens to be Aunt Helena’s sewing shears (because of course it is) which I thought was interesting. In Premeditated Myrtle, we learn about how Myrtle doesn’t have the best relationship with her aunt because they butt heads over Myrtle’s untraditional interest in crime and toxicology (and I’ll be honest, I found her insufferable). Still, Myrtle doesn’t buy the idea that her aunt did it, and to see her defend someone she doesn’t necessarily like was such a great display of integrity, especially for a 12-year-old girl. I was a 12-year-old girl once, and I would never have been able to put aside my personal feelings about someone in order to see the issue from a purely factual position. Though Bunce expounds upon the naivete and passion of 12-year-old girls, she also shows how mature and perceptive they are capable of being.

How to Get Away with Myrtle is actually loosely based on an unsolved murder case from British history: that of a businesswoman named Elizabeth Camp, who was bludgeoned to death on a train in 1897. I think that unsolved mysteries are fascinating, so I loved that this story drew inspiration from one, especially since I didn’t know about it previously. I’m definitely enjoying this series so far!