Myrtle Hardcastle's amazing governess, Miss Judson has received a mysterious telegram. She has apparently inherited an manor (!) in Scotland (!!) from a previously unknown relative. Myrtle, Miss Judson, Cook and Peony the cat set off to figure out what is actually going on. Adventures ensue, including an appalling number of dead bodies, ghostly appearances and a very large number of hounds. Myrtle manages her usual stealthy unraveling of clues, but will she manage to stop Miss Judson from falling in love with Scotland?

Elizabeth Bunce has done her usual delightful job with this 5th Myrtle Hardcastle mystery. Myrtle is 12, exceedingly bright, and utterly unwilling to fit into the mold of a late 19th century "young lady". Miss Judson is always a reliably stable character. In this installment of the series, Bunce has a great deal of fun with very broad Scottish accents. If there is an audio book of this, it would be an absolute hoot to listen to. Along with the charming regulars in the series, the move to Scotland introduces some memorable new characters. I am hoping that Mac, Jessie, Mrs Craig and Gus (along with the hounds, of course) will get to stick around for future installments.

There is a lot for Myrtle to figure out in this story. The author uses the mystery to delve into unconventional family relationships, and this is something that many middle-grade readers will relate to and enjoy. An added bonus is discovering where the expression "Red Herring" came from. Bunce ties it all up with an exceedingly satisfying ending. This series, and this book in particular, would be a great way to introduce middle grade readers to the cozy mystery form. If students enjoy Enola Holmes, Myrtle would be someone they might like to meet.
Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the e-arc, in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Miss Judson inherits a Scottish estate from someone who knew her father but she didn’t have a personal relationship with. She, Myrtle, and Cook embark on visiting the property to decide what to do with it and, of course find themselves embroiled in a mystery as soon as they set foot in the village. A fun read but not particularly memorable.

Sigh. I read this book in one day and now will have to wait for another as this one won't even be published until October 2023. (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an eARC.) The book starts with a mystery from the first sentence, as Miss Judson does not know the uncle who apparently died and left her a Scottish estate. This is only the first of twists and turns navigated by characters both familiar and new. Besides the many mysteries that are uncovered (including a murder and possibly more than one), Myrtle needs to find a way to keep Miss Judson from actually falling in love with Scotland. Readers who haven't read the earlier series entries will easily follow the plot, but I highly recommend they read others in the series first to appreciate the relationships between characters. All's well that ends well, although I'm glad to say there is plenty of room for more Myrtle adventures.

This was an interesting read. They are stuck on an island and people are dying.
Algonquin Young Readers and Net Galley let me read this book. (Thank you.) It will be published on October 4th.

Two sets of people want the castle on the island. They are looking for a broach that will help them keep the island.

As people are killed and they can't leave the island, it gets more and more dangerous.

Will Myrtle survive?

This book was a welcome addition to the Myrtle Hardcastle series and the setting in Scotland made for an interesting read. The Scottish accents were fun to read and figure out and the mystery on an island with little access made it more interesting to read.