An aspiring sleuth in Victorian England is convinced her neighbor's death was no accident.Twelve-year-old Myrtle, who might have just been spying-er, Observing!-the neighborhood with her telescope, is convinced that prickly Miss Wodehouse has been the victim of foul play. Though the police say the old lady had a heart attack, Myrtle disagrees. With her magnifying lens, her specimen jars, and her stubbornness, Myrtle will prove the old lady was killed-and find the murderer, to boot. Though unpopular Myrtle leans in to a self-image as "the precocious daughter who lurked about everywhere being impertinent and morbid," she has allies. Her interest in detecting comes from her affection for her adoring prosecutor father and the memory of her medical-student mother. Myrtle, middle-class and white, is encouraged by her equally quirky and exceedingly clever governess, Miss Judson (the multilingual, biracial daughter of white British and black French Guianese parents), who is at best half-hearted in her attempts to keep Myrtle out of trouble. Meanwhile, Caroline, a British Indian girl who's been mean before, disassociates herself from Myrtle's bully and becomes a staunch and equally geeky friend. Witty prose doesn't always hew to historical accuracy but keeps the characters accessible and quite charming while Myrtle (surrounded by beloved and supportive adults) avoids many of the more tired tropes of the eccentric-detective genre.A saucy, likable heroine shines in a mystery marked by clever, unexpected twists . (Historical mystery. 10-12)

Channeling classic Victorian whodunits, Bunce-s (the Thief Errant series) detective series opener features a quirky, winning narrator and a lively secondary cast. Thanks to governess Miss Judson, 12-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle, who is middle-class and white, is training to become a Young Lady of Quality. Inspired by the examples of her late mother, who was a medical student, and her widowed lawyer father, Myrtle tends to be anything but proper, for example erecting an observation point from which to chronicle neighborhood events. When elderly next-door neighbor, scornful Miss Wodehouse, doesn-t follow her routine one morning, Myrtle summons the constabulary. After the revelation of Miss Wodehouse-s death and the arrival of the elderly woman-s heretofore unknown relatives, Myrtle suspects she was murdered and enlists Miss Judson to solve the mystery. A generous, well-wrought relationship between governess and charge complements tightly plotted twists. As -the precocious daughter who lurked about everywhere being impertinent and morbid,- Myrtle is as clever as she is determined, and her expertise-seen in evidence collection and courtroom antics-is certain to delight genre stalwarts and mystery novices alike. Publishing simultaneously: How to Get Away with Myrtle (A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #2). Ages 10-up. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Oct.)

Gr 5-8 Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle is not your typical well-bred young lady of 1893 English society, and she has little interest in becoming one. Myrtle's interests lie more in solving crimes, proving her aptitude to her prosecutor father, and arranging his marriage to her beloved and continually supportive governess. When her next-door neighbor, an eccentric elderly woman known for cultivating exotic lilies, dies suddenly, Myrtle finds herself in a mystery worthy of her mettle. Was it a murder? Will Myrtle finally prove herself to her father and the many adults who underestimate her deductive prowess? What can Myrtle do about the incorrigibly flirtatious young woman threatening Myrtle's well-laid plans for the stepmother she has already chosen? A well-plotted mystery, a stubbornly brilliant yet fallible female protagonist, and adorably clever footnotes make this novel shine. The vocabulary is massive, with many potentially unfamiliar terms left undefined. Young readers without background knowledge of Victorian-era England may be confused by some references to historical events and concepts. It is a fantastically large jump from many mystery novels in this target age range to Myrtle Hardcastle, in both lexicon and depth of historical reference. VERDICT While many young readers may struggle with the advanced vocabulary, those history buffs who have long outgrown simple mysteries will find a relatable and delightful companion in Myrtle.Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Schools