Myrtle Hardcastle is twelve years old and already knows more about forensic science than most of the adults in her small Victorian English town. Her father is a solicitor, and she has spent plenty of time reading his legal texts and studying the latest developments in criminal investigation. When murders happen in Swinburne, the local authorities are not always up to the task, and Myrtle is happy to step in.
She is stubborn, book-smart, and not especially concerned with what people think a proper young lady should be doing. Her governess, Miss Judson, is often drawn into Myrtle’s investigations, and the two make an unlikely but effective team. Myrtle applies real forensic methods to her cases, from analyzing evidence to questioning witnesses with a logic that catches people off guard.
Elizabeth C. Bunce built Myrtle as a character who takes her work seriously even when nobody else does. Across five books, Myrtle tackles murders that the adults around her would rather ignore or explain away. The mysteries are clever and well-plotted, and Myrtle’s voice is funny without trying too hard.
Reading Order
See the complete Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries reading order for all books in the series.