by Elizabeth C. Bunce
publisher’s synopsis
Twelve-year-old Young Lady of Quality and Victorian amateur detective Myrtle Hardcastle returns, and now she’s on the trail of a serial killer in her hometown of Swinburne.
When Mr. Leighton, proprietor of Leighton’s Mercantile, is found dead on the evening his annual Christmas shop display is to be unveiled, it’s clear a killer had revenge in mind. But who would want to kill the local dry-goods merchant? Perhaps someone who remembers the unresolved, long-ago scandal that occurred when he was a professor and archaeologist.
When the killer strikes again, each time manipulating the figures in the display to foretell the crime, Myrtle finds herself racing to uncover the long-buried facts of a historical scandal—and the motivations of a modern murderer.
I love the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries. They’re so good!
As always, Myrtle has a fantastic character voice. She honestly has one of my favorite character voices. It’s great. And her footnotes are so fantastic.
It was fun to be back in Swinburne, since the second book took place in a different setting, and to see some old characters, and to also meet some new ones.
The mystery was great and lots of fun. My only complaint would be that because Bunce had a couple of subplots going on, it felt like there were some things that weren’t wrapped up as neatly as they should have been.
All together, Cold-Blooded Myrtle was a great next addition to the series, and I can’t wait to read more of Myrtle’s adventures.
Cautions: two blasphemies; one instance of a “bleeped” out swearing; non-graphic violence
Hailey Huntington 