by Elizabeth C. Bunce
publisher’s synopsis
When a mysterious girl attempts to stake her claim to the Snowcroft family fortune, Myrtle Hardcastle’s father, a lawyer, is asked to help prove—or disprove—the girl’s identity. Is this truly Ethel Snowcroft, believed to be lost at sea with her parents, or a con artist chasing a windfall? Mr. Hardcastle’s pursuit of the case takes a detour when he’s hospitalized for a tonsillectomy—only to witness a murder.
Or does he? With no body at the scene, Myrtle and her governess, Miss Judson, fear the so-called murder was a feverish delusion—until a critical piece of evidence appears.
But where’s the victim? And who at the hospital could be harboring murderous intent? Myrtle is determined to find out before the killer comes after her father.
Another fun Hardcastle mystery!
As always, the characters were a delight. I loved how the dynamics and relationship between Myrtle and her father were explored in the novel since Mr. Hardcastle has taken a backseat in the previous books. I couldn’t help but smile when the similarities between the two were shown–Myrtle gets her Investigating interests honestly.
I liked how we get to see a different side of Myrtle in In Myrtle Peril. Throughout the series, Bunce has been progressively, subtly maturing Myrtle, while still retaining her wonderful personality. That comes out more in In Myrtle Peril, as Myrtle worries about her recovering father and acts a little more grown up.
My only complaint is that it almost felt like there was too much going on. I’ll try to not give anything away, but there is a lot happening during the climax, including a plot line that sort of sprung into being at the end of the book. It just didn’t feel as tidy as it could of.
This series is so much fun, and I look forward to reading the next book!
Cautions: four bleeped-out instances of swearing; brief, non-graphic moderate violence; Mrytle walks in on Miss Judson while she’s taking a bath, no descriptions
Hailey Huntington 