Review: In Myrtle Peril (Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries #4)

Title: In Myrtle Peril (Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries #4)
Author: Elizabeth C. Bunce
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Thomas Allen and Son
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Myrtle Hardcastle—twelve-year-old Victorian Amateur Detective—returns to investigate the case of a missing heiress lost at sea, an inquiry that runs aground when a murder in plain sight has no apparent victim.

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.
With stakes this high, her sleuthing has put Myrtle, her family, and the patients and staff at the Royal Swinburne Hospital In Myrtle Peril.

Review:

A mysterious girl arrives in Swinburne to try to claim she’s the heir to the Snowcroft fortune. Myrtle’s father, Mr. Hardcastle, is hired to help prove this girl’s identity. The girl, who claims to be Ethel Snowcroft, was lost at sea with her parents as a young child, but apparently she somehow survived. Meanwhile, Mr. Hardcastle is hospitalized with severe tonsillitis. While under the influence of pain medication, he claims to have seen a murder. Myrtle and her governess, Miss Judson, are the only people who believe him, so they must conduct their own investigation in the hospital, while also trying to prove Ethel’s identity.

This is another great Myrtle Hardcastle mystery! I loved the complexity of the mystery. Though the case of the girl who was claiming the fortune and the murder in the hospital seemed like two separate mysteries, they were connected. They were cleverly woven together and everything was explained in a way that made sense in the end. I really enjoyed this middle grade mystery!

In Myrtle Peril is a great mystery!

Thank you Thomas Allen and Son for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: murder, carbon monoxide poisoning, death of parent, hospital visits, drowning, attempted suicide

Other books in the series:

Have you read In Myrtle Peril? What did you think of it?

Author: jilljemmett

Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book. View all posts by jilljemmett