Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
The first Myrtle Hardcastle mystery started a bit slow, but I cannot say the same for the sequel. How to Get Away with Myrtle follows 12-year-old Myrtle once more as she again gets caught up in a murder; the very thing that her father was hoping she’d avoid.
In this book, Myrtle is sent on a vacation with her aunt Helena, who she is none too fond of. However, the vacation isn’t nearly as boring as she’d dreaded it would be. When there is a murder on the very train that she is taking, she immediately knows that to give the victim justice she will have to take matters into her own hands, and solve the case herself, with, of course, the help of Miss Judson and some old friends and new friends.
This mystery was even more breathtaking than the last. I did not see any of what happened coming, and I most definitely did not figure out who the murderer was.
I think that part of why I enjoyed this book more than the previous one in the series was that I already knew Myrtle and a lot of the other characters, and I already understood more of who Myrtle was, just more overall about her character.
I really liked getting to see more of Miss Judson in this book, however once again I was curious about her. I also wanted to know more about Myrtle’s aunt Helena. She was very funny to read about though!
I actually thought that the overall writing was better in this book, the second in the series. The descriptions of the characters and settings felt more real, and the events were more vivid and imaginable.
How to Get Away with Myrtle was a fast-paced, fun, and interesting read.
My rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Recommendable: Yes
To who? A sequel that surpasses the expectation from the book before it, How to Get Away with Myrtle is perfect for anyone who enjoyed Premeditated Myrtle. I think that older readers would enjoy this book even more than the first, and that anyone would have fun with this second installment about Myrtle Hardcastle.
In this book, Myrtle is sent on a vacation with her aunt Helena, who she is none too fond of. However, the vacation isn’t nearly as boring as she’d dreaded it would be. When there is a murder on the very train that she is taking, she immediately knows that to give the victim justice she will have to take matters into her own hands, and solve the case herself, with, of course, the help of Miss Judson and some old friends and new friends.
This mystery was even more breathtaking than the last. I did not see any of what happened coming, and I most definitely did not figure out who the murderer was.
I think that part of why I enjoyed this book more than the previous one in the series was that I already knew Myrtle and a lot of the other characters, and I already understood more of who Myrtle was, just more overall about her character.
I really liked getting to see more of Miss Judson in this book, however once again I was curious about her. I also wanted to know more about Myrtle’s aunt Helena. She was very funny to read about though!
I actually thought that the overall writing was better in this book, the second in the series. The descriptions of the characters and settings felt more real, and the events were more vivid and imaginable.
How to Get Away with Myrtle was a fast-paced, fun, and interesting read.
My rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Recommendable: Yes
To who? A sequel that surpasses the expectation from the book before it, How to Get Away with Myrtle is perfect for anyone who enjoyed Premeditated Myrtle. I think that older readers would enjoy this book even more than the first, and that anyone would have fun with this second installment about Myrtle Hardcastle.
Loved the first book in this series and loved this one.
I want to read the rest of the series as it's excellent.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I want to read the rest of the series as it's excellent.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
In How to Get Away with Myrtle, while on a train headed to a vacation she doesn't want to participate in, Myrtle finds herself surrounded with the mysteries of a jewel theft and a murder! And her Aunt Helena is somehow involved! She makes it her mission to uncover the truth.
Myrtle is the ultimate combination of well mannered and willing to bend the rules. Her dialogue with herself and the other characters is sharp and witty while never being unkind. Aiming to find truth, Myrtle has to deal with some difficult realities along the way. But she always comes around to handling them with logic and grace.
Bethan Rose Young's narration is excellent and she deserves some kind of award for voicing Peony the Cat and her various exclamations. I also loved how the footnotes from Myrtle about different items were put into the story with the perfect inflection.
Myrtle is the ultimate combination of well mannered and willing to bend the rules. Her dialogue with herself and the other characters is sharp and witty while never being unkind. Aiming to find truth, Myrtle has to deal with some difficult realities along the way. But she always comes around to handling them with logic and grace.
Bethan Rose Young's narration is excellent and she deserves some kind of award for voicing Peony the Cat and her various exclamations. I also loved how the footnotes from Myrtle about different items were put into the story with the perfect inflection.
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Kelly Doyle at Algonquin Young Readers. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Myrtle returns for another adventure, and this time she is taking to the road… well, rail… with her beloved Miss Judson and less-beloved Aunt Helena. Can our young detective-in-training still practice her skills when she is out of her comfort zone, away from her resources, and under the disapproving eye of the family battleaxe?
Of course, she can… after all, Myrtle IS irrepressible!
In this story, she faces another classically-Christie style murder, whilst dodging responsible adult influences and making some new friends (and enemies!). As well as Harriet the Spy and Flavia de Luce, I got a distinct flavour of Amelia Peabody in Myrtle’s determined focus on finding the truth and fulfilling her ambitions, against the doubts and expectations of those around her. I could definitely see an adult Myrtle poking miscreants out of her way with a parasol!
It was lovely to see my own personal favourite character, Mr Blakeney, making a return this time around and I cheered his appearance as much as I booed Aunt Helena’s. But these are no pantomime characters, and Elizabeth C. Bunce develops even her side characters into more complex and nuanced individuals, subverting reader expectations delightfully.
This is another rippingly good adventure tale for young – and older – readers, and I am definitely adding copies of these books to my personal shelves. I love it when I find a new favourite author!
Fellow fans of classic mystery novels with unique characters, and a light, humorous style of writing, are sure to love these books as much as I do. I can’t wait to introduce Myrtle to Minishine!
I turned away and shoved the chemisettes into the trunk. If this were a proper holiday, Father would be coming with us, not separating us with a whole ocean.” On a Proper Holiday, Father and Miss Judson might even frolic on the beach together. They’d Promenade on the Pier together. We could be a Proper Family, just the three of us. Instead, Miss Judson and I were being Exiled to the seaside, while Father got as far away from us as possible.
Miss Judson turned me to face her. “You may not believe this, but your father just wants you to have a good time—”
“I’d have a good time in Paris. With him.”
“—doing something that does not involve murder.”
I glowered at her. “An ordinary holiday. Like an ordinary girl.”
“Exactly. I’m sure you can manage that. Rumor has it you’re clever and resourceful.”
– Elizabeth C. Bunce, How to Get Away with Myrtle
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/10/10/blog-tour-premeditated-myrtle-how-to-get-away-with-myrtle-elizabeth-c-bunce/
Myrtle returns for another adventure, and this time she is taking to the road… well, rail… with her beloved Miss Judson and less-beloved Aunt Helena. Can our young detective-in-training still practice her skills when she is out of her comfort zone, away from her resources, and under the disapproving eye of the family battleaxe?
Of course, she can… after all, Myrtle IS irrepressible!
In this story, she faces another classically-Christie style murder, whilst dodging responsible adult influences and making some new friends (and enemies!). As well as Harriet the Spy and Flavia de Luce, I got a distinct flavour of Amelia Peabody in Myrtle’s determined focus on finding the truth and fulfilling her ambitions, against the doubts and expectations of those around her. I could definitely see an adult Myrtle poking miscreants out of her way with a parasol!
It was lovely to see my own personal favourite character, Mr Blakeney, making a return this time around and I cheered his appearance as much as I booed Aunt Helena’s. But these are no pantomime characters, and Elizabeth C. Bunce develops even her side characters into more complex and nuanced individuals, subverting reader expectations delightfully.
This is another rippingly good adventure tale for young – and older – readers, and I am definitely adding copies of these books to my personal shelves. I love it when I find a new favourite author!
Fellow fans of classic mystery novels with unique characters, and a light, humorous style of writing, are sure to love these books as much as I do. I can’t wait to introduce Myrtle to Minishine!
I turned away and shoved the chemisettes into the trunk. If this were a proper holiday, Father would be coming with us, not separating us with a whole ocean.” On a Proper Holiday, Father and Miss Judson might even frolic on the beach together. They’d Promenade on the Pier together. We could be a Proper Family, just the three of us. Instead, Miss Judson and I were being Exiled to the seaside, while Father got as far away from us as possible.
Miss Judson turned me to face her. “You may not believe this, but your father just wants you to have a good time—”
“I’d have a good time in Paris. With him.”
“—doing something that does not involve murder.”
I glowered at her. “An ordinary holiday. Like an ordinary girl.”
“Exactly. I’m sure you can manage that. Rumor has it you’re clever and resourceful.”
– Elizabeth C. Bunce, How to Get Away with Myrtle
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/10/10/blog-tour-premeditated-myrtle-how-to-get-away-with-myrtle-elizabeth-c-bunce/