Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity–Elizabeth C. Bunce’s mystery series continues in Scotland ghost story

A haunted Scottish estate! A string of murders! Amateur detective Myrtle Hardcastle returns this week in her fifth adventure, a blend of Scooby-Doo and Clue, but who had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit the crimes? It’s more mayhem, mischief, and murder to sleuth out for our astute and irrepressible heroine. In the fifth book of the Edgar Award-winning series, Myrtle and her daring sidekick Peony the cat uncover a string of murders during a treasure hunt on a haunted Scottish estate that was just inherited by her partner in detecting crime, Miss Judson. Elizabeth C. Bunce′s Edgar Award-winning Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series continues this week in her next mystery novel Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity, at all good bookstores now, and available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, Kindle, and Audiobook here at Amazon.

The critically acclaimed mystery series featuring everyone’s favorite Victorian Amateur Detective and Young Lady of Quality received an Edgar Award in 2021, it was an Edgar Award finalist in 2022, a three-time Agatha Award finalist and three-time Anthony Award finalist, it won the 2023 Silver Falchion Award, and it was named a best-of book by Amazon, BookPage, and A Mighty Girl, receiving several starred reviews from major trade publications.

When her governess inherits an estate on a Scottish island, amateur detective Myrtle Hardcastle couldn’t be more excited. Unfortunately, the ancestral castle is both run-down and haunted. Ghostly moans echo in the walls, and there are rumors of a cursed treasure lost on the island—an ancient silver brooch that may have cost the former lord his life. But who had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill him? And could this Scottish trip mean the end of Myrtle’s plans to get her father and governess together?

Then Myrtle’s investigation stirs a villain out of hiding. The estate’s boat is stolen, so there’s no escape from the island. Myrtle is forced to play a deadly game, hunting for the brooch with a thief breathing down her neck—someone who will stop at nothing to get the treasure, even if it means murder.

If you love all things Scottish, this book is for you. Elizabeth has even included a Scottish lexicon in the back for readers to keep up with Myrtle.

borg contributor, and Edgar Award-winning author Elizabeth C. Bunce launched her Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery Series in 2020. Prompted by a quick mis-utterance of “premeditated murder” and a chatty cat that showed up one night in the rain, a character and an idea took hold and before we knew it she had created and sold the first five books in her series of mystery novels. The first book, Premeditated Myrtle, an Indie Next Pick named to Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2020, arrived in bookstores in 2020 along with the second installment, How to Get Away with Myrtle, a #1 Amazon New Release. Not only did Premeditated Myrtle win the 2020 Edgar Award (the Mystery Writers of America award recognizing the mystery, crime, suspense, and intrigue genres, in its 75th year), it was named an Honor Book by the 106 years and counting Society for Midland Authors, it was named to the Library of Congress’s annual Great Reads from Great Places list, and it was nominated for the Agatha Award and Anthony Award. In 2021 Myrtle’s third sleuthing adventure Cold-Blooded Myrtle arrived as an Edgar Award, Agatha Award, and Anthony Award finalist–as well as a Silver Falchion Award finalist. Last year her next book, In Myrtle Peril, became an Agatha Award finalist and Anthony Award finalist, and this year she took home the Silver Falchion Award.

Publishers Weekly referred to the Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series as “the best thing to happen to youth mysteries since Trixie Belden.” The Wall Street Journal said “Younger Holmes fans (and older ones too) should be charmed by Elizabeth C. Bunce’s Cold-Blooded Myrtle.” The Buffalo News called Premeditated Myrtle a “hugely entertaining, well-crafted Victorian whodunnit.” The Kansas City Star called Premeditated Myrtle “loaded with energy that propels the reader forward in the tradition of all the most addictive of children’s books mysteries.”

Elizabeth will be appearing at several virtual events and book signings this fall across the U.S. Check out Elizabeth’s reviews of books, TV, and movies at borg here. The Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery Series is published by Algonquin Young Readers, a division of Workman Publishing Company and Hachette Publishing. Artwork and design for the series is created by Brett Helquist (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Laura Williams, and Carla Weise. Premeditated Myrtle, How to Get Away with Myrtle, Cold-Blooded Myrtle, In Myrtle Peril, and now Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity are all available in hardcover, Audiobook, eBook, and paperback. Don’t miss the audiobooks of each book performed brilliantly by actress Bethan Rose Young (Knightfall, High Seas).