Elizabeth C. Bunce is an American author who writes mysteries, fantasy, and ghost stories featuring strong female characters. Best known for her Edgar Award-winning Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series and her novel ''A Curse Dark as Gold'', her books are often inspired by folklore, and targeted toward young adult and pre-teen readers while also appealing to adults. Her writing style has been referred to as literary fiction, and her works have been called “mysteries in fantasy dress,” “spun with mystery and shot through with romance.” Her works are infused with the results of her research into history, science, culture, and etymology, often set in or inspired by historical places and times.

Career

Bunce's first novel ''A Curse Dark as Gold'' received the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

’s inaugural

William C. Morris Award The William C. Morris YA Debut Award is an annual award given to a work of young adult literature by a "first-time author writing for teens". It is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American ...

, and was named a Smithsonian Notable Book. The first book in Bunce’s Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series, ''Premeditated Myrtle,'' won the 2021

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

, was named a 2021 honoree by the

Society of Midland Authors The Society of Midland Authors is an association of published authors from twelve American states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. According to its constit ...

and it was an

Agatha Award The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie, are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write in the traditional mystery subgenre: "books typified by the works of Agatha Christie . . . loosely defined as mysteries that contain no expli ...

finalist and an

Anthony Award The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. Among the m ...

finalist. In 2022 Bunce again was named a finalist for the

, and

for the third book in her series, ''Cold-Blooded Myrtle,'' making Bunce one of only three authors with this distinction. With a nomination for the third consecutive year in 2023, for ''In Myrtle Peril,'' the fourth novel in her series, she became a three-time

finalist. ''Cold-Blooded Myrtle'' was also a 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalist. Two of Bunce's novels have appeared on

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

's Kids’ Reading List, and four of Bunce's novels have been awarded Kansas Notable Book Awards. A full-time writer since earning her degree in English and anthropology from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

in 1996, Bunce has presented workshops on writing and storytelling techniques for both professional writers and kids, appeared as a panelist for her fans at

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

, Planet Comicon,

Bouchercon Bouchercon, the Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention, is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher, and pronounced the way ...

Malice Domestic The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collection ...

, the

World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual science fiction convention, convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art sh ...

WisCon WisCon or Wiscon, a Wisconsin science fiction convention, is the oldest, and often called the world's leading, feminist science fiction convention and conference. It was first held in Madison, Wisconsin in February 1977, after a group of fans att ...

, and other pop culture conventions, and she was Guest of Honor at

Archon ''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...

45. She has appeared as a panelist or presenter at numerous libraries and schools. Bunce has referred to herself as an avid “maker”—she is also a historical costumer, cosplayer, and needlewoman. She was the keynote speaker at Kansas City's inaugural event for the 36th annual World Doll Day. Bunce is a fan of

Gothic fiction Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

, ghost stories, mystery tropes, pop culture references, ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

,''

Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...

, and the works of

Daphne Du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was Geor ...

Sharon Shinn Sharon Shinn (born 1957) is an American novelist who writes combining aspects of fantasy, science fiction and romance. She has published more than a dozen novels for adult and young adult readers. Her works include the Shifting Circles Series, t ...

, and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

. Bunce has said that in her youth she was a voracious reader and a fan of the

Trixie Belden Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of "detective" mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham, who also wrote the Ginny Gordon series; the stories were then continued by various ...

mystery novels.

Reception

Bunce has received favorable industry and literary reviews for her writing. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' referred to her Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series as “the best thing to happen to youth mysteries since

.” ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' said “Younger Holmes fans (and older ones too) should be charmed by Elizabeth C. Bunce's ''Cold-Blooded Myrtle''.” ''

The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'' called ''Premeditated Myrtle'' a “hugely entertaining, well-crafted Victorian whodunnit.” ''

The Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and as ...

'' called ''Premeditated Myrtle'' "loaded with energy that propels the reader forward in the tradition of all the most addictive of children’s books mysteries.” Peter S. Beagle, author of ''

The Last Unicorn ''The Last Unicorn'' is a fantasy novel by American author Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968, by Viking Press in the U.S. and The Bodley Head in the U.K. It follows the tale of a unicorn, who believes she is the last of her kind in the wor ...

,'' said "Elizabeth Bunce is the real thing, no question about it. ''A Curse Dark as Gold'' beats the hell out of any fantasy novel I’ve read this year. Her heroine/narrator is immensely appealing; the atmosphere of a world on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution is completely believable; and the suspense of the story builds so craftily that I started taking notes on just how she does it. Speaking as a writer, Elizabeth Bunce is definitely worth stealing from; speaking as a reader… all right, all right, already, I couldn’t put it down. She’s that good.” ''

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' maga ...

'' called Bunce's ''A Curse Dark as Gold,'' “a spellbinding novel of romance and buried secrets.”

Works

Bunce is known for two series, both ongoing. The first is a

high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...

for young adults featuring a thief named Digger called the Thief Errant series, including the novels ''StarCrossed'', (named a

Chicago Public Library The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the ...

Best of the Best Book for 2010) and ''Liar's Moon''. The series has been called a “political fantasy” and compared to the novels of George R.R. Martin. Her Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series features a 12-year-old aspiring detective named Myrtle Hardcastle, who solves crimes with her governess Ada Judson and a cat named Peony, set in 1890s Victorian England. Bunce's young sleuth has been compared to

, Enola Holmes, Flavia de Luce, and

Harriet the Spy ''Harriet the Spy'' is a children's novel written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh that was published in 1964. It has been called "a milestone in children's literature" and a "classic". In the U.S., it ranked number 12 in the 50 Best Books fo ...

. The series is being published internationally in German via Knesebeck Verlag, in Russian via Five Quarters Publishing, and in Chinese via Zhejiang Literature & Art Publishing House, and distributed in Australia via Hardie Grant Publishing and Canada via Thomas Allen & Son, Ltd.

Standalone Novels

* ''A Curse Dark as Gold'' (2008),

Arthur A. Levine Books Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...

/ Scholastic

Thief Errant series

* ''StarCrossed'' (2010),

/ Scholastic * ''Liar’s Moon'' (2011),

/ Scholastic

Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series

* ''Premeditated Myrtle'' (2020),

Algonquin Young Readers Workman Publishing Company, Inc., is an American publisher of trade books founded by Peter Workman. The company is comprised of either imprints: Workman, Workman Children’s, Workman Calendars, Artisan, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill and Algon ...

Workman Publishing Workman Publishing Company, Inc., is an American publisher of trade books founded by Peter Workman. The company is comprised of either imprints: Workman, Workman Children’s, Workman Calendars, Artisan, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill and Algonq ...

* ''How to Get Away with Myrtle'' (2020),

* ''Cold-Blooded Myrtle'' (2021),

* ''In Myrtle Peril'' (2022),

Hachette Book Group Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Grou ...

* ''Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity'' (2023),

References

External links

Official website

Elizabeth C. Bunce
at Algonquin Young Readers Publisher Page {{DEFAULTSORT:Bunce, Elizabeth C. Living people American children's writers American fantasy writers American women novelists Women science fiction and fantasy writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers American women children's writers Women writers of young adult literature Novelists from Iowa Novelists from Kansas Year of birth missing (living people) The William C. Morris YA Debut Award winners