In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.
Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.
While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever — if they can stay alive long enough to do so.
Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.
My Impressions:
A fresh, new voice has arrived on the scene in Rachel McMillan’s novel, The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder. Set in the early 1900s in Toronto, McMillan introduces us to some independent and forward thinking young women determined to make their mark on a decidedly male world. This book is an entertaining whodunit that includes interesting historical details and a look at the struggles of women and immigrants — perfect for fans of the mystery genre.
It is 1910, and women have to be careful on the streets of Toronto. Not only will the morality squad arrest you if you are out after dark unescorted, but there is a murderer loose. But best friends and amateur detectives Merinda Herringford and Jemima Watts will don pants and mustaches to uncover the villain. Bad guys beware!
I love a good mystery novel, and I got one in The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder. The characters are a bit quirky — part Holmes and Watson, part Nancy Drew — which just adds to the fun. Merinda is unconventional and the instigator of the pair. Jemima struggles with her desire to be both a modern woman and a traditional housewife. Both are adorable as they dig into old trunks for disguises to take on the men of the city. They both have love interests, but the men are really no match for these gals. The plot twists and turns and has suspects aplenty, some that are especially 
dastardly. McMillan’s descriptions of people and places pushed me to Google and historical accuracy is what I found. McMillan adds a few chuckles as she introduces each chapter with tips from guidebooks. And don’t you just love the vintage feel of the cover?
Merinda and Jemima solve the case and make some changes in their lives by the end of the novel, but don’t worry there is more in store for these girls. The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder will soon be followed by A Lesson in Love And Murder in August. In the meantime grab this book and settle in for a good time. A novella for Kindle, A Singular And Whimsical Problem, is also available.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
To purchase this book, click HERE.
(Thanks to Rachel McMillan for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Great review, Beckie! I absolutely loved Rachel’s debut, as well as the novella. Reading more from her will be a joy, and I anticipate following her journey as an author! 🙂
I agree! I need to go back and read the novella soon.