The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets

This is the first book in the series that I read and it sent me on the hunt for the rest of the series! The language of flowers, the use of ciphers, and the constant eluding of Sherlock Holmes makes for an excellent ride through turn of the century London!

Nancy Springer is finding her stride. Far from being derivative, Springer has effectively used the fame and atmosphere of the much-loved Holmes canon as a springboard to develop her Enola Holmes character, Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes' younger sister, and to create a series that is exciting, entirely innovative, appealing and quite capable of standing on its own literary merit ... thank you very much! Beginning with the very first mystery in the series, THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS, we have seen Enola Holmes' character develop, blossom and ultimately flourish as she pursues her career as a "perditorian" - a finder of lost things. She is forced to keep one eye constantly looking over shoulder as she deftly eludes the dogged pursuit of her elder brothers who seek to find her and place her in the stultifying environment of a school for proper young ladies - an ongoing problem she'll face until she reaches the age of majority and can legally live on her own. But, as her mother, who is also in hiding, was so fond of saying, Enola Holmes is doing very well on her own! In THE CASE OF THE BIZARRE BOUQUETS, the third instalment in the series, Watson has been kidnapped and is being held incommunicado in a mental institution. If he is not found and released, the likelihood is that Watson will lose the battle to preserve his own sanity and become a permanent resident. For reasons that are quite mysterious, the kidnapper has chosen to communicate with Mrs Watson through the vehicle of floral bouquets with entirely unique combinations of flowers, weeds and even vegetables. But a grieving Mrs Watson and a frustrated Sherlock Holmes are not even aware that these "bizarre bouquets" constitute a message from the kidnapper. They believe them to be mere expressions of sympathy from anonymous friends who are worried about Dr Watson's continuing absence. With her intimate knowledge of the traditional symbolic meaning of flowers, Enola knows better and is hot on the scent of Dr Watson and his kidnapper. I'm thrilled to witness this charming young adult series continue to grow in quality - deep characterization, effective dialogue, high quality plotting and, of course, wonderful attention to Victorian atmosphere and details that rivals Conan Doyle's original series. Sherlock and Mycroft are portrayed as typical 19th century men in their attitude toward women and whatever intellect they may possess. That is to say, they are at least patronizing and chauvinist and perhaps, in Mycroft's case, downright misogynist. As the title character and the leading lady in the series, Enola is exceptionally well developed. She exemplifies that baffling and ultimately paradoxical teenage blend of cock-sure bravado and angst and uncertainty; incipient adulthood contrasted against an occasional reversion to childhood fear; and, of course, self-direction and self-confidence versus the obvious desire for occasional adult guidance and assistance. Enola's budding femininity is also cha

Great mystery, fun setting, spunky main character. At times the writing style was a bit difficult to read, but this didn't get in the way too much. I definitely would have devoured this series as a kid since I loved Sherlock Holmes

Without the wig --- and without the inserts I used to round out my cheeks and nostrils --- I was a sharp-faced, hawk-nosed, sallow-skinned female version of my brother Sherlock. Indeed --- although I knew the undertaking would involve a tremendous amount of work --- I would disguise myself in the last way that either Sherlock or Mycroft could possibly ever envision. I would be beautiful. The little sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes is no fool. She will not allow her brothers to put her in some finer institution for young ladies to be transformed "via singing lessons and similar vapors, into an ornament for genteel society." Based on the fact that she is female and without rights, they could force her into a boarding school, a convent or even an asylum. Instead, Enola (which backwards spells "alone") chooses to continue life on her own terms --- independent, inquisitive, bright, ready for adventures and definitely "alone." Being a young woman in the 1890s puts her at the mercy of society and her well-intentioned brothers. No thank you very much! When she reads that the beloved Dr. Watson (Sherlock's partner and popular author of all those Sherlock stories) is nowhere to be found, Enola springs into action. She has managed to find missing people before, and this is an especially important challenge. Officially, she considers herself to be a Perditorian, "a professional seeker of missing persons." Having managed to solve other mysteries --- such as the ones in THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS and THE CASE OF THE LEFT-HANDED LADY --- she sets about deciding on a disguise (something Sherlock unwittingly taught her) and a name. They would never recognize her mousiness behind the blond wig and frills. Once in full disguise and under the pretense of a former patient, Enola calls on Dr. Watson's distraught wife. While there, she observes a strange bouquet made up of poppies, asparagus, hawthorn and bindweed (convolvulus). Knowing the language of flowers as well as their botany, Enola comes to realize that this bouquet holds a definite message connected to the good doctor's disappearance. Throughout the dangerous investigations that involve any number of hair-raising encounters, Enola proves herself to be resourceful and cool under the most pressing of situations. Climbing the side of a building, deciphering strange codes and risking her life time and again, she does not let her heavy skirts hold her back. With amazing balance, she charges into the thick of this adventure and is able to prove to both her brothers and herself that a girl can meet any challenges a boy can. While THE CASE OF THE BIZARRE BOUQUETS is packed with terrific adventure, there is also a wealth of historical information, especially dealing with women's place in the society. Enola is the Nancy Drew of her day --- only more challenged because of her circumstance. While she does not understand some of the conflicts between herself and her brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock love th

Heaves above, how I love these books! Sorry. That's not something a professional reviewer should start off by saying is it? I should probably be coy about my opinions. I should couch my language with faint praise saying sniffy little things like, "It seems that Ms. Springer has truly found an oeuvre that will suit some out there". My review would nod its head at her other books and series and then end with constructive criticism along the lines of, "Certainly children in search of mysteries will have no problems with Ms. Springer's popular choices." Well, forget it. I can't be all detached and restrained when I'm talking about Enola Holmes. The fact of the matter is that I can't get enough of her. From the minute I read her first story The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery, I was hooked. Now we're on Enola's third caper, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, and things are heating up. Whether you've been reading these books faithfully from the start, or have just dropped into this series without seeing its predecessors, this is one Enola Holmes mystery that is bound to mystify, confound, and delight. A lot has changed for Enola Holmes in the last few months, but one thing certainly hasn't. She's still on the run from her older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock and she still needs to keep them at bay until she comes of age and can legally live on her own. Of course there's the small problem that she's been making her living by posing as the secretary of a detective, but now her cover's been blown and she needs to figure out what to do with herself. Top it all off with her sudden fear that her mother doesn't love her and Enola's in a pretty deep funk. Deliverance comes in the form of Dr. Watson. Or rather, the lack of Dr. Watson. Someone has kidnapped Sherlock Holmes' right-hand man, and Enola immediately is on the case. Her newest disguise? She'll become something her brothers would never expect her to be. She'll become beautiful. Armed with a pretty face, a knowledge of The Language of the Flowers, and her own common sense, Enola sets out to find the good doctor and maybe figure out some things about her own life along the way. I think that it was the School Library Journal review of one of Enola's books that pointed out that it is Enola's loneliness combined with her, "intelligence, sense of humor, and sheer pluck," that makes her such an appealing character. That's very insightful. Though she may try to hide it behind make-up and wigs, Enola is essentially a lonely person. She hasn't a confidant in the world, and this weighs on her. She doesn't even entirely realize it either. Fortunately, this isn't a teenager prone to sulks. The combination of code breaking, multiple clues, and a straightforward if intriguing mystery makes this a particularly delightful read. Plus I just love the sense of a larger story arc present in this series. There's some ultimate resolution on the horizon. Some grand view of t