Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess

Enola Holmes, recently abandoned by mother, finds herself the ward of her older bachelor brother. He wants her to learn to be a lady, but Enola knows a well behaved lady rarely makes history.

Nancy Springer is a noted fantasy author, but here lately she's been re-writing some of her - and my - favorite childhood characters. I've always been partial to that Outlaw of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood, but who knew he had a daughter? Nancy did. In fact, she's written five novels about Rowan Hood and her merry band. Morgan Le Fay has always been one of those strong woman, and evil, from Arthurian legend. But who knew her childhood stories? Nancy did. She wrote two of the young Morgan Le Fay. When I think of private detectives, I always think of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Mycroft Holmes. But who knew that Sherlock and Mycroft had a younger sister? Nancy did. And she's just now penning the curious adventures of Enola Holmes, the fourteen-year-old younger sister of the Great Detective. I first met Miss Enola Holmes in the novel, ENOLA HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS. I found her to be utterly brilliant, like her older brothers, and quite given to solving mysteries. Her deductive reasoning is a delight, as is her particular views on society. Regrettably, young Enola is not a proper young lady. She loves traipsing through forests, wearing men's clothing, and having hideouts that require journeying through streams and across muddy earth. She's also quite fearless and knowledgeable about a great many things. The first-person narrative of the novels revealed a lot of Miss Holmes's character to me within a few short pages. I found her to be, not so much a carbon copy of Sherlock Holmes, but rather a young lady with all of Sherlock's best qualities who was also equipped with the vision of youth and feminine perspective. There are a great many puzzles in Miss Holmes's life. Not in the least of these is the reason why her mother abandoned Miss Holmes on the morning of her fourteenth birthday. As much as that bothered and stymied young Miss Holmes, it also burdened me with curiosity and speculation. But Miss Holmes's mother left many messages behind for her young daughter. They shared a passion for puzzles and curiosities. Miss Holmes's first name, Enola, is actually ALONE spelled backward. Once you understand that, you begin to worry at what prompted her mother to name her such. The name, though, offers hints as to how to solve the other mysteries her mother left her. The interpretations are so obvious when the solution is given. After she discovers she's been abandoned, Miss Holmes puts the police to searching for her mother, but at the same time she knows that if her brothers find her alone and uncared for they'll ship her off to a young ladies' finishing school. That's not something Miss Holmes wants. Before long, she figures out a way to escape the watchful eye of Mycroft as he stays there to set his mother's affairs right. Then she's on her way to London, the Greatest City in the world, on her trusty bicycle. Along the way I was treated to a great many descriptions of the time and land that were trul

The Case of the Missing Marquess is a great book! I was browsing through the public library and picked it up, excited to read this interesting story. I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed with its plot and mystery after reading a few real Sherlock Holmes adventures. I wasn't disappointed at all! This story has a double plot in which Enola Holmes, Sherlock Holmes's younger sister, must locate her missing mother and return Lord Tewksberry to his home. She travels in disguise, deciphers secret ciphers left behind by her mother, and uses her skills to solve the mysteries set before her. This exciting mystery is great, and I can't wait to get the next two books in the series: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady and (still not yet published) The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets. Although this is a mystery book with Sherlock Holmes, this book is definitely directed to girls. This book was marvelous, and I recommend it to all girls.

Have you guys ever wondered about the family of your favorite fictional characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Kind Arthur, or Robin Hood? I know I have. Well, Nancy Springer is an author who likes to write stories about classical characters and their families. In The Case of the Missing Marquess she is telling about the adventure the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, Enola. When Enola's mother goes missing Enola must send a message to her brothers, whom she hasn't seen in over ten years. However, when her detective brother arrives Sherlock concludes that after their mother had gathered money from her richer son, Mycroft, she ran away leaving Enola alone with two servants. Both of Enola's brothers believe that she was not raised properly and that she should be sent away to a finishing school. Enola, though has different plans. When she finds out that her mother has not completely abandoned her and in secret left money hidden for her, she then devises a perfect scheme to leave her brothers behind and fool the famous detective. Along the way she encounters many of her own struggles and adventures. During her escape she finds a missing boy, solves a mystery or two, and she begins her own business. This fiction book, written by Nancy Springer, is an excellent choice for anyone who loves mystery and adventure. Nancy Springer does a good job of not taking anything away from our favorite detective, and she does an even better job at adding a family and past to him. Plus you will love the new addition to the Holmes family. Overall this is a book that will capture the imagination of anyone who loves Sherlock Holmes or any other kinds of mystery.

There's a real sense of relief that comes with reading a book that knows what it wants to do and then goes out and accomplishes it. Take Ms. Nancy Springer. Having given us some insight into Robin Hood's daughter ("Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest"), as well as that notorious King Arthur villainess ("I Am Morgan le Fay"), Springer turns her attention to a friend of her youth. According to this book, the author grew up with the "Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle". It was as a kid that she would be, "reading and rereading them over a period of years until she could find no more Sherlock Holmes stories to memorize". But rather than do as so many have done and continue Holmes' adventures (or, in some cases, that of his lady love Irene Adler) Springer had a better idea. Anyone who has read Doyle at any length knows that Holmes had a brother Mycroft (on whom Rex Stout's character of Nero Wolfe was partly based). But what about a sister? Holmes undoubtedly wouldn't have mentioned her to Watson and if she had any of the great detective's smarts her story would be a truly interesting tale to tell. With that thought in mind we come to "The Case of the Missing Marquess". A good old-fashioned mystery alongside an understanding of the role women were meant to play back in the 1800s, the book is fast-paced, truly enjoyable, and a great read for one and all. When Enola Holmes's mother disappears without a trace on the day of her birthday, her daughter doesn't fret too much. Her mother often wanders off on her own. She's a singularly single-minded woman, after all, and has raised Enola to be the same. But when it becomes clear, however, that Lady Eudoria Vernet Holmes is not coming back, Enola has no choice but to contact her two elder brothers: Mycroft and Sherlock. The men had not been home in years, owing partly to a fight they had had with the now missing Lady. On their return they are shocked at the state of things and Mycroft in particular becomes intent upon bending his stubborn little sister to his will. Enola has other plans in mind, however, and in no time she concocts a plan on escaping the rigid role both her brothers and society have assigned her. Along her journey she also gets wrapped up in the case of a missing heir to a Duke and finds herself thoroughly ensconced in the slimy backwaters of London's foulest dens. But if anyone's up to the task of battling villains and saving young heirs, it's a girl with the last name of Holmes. As a children's librarian I hear no end of demands from stubborn young `uns for an unceasing and steady supply of mystery fiction. Kids love a good mystery, be it the fabulous "Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin or the tepid "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett. In spite of the demand, very few quality works of fiction fulfill this need. You could close your eyes, spin around in the children's room of a library or bookstore, and end up pointing at one of the five million mystery series o

There is almost nothing ordinary about 14-year-old Enola Holmes. (She is painfully aware that her name spelled backwards is "Alone.") The year is 1880; the place, England. Enola lives on a lovely estate, but there is nothing upper crust about her. Even more unusual is the fact that her much older brothers are the famous detectives Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. And not to mention the fact that Enola's mother has gone missing on the very day of Enola's birthday. Enola's mother has left her several birthday gifts: a drawing kit, a book about the hidden meanings of flowers, and a cipher book. Enola loves the presents but hates that her mother has disappeared. She wires her brothers to come and help find their mother. Mycroft and Sherlock arrive, only to discover that their mother has been getting money from Mycroft, who handles the estate, under false pretensions. But there's no sign of the missing money or the missing mother. Then, to Enola's shock and horror, Mycroft insists that Enola go away to a snooty girls finishing school. No way! Enola decides to leave home to find her mother herself. But before she departs, she uncovers a hidden message from her mother, written in the language of flowers, plus a message written in cipher. Acting on the clues, she goes through her mother's beautiful drawings of flowers and finds all the money hidden inside the picture frames. The money was left for her! She puts on a bustle to hide the money in and disguises herself as a widow, wearing her mother's black dress and hat. After escaping by bicycle and on foot, Enola happens to arrive in the village where the young Marquess of Basilwether has just been kidnapped. Or has he? Enola finds clues as to what really happened and also meets Sherlock's famous associate, Inspector Lestrade. She goes to London, narrowly escaping from Lestrade, only to be kidnapped herself. And, by a not-so-strange coincidence, she finds herself captive on a boat with the Marquess himself! How do Nola and the Marquess escape from the vicious Victorian villains who kidnapped them? Does Enola ever find her mother? Is Sherlock Holmes able to locate his missing sister? Does Enola end up in a horrid finishing school? All will be revealed in THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS. No young reader will want to miss it! --- Reviewed by Robert Oksner ([email protected])