An Enola Holmes Mystery (Book #1): The Case of the Missing Marquess

by Nancy Springer

Paperback, 2007

Status

Checked out
Due Apr 1, 2024

Local notes

PB Spr

Barcode

7161

Genres

Publication

Puffin Books (2007), Edition: Reprint, 215 pages

Description

Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.

Awards

Edgar Award (Nominee — Juvenile — 2007)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2008)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Teen — 2009)
NÄ“nÄ“ Award (Nominee — 2008)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2006-02-16

Physical description

215 p.; 7.6 x 0.7 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member Bduke
This is the first of what looks to be a charming series about the 14 year old sister of Sherlock Holmes. It really had the feel of a Sherlock Holmes mystery - very Victorian - you could almost see the gaslight lamps. Enola is a young, female version of her much older brother, although no one
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recognizes that. In fact, Sherlock keeps mentioning to Mycroft that she has a small cranium and they shouldn't expect too much out of her. But Enola just quietly strikes out on her own and proves to be very intelligent and resourceful. A fun, quick read, but probably not for reluctant readers because the reading level is 6.6 and it starts out just a little slowly.
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LibraryThing member sanyamakadi
I thought Enola Holmes would be a courageous heroine, but she actually began the book uncomfortable and timid, believing the negative judgements of her snotty older brothers. But as the book progresses and she is forced to fend for herself she comes into her own, with a mix of awesomeness and
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obnoxiousness, as she is well written as a teen who thinks she knows it all.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. Raised by her Rationalist mother in the country, Enola runs wild and a bit uneducated. But then, on her 14th birthday, Enola's mother vanishes. Sherlock won't look for her, and Mycroft is too busy getting Enola enrolled in a
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boarding school to teach her to be a proper lady. So Enola makes a plan and runs away to London to find her mother.

Lots of action and adventure, with some clues and cyphers thrown in for good measure. This is definitely intended for a younger audience than I, but there's a great deal about the unfair and terrible effects of classism and sexism cleverly hidden in here. I really liked Enola, who is quick-witted without being unbelievable. Her brothers are not characterized precisely as AC Doyle presented them, but that's the worst criticism I can throw at this charming slip of a mystery novel.
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LibraryThing member queenoftheshelf
Life for a 14-year-old in the Victorian English countryside is rather boring for Enola Holmes, the much younger and unexpected sister of Sherlock Holmes, that is until her Mother disappears under the most curious circumstances. Enola wrestles with the mystery of the disappearance, while also
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dealing with her role as a young woman of society in a changing world, and gets caught up in the kidnapping of another boy her own age.
The mystery in this first book is not very engaging, but it does leave ample room to set the scene for Enola's future adventures. It also provides a fascinating view into the social structure and proper etiquette of Victorian England, as well as giving a glimpse into the seedy underbelly of London (a la Charles Dickens, but not as dark). A perfect introduction, it would leave readers aged 9-11 wanting for more.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
It hasn't escaped the notice of Enola Holmes that her first name spelled backwards is "Alone." As the much younger daughter of the great Sherlock Holmes, Enola has grown up on the run-down family estate in the care of her eccentric mother, left often to her own devices. When her mother disappears,
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Enola sends for Sherlock and Mycroft, hoping that they will be able to solve the mystery of their mother's disappearance. Sherlock soon returns to London, promising to work on locating their mother, but not giving Enola much hope. Mycroft, bemoaning the condition of the estate and Enola's breeding and education (or lack thereof), determines to send Enola off to boarding school -- whereupon Enola runs away and sets out on her own to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance. On the way to London, Enola stumbles upon another mysterious disappearance, and she just can't help but get involved. Perhaps a talent for detection runs in the family . . .

While I am not as much of a Sherlock Holmes aficionado as some I could mention, I did think this book was fairly well done. I liked the way Enola chose methods of escape and disguise that she felt Sherlock would not expect, and used the trimmings and trappings of a "proper young lady" to her advantage. The author obviously did her homework on the period, but she incorporated period details into the story seamlessly, without info-dumping.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the fabulous Katherine Kellgren. I first discovered her work by listening to the Bloody Jack series, which I have mentioned before on this year's threads. Kellgren does a great job of differentiating her characters, and really has a feel for light historical fiction such as this. I'll certainly be listening to more books in this series in the future.
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LibraryThing member sarah-e
I was disappointed by this book. Despite great promise and originality, it just fell short of my expectations. Enola is fourteen, unrefined, uneducated, not exceptionally intelligent or intuitive, lives on a dilapidated country estate, and was born shamefully late in her mother's life. Her mother
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goes missing, and Enola sends for her brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. After they arrive, Enola starts following a set of clues to find her mother, eventually running away herself. She is swept into another missing persons case, which takes her to the wrong side of London and too close to her older brothers. She narrowly escapes from directly under Sherlock's nose to a cliffhanger ending and the promise of a sequel.

Such promise, and it may have lived up to what I expected were it not for glaring inconsistencies, dropped storylines, and a contrived, rushed plot. The book should have been longer, especially to give more attention to the ciphers. Once something like ciphers and the language of flowers have been introduced, readers will want to learn more and to be involved in solving or writing them. There is some opportunity for that in the book, but room for much more. I will read the next one to see how much it improves on this. The premise is so good; it’s a shame if the presentation doesn’t hold up.
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LibraryThing member purlewe
a YA take on Sherlock Holmes.. or more specifically his sister Enola. What if Sherlock and Mycroft had a much younger sister. One who is as smart as they are, but due to Victorian sensibilities is considered the "weaker" sex? And what if Enola's mum disappeared on her 14th birthday. She'd have to
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call her brothers to help her.. only they want to shove her off to boarding school. Any smart young woman would do what Enola does.. and runs off.

A fun tale with a smart female heroine. Set up with enough Victorian and Sherlockian sensibilities for those who enjoy them. I will go out of my way to read the next slim volume.
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LibraryThing member Othemts
The upcoming Enola Holmes movie on Netflix made me aware of the existence of this first book in a series about Sherlock Holme's sister. I've read all of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes writings and numerous non-canonical works by other writers, and this is definitely a good addition to that
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body of work. Enola Holmes is certainly more interesting than the mystery sister introduced in the BBC's deeply-flawed final series of Sherlock, who also had an odd name starting with E - Eurus.

Enola is the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft who grows up isolated at the family's estate after the death of her father and her mother estrangement with her brothers. The novel begins on Enola's 14th birthday when her mother disappears without a trace. Her famous brothers arrive and Mycroft decides to send the non-gender conforming Enola to a finishing school. Enola decides instead to run away and investigate her mother's disappearance on her own, stumbling into another mystery along the way.

Springer does a good job avoiding making Enola immediately as intellectually brilliant as her more famous brothers, allowing her to develop these skills over the course of the book. She also does a good job showing the Holmes brothers dismissive and chauvinistic attitudes - which is straight from Conan Doyle's characterization - and the restraints Enola has to work with in as a woman in Victorian society. Although I know the book is a series, I was surprised by the unresolved conclusion. Nevertheless, I would like to read more about Enola Holmes.
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LibraryThing member TotallyTea
This is an interesting series by Nancy Springer. I've read several Enola Holmes books after coming across one in the Juvenile Section of the library where I work. I like the Sherlock Holmes conneciton, but do wonder if the books may belong in our Teen Section. The series often deals with some
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pretty adult topics.
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LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Enola Holmes, sister of Mycroft and Sherlock, is a free spirit. When her also free-spirited mother disappears, Enola balks at her brothers' plans to civilize her and plots an escape to London. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think many young girls would too. It seems more like a Tween book to me
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and I would not hesitate to recommend it for the 11 - 13 set. I really had to suspend belief on this one to accept that a 14 year old girl could manage what Enola does, but I guess that is part of the fun.I am interested to see how she fairs in the next book.
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LibraryThing member Cottonwood.School
Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.
LibraryThing member bookmaven-msk
Good story, girl fiction. Would recomend
LibraryThing member rachelick
Enola Holmes, the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, is left to fend for herself when her mother runs away. Enola manages fairly well, staying far away from her well-meaning brothers who want to lock her up by running away to London. She sets up shop there as a private investigator.
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Springer brings out the darker side of the Victorian world for women while still drawing the reader into Enola's adventures. Although feminist currents overpower the story at times, the book (and series) is entertaining.
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LibraryThing member rampaginglibrarian
Enola Holmes, the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, runs away when her mother disappears and she is threatened with school which will help her become a lady. She stumbles upon a mystery of her own and uses what is apparently a genetic propensity to solve the case.
LibraryThing member Kuzujuk
A short, enjoyable read with a very appealing main character. Enola is the much-younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes, and was brought up by their suffragist of a mother in their country home. She and her mother are both rather wild and independent, and when her mother goes missing Enola is
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determined to find her (even after her brilliant brothers give up), making use of a book of ciphers, the language of flowers, and her Victorian undergarments. Her creative use of her corsets and bustles was perhaps my favourite part of the book.
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LibraryThing member jfoster_sf
First book in a series all about Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, Enola. Wished they were a little bit longer, but still loved it and will be looking for more. I especially liked trying to solve the clues and riddles alongside the character=)
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Good concept and major character but sketchy plot and execution. Will check next in series for hopefully substantial improvement.
LibraryThing member sschreur
A brash, clever heroine who uses Victorian rules and mores regarding women to her own advantage. The book will appeal to both boys and girls, and there are clever mysteries and ciphers throughout the whole novel that readers will have a fun time solving. Promising beginning to a wonderful series
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that is well-researched and fun.
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LibraryThing member lauraodom
This delightful little tale is the first in a series of children's mystery books. It follows Enola Holmes, 14 year old sister to the much older Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. Quirky and equally intelligent, Enola leaves home on a search to find her missing mother. Careful to elude being found by her
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older brothers, she ends up right in the middle of another case of missing persons... a 12 year old marquess from a nearby town.

Even though Enola does find herself in a bit of a dangerous scrape at times, the overall mood of the book is fun and lighthearted. It is a clever take on a Sherlock Holmes spin-off, and who doesn't enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes mystery? This promises to be a fun kids series... I plan to introduce it to my girls.
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LibraryThing member Inky_Fingers
Not my thing, but certainly well written and very true to period, which I appreciate because it shows how much the writer cares about the reader in trying to make the world real for them.
LibraryThing member sriemann
Totally loved it. Zipped through most of it yesterday as a treat to myself, and finished today when I got home from work. The details Springer chooses to include really help illuminate the class structure of the time and how women were treated, but without banging one over the head with
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it.
Definitely want to read the next books.
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LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
This mystery was recommended to me on Twitter and I finally picked it up (it's been recommended to me before). It's fast-paced, with a strong sense of place and time. It'll appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes and it features a strong female protagonist trying to make her way in a man's world.
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Readalikes: I'd recommend The Puzzling World of Winston Breen for kids who like the ciphers contained in the book.

Obviously, Sherlock Holmes or the Sherlock Holmes graphic novels would be great choices for readalikes.

For older tweens and teens who like the setting and spunky female character, I'd recommend the Jacky Faber series and Gail Carriger's new book Etiquette and Espionage.
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LibraryThing member mayaspector
When her mother disappears on her 14 th birthday, Enola Holmes faces drastic upheaval in her 14-year-old life. Her stuffy and proper much older brother decides to put her into restricting corsets and a boarding school that will turn her into a young lady. But Enola, finding a book of ciphers her
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mother has left her, refuses that course, and takes off to find her mother. She prefers to follow in the footsteps of her famous other brother, Sherlock, and attempt to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance, even in the face of her brother's failure to crack the case. On the way, she not only outwits her brothers, but gets involved in solving another mystery – that of a missing young boy, the Marquess of Basilwether.



Clearly the first of a series, this new mystery will surely make fans of young readers.
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LibraryThing member liz.mabry
I'm always up for a new take on Holmes or associated characters (I love the Mary Russell books and Carol Nelson Douglas' Irene Adler series). I really liked this book. The narrator is Enola Holmes, Sherlock and Mycroft's little (by many years) sister. She is spritely and spirited, independent and
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intuitive. At no point does the book slip into maudlin or ridiculous territory - despite the unusual premise, it's really quite believable.

I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series - my library has at least the next two, and I'm going to pick them up tonight.
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LibraryThing member helynrob
Grades 4-8. When her mother disappears on her 14th birthday, her older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, visit their family estate to investigate. They solve nothing and threaten to send her, their younger sister, Enola Holmes, to boarding school. Taking matters into her own hands, Enola
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Holmes runs away to London, intent on solving her mother‰ÃƒÂ›Ã‚ªs disappearance on her own. On the way she dons many disguises, stumbles across a second mystery, puzzles through ciphers, and navigates the rat-infested streets of 19th century London.

Springer‰Ûªs Case of the Missing Marquess is a fast paced and light-hearted mystery. It will be particularly appealing to those who enjoy books based in Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes, piecing together puzzles, or all three. The heroine, Enola Holmes is strong, independent, and intelligent. Springer delivers the ciphers in such a way that both Enola and reader can attempt to solve them together, an added treat to an already enjoyable adventure.
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Pages

215

Rating

½ (424 ratings; 3.8)
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