Multi-styled Text Generator at TextSpace.net
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Springer, Nancy: Enola Holmes series

Nancy Springer
2006-2009, Philomel
Historical/Mystery


Rating: 5/5 


Summed up: So what if Sherlock Holmes had a sister -  the very epitome of female cunning, with all her brother's brilliant powers of deductions, and then some, to the point that even the great detective himself couldn't keep up? Wonderful idea? I thought so.

Publisher summary (Book One):

When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers—all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?






 
says:


...To quote Ferb on this one: Yes, yes she will.

Don't get me wrong - I adore Sherlock Holmes as much as the next teenage absolutely-practically-unhealthy Anglophile. I've read pretty much all the mysteries and oohed and ahhed over the dated BBC dramas and *cough* might've wrote a brief, unsuccessful venture into his life as a teenager. Still, though, when I saw this series, I was absolutely delighted at the idea of even the great Holmes having to deal with an intelligent and quite independent younger sister that he has no idea how to control.

So, the story in a nutshell: Enola, the youngest of the Holmes family, is forced to call upon her famous brothers in London when their eccentric mother goes missing. However, after Mycroft - in his usual, bumbling way - decides that the best way to deal with their unwanted and unladylike sister (and patch up her "matrimonial prospects") is to ship her off to boarding school, Enola takes her fate into her own hands and forges a name for herself in the world of mysteries.

Besides being written with rapier wit and impeccable detail, the author also gives solutions for the ciphers Enola faces so that the reader can solve along with her. I know, I know, I ought to have gotten over the thrill of that sort of book back in fifth grade, but honestly, once you've gotten a taste of the detective life, you can never go back to the same dry "and then he solved the case" texts again.

Bottom line: Sherlock is good. Enola is better. Girl power to the rescue!

3 comments:

Tales of Whimsy said...

I have been wanting to read this for like ever.

Off subject: OMG I LOVE your wallpaper, header, and name! Brilliant!

Wendy Darling said...

Someone just told me about this series recently! It sounds like fun.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the kind words. Your blog is super pretty, too...count me in as a new follower. :)

Georgina Troy said...

Thanks for introducing this book to me, I hadn't come across it before.

Post a Comment

 

Blog Template by YummyLolly.com