Book Review Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess

Thanks for taking the time to read this book review about Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer.

No, I’m not planning to move to England and become a private detective but lately, I have enjoyed reading books about young sleuths in old England.

The last book review I posted was for a delightful middle-grade book with a young wannabe detective, Premeditated Myrtle.

Today I’m reviewing Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess.  This is the first book in the Enola Holmes mystery series which is written for young adults and middle graders.

If you have Netflix you may be familiar with Enola Holmes because apparently, she has a series on Netflix. I don’t have Netflix, so the book was my first introduction to Enola.

I must say I was impressed.

Enola Holmes is a clever and capable girl. She’s only fourteen but is able to outsmart her much older brothers, one of whom is Sherlock Holmes.

This book will appeal to anyone who likes to read about old England. It reminded me of Jane Austen’s books at times. Enola is very ladylike and knows exactly what is proper and what is not.

Of course, she can’t always adhere to these dictates.

One of Enola’s great fears is being sent to boarding school where girls are forced to wear tight-fitting corsets for hours on end in order to give them tiny waists. It makes me cringe to think about it!

I laughed at Enola’s very creative use of a corset later in the book.

Enola Holmes is a member of the upper-class society and lives in a small town. Her life is not typical though because her mother is a quirky artist. Enola’s mother disappears and Enola finds herself under the control of her older brothers who live in London. They want her to attend boarding school and she wants to find her mother.

So naturally, Enola runs away and the excitement begins.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a true mystery. Coded messages point Enola toward her mother and hidden bank notes fund her adventure.

The writer is very skilled with description. The scenes of seedy London come to life. I felt as if I was walking down the filthy streets of the city.

The ending surprised me but it is a great setup for more books.  I believe there are a total of six books in the series.

This book is clean with very mild violence. 

No love interests for Enola in this first book.

This is not a Christian book. The Holmes family are intellectuals and have not made God an integral part of their lives although Enola seems to have a church background. I’ve never read any Sherlock Holms books but I would assume those books are the same way.

I can easily recommend this read to middle graders, young adults and adults.

Comment below and let me know if you’ve ever watched Enola Holmes on Netflix. I’m just curious.