THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE: An Enola Holmes Mystery
by Nancy Springer
Philomel Books
ISBN: 9780399247811
Ages 9-11
176 pages
Enola Holmes first sprang onto the scene in THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS and then continued her adventures in three subsequent novels. Fans of Enola no doubt realize she goes to great lengths to stay hidden in London. She parades around in her alter-ego, Miss Meshle, in an attempt to stay free of notice from her much famous older brother, Sherlock Holmes. While Enola does maintain her freedom from such restrictions as a fancy boarding school or uptight social gatherings, she is nevertheless very much alone (her name spelled backwards is still “Alone”).
In fact, the closest thing to family would be her dear landlady, Mrs. Tupper. Mrs. Tupper may be deaf and a dreadful cook, but she certainly doesn’t ask questions concerning Enola’s sometimes eccentric and erratic behavior. She also recognizes that there is more to Enola than meets the eye and confides in her concerning a mysterious message received in the mail. Apparently someone is after Mrs. Tupper to deliver a “bird-brained” message --- or else. While utterly clueless, Enola realizes this is no idle threat when Mrs. Tupper is kidnapped the very next day. Time is short for Enola to rescue perhaps the only person who really cares about her.
The smallest amount of clues is left behind for Enola to make sense of. These include Mrs. Tupper’s brief history in the Crimean War, some old embroidery on a crinoline, and a brief encounter with a very famous nurse, Florence Nightingale. Enola’s first encounter with the seemingly invalid Nightingale is fruitless and exasperating. The crinoline, however, proves more fruitful with a hidden Morse code in the embroidery. Armed now with an important secret message, Enola once again approaches Florence Nightingale with the hope of coming one step closer to locating the missing Mrs. Tupper. Florence informs Enola that she has also hired her own detective to solve the problem, and Enola comes face to face --- literally --- with the last person she expects or wants to see: her older brother, Sherlock.
Enola is now faced with two very difficult problems. She still has not found her beloved Mrs. Tupper, and time is running out. Also, now Sherlock is hot on her tail to bring her home and force her into a “proper” school and other “proper” engagements girls of her age should be experiencing. Will the cryptic crinoline lead Enola to Mrs. Tupper? Will Enola be able to maintain her freedom with the insatiable Sherlock Holmes on the case? Only the younger sister of the great Sherlock Holmes would be able to juggle the two problems with relative ease and a hint of danger mixed in.
Nancy Springer has successfully created a series of mysteries that capture the sincerity and complexity of the original Conan Doyle stories with a new and vibrant character in Enola Holmes. Enola proves once again that she is able to match wits with her male counterparts and perhaps has more fun in doing it. I appreciated the richness of language in relation to the time period and of course the wondrous and equally spooky setting of London. This was my first Enola Holmes mystery, and I am a converted fan.
--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche (bennyboche@hotmail.com)
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