Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche: 7

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The next day, Enola’s fifteenth birthday, the three of us had tea and cake together at my flat. From a letter recently received, we now knew why our mother had run away: her days were numbered, she had spent them in freedom from society’s dictates, and she was now deceased. Enola shed a few tears, but her smiles were manifold; her mother was gone, but she had her brothers now. Mycroft had made peace with her, and I had grown to care for her. All was well. And what an adventure it turns out to be! Enola is inventive and creative when it comes to costumes, disguises, and aliases. She can concoct a story to wiggle her way into a situation and out of it again, if need be. Does trouble find her? It most certainly does! Does she get the job done? Wait and see! I relished Enola's growth throughout the series, from a young unkempt girl, running around barefoot in the fields of her ancestral home, to a proper young woman with a taste for society's fashions. Enola has managed to integrate the aspects of society she finds pleasing without allowing it to consumer her personality and I admire that. This is a powerful lesson in the ability of young women to chart their own course, their own destiny, without succumbing to the fancies of society. There’s a reference to a group of people “screeching profanities,” but none are spelled out. Someone does cry out, “your mission be d–ned!” at one point.

The next day, from shouted conversation through an ear trumpet, I pieced together that the pitiful, deaf, and ancient Mrs. Tupper had been Enola’s landlady, and with some mental excitement I deduced that Enola might visit her at the Nightingale residence. Thereafter I lurked in wait for her, along with a companion named Reginald. Dozens of people entered the Nightingale home daily, and on the lookout for my plain-faced sister, I paid no attention whatsoever to quite a lovely lady in an elaborate cerulean gown of three fabrics—but Reginald, my sister’s longtime pet collie, whined and pulled at the leash! I let him go bounding to her, and could scarcely believe it when the lady greeted the dog with laughter and tears, most unceremoniously sitting on the ground to hug him! When she saw me looking down at her, she smiled up into my face and willingly took my hand to arise. She sensed, I think, that I no longer looked down on her in any other sense of the phrase. Yes, it was she, tossing down brandy and bandages to me, then swarming up a seemingly impossible tree with a rope, of all things, between her teeth. Securing it, she came thumping down like an oversized monkey on the far side of the trench in which I remained entrapped. I expected her to give me the rope so I could get out, but no, she started to go gallivanting off by herself to free the imprisoned lady, and I might be languishing in that pit to this day if it were not that the lord of the manor came out with a shotgun and fired upon us! In the duress of the next few moments I found Enola helping me out of the trench, up and over the fence, and away, my injured foot so useless that I must needs cling to her shoulder to limp along. I am sure my brother, Mycroft, will never forgive or understand why, when we reached safety, I felt obliged to let her go, but gratitude and my sense of honour compelled me. We shook hands, my sister and I, and then like a wild moorland pony she shied away, her mane of hair flying, and ran for freedom. I was relieved to note that she wore a skirt, not trousers. Rather than speaking—indeed, perhaps unable to speak—Miss Glover bent, reached into her reticule, and withdrew a letter, which she passed to me. I find Enola just as exciting, if not more, than Holmes! She is a bit brash, always daring, and will take on just about anything! Her and Holmes make a great team! In this book Holmes is in a terrible funk and Watson is worried about him. Holmes won't eat, shave, or get out of bed. Watson wants Enola to come cheer him up.In fact, Enola already has ideas for the part she’ll play and the disguise she’ll use to uncover further clues. Her brilliant brother might indeed be the best and most insightful male detective the world has ever known. But women can be insightful and capable, too. In 2020 Netflix released an Enola Holmes movie (which I have seen) and in 2022 a second (which I have not). In 2021 Springer rebooted the book series with this novel. I am of course delighted at the resumption of the series, but was also apprehensive that it might have been changed to take after the movie, which is quite different from the books. I am excited to present my first guest review, from my wonderful wife, Kate! Thanks, babe, for your review of this book, the seventh in Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes' series. Watson seemed a bit flummoxed by my views, but replied staunchly, “Any rousing change should surely be an improvement.” Nancy Springer ist sich ihrem Stil treu geblieben und ich hab mit Begeisterung verfolgt, wie die forsche und erwachsen werdende Enola in ihrer forschen Art einen neuen Fall annimmt.

I stood up and walked over to her. “Never mind, Mrs. Hudson.” I took the card from her salver. “Send the young lady up directly. Tell her that Mr. Holmes’s sister and associate will be happy to advise her.” Almost all of the other adults and authorities in the equation are relatively kind and attentive but for Lord Cadgan Burr Radcliff II, the Earl and husband in the case. This man can appear mannered and nice in public, but we learn that he is a womanizing lout who mistreated two different women he was married to.

Flat-out among the best mysteries being written for young people today." -- Booklist (starred review) on The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye

But I’m glad to have redeemed my mistake. All the previous books are in my TBR now. I may watch the movie, though I’ll read the book first. Not entirely.” I tried to smile but grimaced instead. “I’ve had such dark fits myself; I suppose the predisposition runs in the family. To me, the mood seems rooted in spleen, and I think a fine fit of temper, some cleansing anger, might be its best cure. Do you agree?” When I hurried out of the front door of the Professional Women’s Club, the good doctor was waiting with a hansom cab, into which he helped me with some conventional words of greeting before seating himself at my side and bidding the cabbie to convey us to Baker Street. The mystery involves the twin sister of a woman who may or may not have died under questionable circumstances. I enjoyed the mystery. It wasn’t what so much as where, and it was also a question of how they would ever find the missing sister of their client. The conclusion was a whole lot of fun.

I just loved this book and I honestly did not know this series existed and yet here we are at book 7, and I am so excited for this series that I am reading book 1 asap and reading the entire series as a goal before the end of the year. I also saw Enola Holmes in Netflix before reading this and I found them both, the movie and the book quite enjoyable equally. A young girl who is empowered, capable, and smart...the Enola Holmes book series convey an impactful message that you can do anything if you set your mind to it, and it does so in an exciting and adventurous way."—Millie Bobby Brown Mientras se esconde de su propio hermano, Enola se topa con unos dibujos al carboncillo y siente una conexión inmediata con su autora, Lady Cecily, pero esta ha desaparecido sin dejar rastro. Así que Enola deberá resolver los enigmas que conducen hasta esta dama zurda. A young girl who is empowered, capable, and smart...the Enola Holmes book series convey an impactful message that you can do anything if you set your mind to it, and it does so in an exciting and adventurous way." - Millie Bobby Brown Empowered, capable, and smart . . . [with] an impactful message that you can do anything if you set your mind to it.”—Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things