Author: Nancy Springer
Series: Enola Holmes (Book 1)
Publisher : Hot Key Books
Release Date: 24 Sept. 2020
ISBN-13 : 978-1471408960
Synopsis
Introducing London's newest and greatest detective: Enola Holmes
When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock, discovers her mother has disappeared, she embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. 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. Will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?
My Review
I have always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes and heard that there was a spin off movie but didn't get round to watching it (Still haven't but it's on my list). I was heading into hospital last week for surgery and my amazing best friend, who I always call my little sister, bought me this book to take in with me to help pass my recovery time.
This book is quite short at just under 200 pages, but was perfect for a nice easy read without needing too much focus. I didn't really know what to expect from it but hoped I would enjoy it and I did.
Enola is 14 years old, lives in a big house with her mother and 2 assistants - Mr & Mrs Lane, and isn't afraid to be adventurous. Her mother has never forced her to be ladylike and actually likes to protest against the restrictions placed on women. Enola has always been a bit of a scandal, she was a very late baby in her mother's life and has been outcast by her older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock. Enola is free to roam the local town, go out riding on her bike and explore the local landmarks, but then one morning her mother disappears. Enola immediately goes out to try and trace her whereabouts, but nobody has seen her and she has left most of her possessions behind. It is a real mystery. Inspired by her brother Sherlock's mystery solving skills, Enola is convinced that she can do just as good a job, but when things get too complicated she ends up contacting her brothers for help. The pair treat her like a child and seem to show no real care about her mother, who it turns out has been gathering money from Mycroft under the pretense of hiring tutors and gardeners for the house, but in reality been hiding the cash. They conclude she has run off on her own and it's best to leave her to it. But Enola can't give up now and must know the truth, so she sets out for London to try and solve the mystery. On her way she gets caught up in another mystery that very nearly jeopardizes her life.
I loved Enola's attitude towards life in general, she is a lot like me in terms of being adventurous, stubborn and quite a tom boy. She doesn't care what other people really think, instead she is more determined to uncover truth and justice. She can be quite naive at times and jump into a situation without thinking first which ends up causing her more trouble in the long run.
The story was good, it had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. The only downside for me was that it lacked the same level of description as a Sherlock Holmes book, with Conan Doyle's stories I always felt like I was right there with Sherlock and that I had a chance to solve the mystery before him if I was good enough. But with Enola, I felt like she was taking me along but I was only seeing what she wanted me to, which made me feel at a disadvantage. I enjoyed her adventure and the way she got involved in the case but it lacked the traditional Holmes charm.
It was a nice easy read which was perfect for the situation I was in, but overall I would like a bit more to the novel, just to really bring it to life. But definitely worth reading if you are a fan of the Holmes universe.
My Rating
No comments:
Post a Comment