Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess
By Nancy Springer
I discovered Enola Holmes by watching the first Netflix movie (soon to followed by a sequel). I was delighted by the story and especially Enola herself.
The novel is clearly written for a YA/Teen audience. Nevertheless it is quite a pleasant read.
I found the book to be deceptively simple, but short. Enola is as delightful as her movie counterpart. I was quite surprised by the author’s decision to portray Enola’s older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, not in the best of lights.
There is social commentary about the role of women, how they were perceived and expected to behave, as well as how realistically the author chose to portray people who are poor. It enables the main character to open her eyes to a reality she knew nothing of.
The parts that were not complex enough in my opinion are the whole debacle with the Marquess and the book’s ending, mostly because of the book’s length. The Marquess, finding Enola’s mother, and setting Enola’s future are dealt too swiftly.
In fact, the movie, despite being much different from the novel, does a better, more thorough job with the Marquess’ ordeal.
I did enjoy this quick read and I am contemplating reading the rest of the series.