Enola Holmes: The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan (An Enola Holmes Mystery)

I absolutely adored this 6 book feminist retelling of the Sherlock Holmes series and so wish it had been around in my youth. The protagonist is Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of the famous Sherlock & Mycroft Holmes, who is abandoned on her 14th birthday by their unusual mother but left with sufficient means to make her own path (if she can evade her brothers and societal expectations). Every sentence of Springer’s writing is brilliant and witty and the mysteries are intriguing, well-crafted—and at times shocking—in the true spirit of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. But my favorite aspect is the way the books reveal the true plight of women and the poor in Victorian London. There is a social consciousness as well as a retelling of romanticized notions we might have about this era that truly give this series substance. A book that manages to be clever and meaningful? Yes please! Finally, I was a bit worried that the quality of the series would start declining as it went on—as easily happens with longer series. Not so in this case. Books 4-6 were actually my favorites. Absolutely brilliant from start to finish!

Nancy Springer has written yet another wonderful entry in the Enola Holmes series. Although Springer has been noted for her Rowen Hood series, among others, the Enola Holmes series is for a slightly more sophisticated reader who delights in solving puzzles and developing portrayals of interesting characters. Enola Holmes is Sherlock Holme's younger sister. Many of the Sherlock Holmes spin offs are tired and unimaginative but this is not true for this series. Enola is the younger sister of Sherlock who has been left to fend for herself by her mysterious mother. Her brothers want to send her off to finishing school to make her into a lady but she has other plans. Instead Enola takes the money and clues left for her from her mother (of course, Sherlock and Enola inherited their intelligence and imaginative gifts from somehwere) and has started her own investigative agency under an assumed name and disguise. The Case of the Pecular Pink Fan brings back a character from a previous novel (The Case of the Left Handed Woman) and brings her into new territory. Enola meets the "Left Handed Woman" in a woman's rest room and during this encounter the woman leaves a pink fan with a message of distress. Enola sets out to find and rescue the woman through creative and smart detective work that is mostly appropriate for a girl her age and position. In addition, she continues to develop her relationship with her brother Sherlock and earns his respect for her insightful ideas on how to find the missing woman. This is a terrific novel. My only regret is that it was not longer and that the plot and characters were not developed even more.

These books are darling and are a lot of fun. I adore Enola, and the storyline in this one is good.

"The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan" continues Nancy Springer's mystery series featuring Enola Holmes, fourteen-year-old sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Enola is still working as a scientific perditorian in London, and still on the run from her older brothers, who want to raise her as a "proper" lady. This time around, Enola runs into an old acquaintance - Lady Cecily, from "The Case of the Left-Handed Lady." Cecily is being held against her will, and Enola soon discovers that Cecily will be forced into an arranged marriage. Enola's attempts to save Cecily grow more complicated when she discovers that there's another detective already on the case - her brother Sherlock, who was hired by Cecily's mother.Fans of this series won't be disappointed by this installment. Springer includes plenty of interesting historical details; the description of the "pink teas" is particularly fascinating (and garish). Enola is a relatively somber but engaging narrator, a smart girl who relies on hard work and perseverance to solve her cases. Still, the real heart of this series has always been the relationship between Enola and her family - her disapproving brothers and her absent mother. "The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan" is particularly gratifying because Enola actually spends some time with Sherlock. I really enjoyed seeing Sherlock's growing respect for his sister, and how much it means to her. Of course, the gaping plot hole in this book is why Sherlock would have ever agreed to work for Cecily's mother in the first place, since Cecily's father had every legal right to arrange the marriage...and isn't this what the Holmes brothers want to do to Enola? I imagine that Sherlock's decision was based on his recent experiences with Enola, but Springer should have clarified that so that he didn't come off as a bit of a hypocrite, really. Overall, though, this is a fun book and a worthy continuation of the series.

My daughter loves this series

Funny, sad, touching. Also, a touch creepy. She’s growing older & wiser. Nice to have Sherlock around more as well. Bravo!

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