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llangreads's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
Yes, I was also one of those people watching the movie and then discovering that Enola Holmes is very much a bookseries. I devoured the first 6 books in the series and I really thought the story was finished. However, it seems that after the success of the film the author got some inspiration again and decided to add another adventure for Enola to the series. Things like that either go very wrong or very right. I was curious what it was gonna be.
Apart from the coded messages in the newspaper, this book had everything I think an Enola Holmes story should have. Maybe even a little bit more, because finally Enola, Sherlock and Mycroft are not at each other's throats anymore. It's therefore not much of a surprise that Enola sticks her nose in one of Sherlock's cases and that instead of trying to outsmart the other, they're combining their forces to find out what's truly going on.
Just like the previous books, this book portrayed a painful realistic picture of the lives of women not even that long ago in England (and very likely across the world). In this book we're once more confronted with some very ugly side of nobility and aristocrats, and especially how much power the men had to do with women whatever they wanted. Reading an Enola Holmes always makes me quite glad I'm born in the here and now.
I also really enjoyed seeing how Enola clearly had grown up a little compared to the previous books. Of course, she was always resourceful, clever and able to take care of herself already, but I got the feeling that in this book she was a little more responsible. She was still willing to take risks, but she also knew when she was going too far and needed help. Just like it seemed that she's discovering that being fierce and independent and liking to dress beautifully can be combined!
I hope there will be more! I mean, Springer can now basically continue writing stories like this forever and ever. And I will happily read them all.
Apart from the coded messages in the newspaper, this book had everything I think an Enola Holmes story should have. Maybe even a little bit more, because finally Enola, Sherlock and Mycroft are not at each other's throats anymore. It's therefore not much of a surprise that Enola sticks her nose in one of Sherlock's cases and that instead of trying to outsmart the other, they're combining their forces to find out what's truly going on.
Just like the previous books, this book portrayed a painful realistic picture of the lives of women not even that long ago in England (and very likely across the world). In this book we're once more confronted with some very ugly side of nobility and aristocrats, and especially how much power the men had to do with women whatever they wanted. Reading an Enola Holmes always makes me quite glad I'm born in the here and now.
I also really enjoyed seeing how Enola clearly had grown up a little compared to the previous books. Of course, she was always resourceful, clever and able to take care of herself already, but I got the feeling that in this book she was a little more responsible. She was still willing to take risks, but she also knew when she was going too far and needed help. Just like it seemed that she's discovering that being fierce and independent and liking to dress beautifully can be combined!
I hope there will be more! I mean, Springer can now basically continue writing stories like this forever and ever. And I will happily read them all.
lynguy1's review
4.0
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer brings together Sherlock Holmes and his much younger sister Enola in a teen / young adult historical mystery set in London and Surrey in 1889. There are several previous books in this series, but this one worked well as a standalone. Mystery, suspense, and humor are blended together in an appealing new case for Enola.
At fifteen, Enola is living on her own at the Professional Women’s Club and has a history of sleuthing. While she is visiting Sherlock a young woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, Felicity. Felicity’s husband of two years sent a note that she had died and needed to be cremated. Letitia believes she would know it if her sister was dead. Enola decides to go undercover to determine what happened to Felicity.
Enola is a likeable character; she’s is witty, thoughtful, outgoing, and a master of disguises. But sometimes she is short of facts and that can get her into hot water. How she and Sherlock think and analyze situations is fun to see unfold. Besides Sherlock, Dr. Watson and the Viscount Tewksbury put in appearances as well.
The author does a good job of world-building. I was able to easily visualize the settings, the people, the clothing, and the homes. The atmosphere felt right for the times resulting in a strong sense of time and place. Unraveling the mystery was enjoyable. While the mystery is not overly complicated, it is solid and entertaining. Additionally, amidst the tension and suspense, there are bits of humor that lighten the tone of the story. The ending wrapped things up nicely. While the prologue and epilogue are from Sherlock’s point of view, everything in between is from that of Enola. For those that haven’t read the previous books, the prologue does a great job of bringing readers up to speed.
Overall, this book was an engaging and enjoyable historical mystery that moved at a quick pace. Themes include treatment of women in the late 1800’s, clothing, disguises, friendship, injustices, sibling relationships, and much more. There are some disturbing descriptions of the conditions in some institutions of the times.
I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Readers that enjoy young adult historical mysteries will likely enjoy this series. There is a movie out that is based on an earlier book.
St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books and Nancy Springer provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for August 31, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
At fifteen, Enola is living on her own at the Professional Women’s Club and has a history of sleuthing. While she is visiting Sherlock a young woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, Felicity. Felicity’s husband of two years sent a note that she had died and needed to be cremated. Letitia believes she would know it if her sister was dead. Enola decides to go undercover to determine what happened to Felicity.
Enola is a likeable character; she’s is witty, thoughtful, outgoing, and a master of disguises. But sometimes she is short of facts and that can get her into hot water. How she and Sherlock think and analyze situations is fun to see unfold. Besides Sherlock, Dr. Watson and the Viscount Tewksbury put in appearances as well.
The author does a good job of world-building. I was able to easily visualize the settings, the people, the clothing, and the homes. The atmosphere felt right for the times resulting in a strong sense of time and place. Unraveling the mystery was enjoyable. While the mystery is not overly complicated, it is solid and entertaining. Additionally, amidst the tension and suspense, there are bits of humor that lighten the tone of the story. The ending wrapped things up nicely. While the prologue and epilogue are from Sherlock’s point of view, everything in between is from that of Enola. For those that haven’t read the previous books, the prologue does a great job of bringing readers up to speed.
Overall, this book was an engaging and enjoyable historical mystery that moved at a quick pace. Themes include treatment of women in the late 1800’s, clothing, disguises, friendship, injustices, sibling relationships, and much more. There are some disturbing descriptions of the conditions in some institutions of the times.
I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Readers that enjoy young adult historical mysteries will likely enjoy this series. There is a movie out that is based on an earlier book.
St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books and Nancy Springer provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for August 31, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
luckylikesreading's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
aa27266's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
robin57's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mielixie's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I love this series and was hoping to give this book 5 stars, but I think I'll have to settle for 4.5 stars instead. Simply because, in comparison to her earlier cases, Enola seemed to rely more on luck and happenstance to solve this one. But it was overall a highly enjoyable read! It always is when she isn't working alone
caitgusty's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Super fun easy read!
radfemme22's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0