Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche is the latest book in the Enola Holmes series. This book is a quick witted, engaging mystery that is good enough to keep the die hard mystery readers on their toes and an easy enough read to get young readers drawn into the world of mysteries. Watching Netflix's movie on the series, Enola Holmes quickly piqued by interest and the book does not disappoint. Enola is everything you would expect from a young Holmes. I love the writer using Sherlock's point of view to tell the prologue and the epilogue filled with all the awe and shock Sherlock should display for his audacious little sister. Trying to get Sherlock out of a fit of melancholy, Enola inserts herself in a case of a reported death of a twin whose sister does not believe she has been given the whole story. Using every trick in the Holmes book, the siblings begin a wild chase to solve a case of a missing twin taken away in a Black Barouche. Addictingly fun, Enola Holmes is the kind of heroine I want to share with my children to instill the love of the mystery genre to. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

I loved this book! Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this latest (#7) in the Enola Holmes series, by Nancy Springer. I am late to the party since this is the first book it the series that I’ve read, but it works as a stand-alone. Book #6 of the series was published over a decade ago! This new book in the series follows the successful screening of the Enola Holmes Netflix film of 2020. (I must live in a cave with no electricity or internet, otherwise I would not have to wait for my sister to tell me what’s on the telly, whenever we discuss a book that I loved).

Enola is the younger (still) fifteen-year-old sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. The book opens with a brief intro of the character and her background, and then gallops off (double entendre intended) into a fun, briskly paced mystery and historical romp that works well for Middle School-Aged, Young Adults, and Young at Heart Adults (like me).

Our heroine, Enola, doesn’t fall far from the tree and is endowed with her own deductive abilities as well as many of her older brother’s brilliant detective skills. In this case, a woman visits the Baker Street dwelling of Sherlock. Enola, who is attending her brother, immediately takes to the woman and promises to help her. The woman, Tish (aka Letitia) seeks Holmes’ assistance in finding her twin sister, Felicity. Tish believes that Felicity has disappeared or is otherwise indisposed – despite her brother-in-law Cad’s laconic letter informing her that Felicity took suddenly ill and died (and by the way here is an urn with her ashes…). Tish does not believe that her sister died, and claims that as a twin, she would have sensed her sister’s death if it were true.

Now the scene is set for the investigation and exciting adventure in this historic, atmospheric mystery. There is much undercover subterfuge as Enola, together with her good friend Tewky (from an earlier novel), Sherlock, and Tish work together to find out what really befell Felicity at the hands of (her lecherous) Cad (of a husband), the Earl of Dunhench.

I loved the prose, which contributed to the historical ambience of the novel. I loved the feisty and adventurous Enola, at once a hellion, escaping out of second story windows or driving a buggy being led by a crazy, wild horse named Jezebel, and other times, dressed in ‘a russet delaine trimmed with muted gold, replete with gloves and parasol, and ravishing a hat in the latest fashion worn on the back of the head tilted up to peak in front with a froth of autumn-coloured flowers tucked underneath the brim’, described by Sherlock as “like a frigate in need of a figurehead”.

Although there is a much humor in this novel there are disturbing descriptions of the conditions in insane asylums of the period – nothing we haven’t read before or seen in numerous other period pieces, but disturbing never-the-less.

I’m so excited to have six earlier novels to look forward to reading…and judging from the success of the television movie, I’m guessing there will be more Enola Holmes adventures to be read in the future.

I was truly delighted to see that another Enola Holmes was published. This novel was just as enjoyable as her previous ones. The first part of the book was a short review of Enola’s upbringing and all her adventures. The second part was devoted to her solving her new case of a twin’s death. With the help of Tewky, Sherlock, Dr. Watson, and the twin’s sister, Enola devices a bizarre scheme to solve the case.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, I was able to enjoy Enola’s latest animated adventure.

I received an ARC of the new entry to this series from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's so wonderful to visit Enola again! She's still terribly clever and now she's working a case with Sherlock. trying to find out the fate of a woman's twin sister. While The Black Barouche doesn't have the same excitement of the prior books, it kept my interest. And, as always, I love the witty sarcastic banter between Enola & Sherlock.

I'm sure that Enola's (and Ms. Springer's) fans will be very happy.

ENOLA HOLMES AND THE BLACK BAROUCHE by Nancy Springer
“Enola!” One can almost hear the exasperation in the great Sherlock’s voice as he begins to work with his talented sister, who is competent alone, as her name backwards indicates, but who is even more effective with allies. She, and we, are amused at her tormenting of her stuffy older brother, and really it’s for his own good. He can’t succumb to melancholy when his sister leads him into exciting cases.
With additional help from the Marquess of Tewkesbury (from the first book of the series) and Dr. Watson, they follow the trail in aid of a young typist who is sure her twin sister can’t be dead or she would know it. There are facts of women’s lack of power and position that will infuriate, leavened by the humorous antics of a horse named Jezebel, and enlightened with a reference to the play A DOLL’S HOUSE and details of disguise.
This is a book I could not put down, and I’m so glad the series is continuing.
Pub. date is in August, which allows time to read earlier books, but you wouldn’t have to. 
Suitable for, but not limited to, younger readers. Good YA books are really for all ages.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it (but read the others in the series first!)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books for this advanced reader's copy.

I was extremely excited that the popularity of the Enola Holmes movie on Netflix had apparently caused a desire to restart the Enola Holmes series of books!

I really enjoyed this re-start, which allowed Enola to work together with Sherlock on a new case, rather than working in the shadows.

Enola and Sherlock are hired to find the location of Felicity, wife of Earl of Dunhench. They're hired by Felicity's twin sister Leticia, who says she was informed of her sister's death by the Earl and she didn't believe it. After a lot of interesting twists and turns, the case is solved..... but not necessarily in the way that they all agreed upon.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer is an excellent historical fiction mystery that is a great addition to this wonderful long-standing series.

This book starts off where the previous installment ended, however this one feels newer, fresher, and almost like another jumpstart of a new generation. It is also labeled under YA, however has a grittier and darker aspect and will appeal to adults as well. I still enjoyed it immensely, but as the series suggests, it does involve intrigue, mystery, murder, and detective plots.

Enola is the younger sister of the famous Detective Sherlock Holmes, and I love that she gets her time to shine. She is smart, feisty, fiery, brazen, but classy. She does take quite a few risks, but in this case that she takes on, it pays off.

A thrilling, gripping, and engaging read that I highly recommend. I look forward to the next book in this series.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Enola is back! After an 11 year absence, Nancy Springer picks up where young Enola Holmes left off with book #7 of this compulsively readable YA series! Thank you NETFLIX! These books are always too short for me and this one is no different. I could read 400 pages of Enola's adventures and still want more.

This book sees Enola teaming up with her famous brother Sherlock and Dr. Watson and also enlisting the help of her old friend, Lord Tewkesbury (squee!) to solve the case of a missing woman. I was so glad Springer brought back Tewkesbury who is a love interest for Enola in the television show, even though he wasn't originally meant as one in the books. I would've loved more fun, flirty interaction and dialogue between the two of them (perhaps in book #8?).

I don't want to give any part of the mystery away, but Springer shines a sobering light on the victimization of women again in this book. The mystery is pretty easy to solve, like her other cases, so don't expect any stunning twists. It's the heart and humor of Enola and how Springer shows a softer side of Sherlock that makes this series unique. Like a lot of little sisters, she runs circles around her big brother, and it's empowering.

"The Black Barouche" a fast-paced, love letter to Enola fans with hopefully many, many more adventures to come.

I liked the earlier Enola Holmes books. But I thought this one almost too adult - too young adult - to be shelved with the other books in the series. I thought the sections in the asylum were well -written, graphic, and horrifying. However I just think it "matures" the book.