My favorite teenage sleuth is back in “Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade”. Enola hears that a friend is confined in her bedroom from a bully of a father and sets out to help. Lady Cecily escapes her father and goes on the run into the city. Unique and complicated, Lady Cecily has been pressured to conform to societal standards of being right handed which has caused a split in her personality. Working along side Sherlock, Enola works on a plan to stop Lady Cecily’s father once and for all while helping Cecily become the Lady she was born to be. Full of subterfuge and Enola’s own brand of trouble, the story is fun and fast paced for a compelling mystery that can be shared with the whole family. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I'm so glad that Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes books are reaching new audiences due to the Netflix adaptation. Enola is finding her stride in the Elegant Escapade, rescuing her sole friend Cecily from her brute of a father. Sherlock appears to be at loggerheads with Enola, but will it be sibling vs. sibling?

Great addition to the series. Recommend purchase for MS, HS

Enola is back, and Lady Cecily needs her help again! Now that Enola’s brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, have stopped pursuing her, she is living her life in London without hiding. But Lady Cecily is being held in her room by her father, who is determined to control her. Enola uses her intelligence, her powers of deduction and intuition, and bravery to try to help Lady Cecily. It’s wonderful to see Enola and Sherlock working together, though Enola still has to stay ahead of him to keep him from turning Cecily back over to her father. Friendship, family, mystery, and social issues combine for another fun Enola Holmes story!

Words can't describe how much I love the Enola Holmes series. This is the second book in the series that I have read and I adored it. It was fast moving, quirky, and Enola is the ideal strong female lead character. I am so happy that my teenage daughters have also started reading this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advance review copy.

Thank you #NetGalley and @WednesdayBooks for a chance to read the ARC of Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer. I know this is geared for a younger audience, but I LOVE this series! Enola's character and her relationship with older brother, Sherlock, continues to grow and take shape. This finds Enola once again trying to save her friend, Lady Cecily from her horrid father. This one isn't much of a mystery as it is an adventure to outwit Cecily's father and secure her freedom.

It's always lots of fun to escape into an Enola Holmes novel!

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book.

Enola Holmes is quite settled into her life and her lodgings at the women’s club when she discovers her friend is basically being held captive by her father. When Enola tries to go see the girl, she is denied access. This sets into motion a daring escape plan and a confrontation with her brother, Sherlock. In the end Enola teams up with another woman at the women’s club to get the information they need to permanently free the girl from her father’s captivity.

It is fun to read about how Enola outwits her brother to keep her friend from being found. This is another exciting adventure for Enola and the Holmes’ family.

Enola Holmes was a fast paced read! It took me a little while to try figuring out what was happening. It was all around a good read!

Smart, intuitive and self sufficient, Enola Holmes has finally convinced her brother Sherlock to allow her live on her own. Quickly she is thrown into a case to free her friend Lady Cecily Alistair, who is imprisoned by her father in their home. Planning a daring rescue, Enola frees Lady Cecily only to have her disappear again and both Enola and Sherlock are on her trail. The competition between Enola and Sherlock is delightful and series itself is fast paced and action packed.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer brings together Sherlock Holmes and his much younger sister Enola in a teen / young adult historical mystery set in and around London in late 1889. The author blends suspense, a bold protagonist, and humor in this latest case for Enola. There are several previous books in this series, but this one worked well as a standalone. Unlike Sherlock, she isn’t fully practicing as a finder of missing persons and things. She’s taking classes at the London Women’s Academy. All of this is very unusual for a young woman in Victorian England.

However, when she visits her friend’s home she is told that no one is allowed inside and that neither her friend, Lady Cecily Alistair, nor her mother, Lady Theodora, is entertaining callers. Aware that something is not right; Enola helps Lady Cecily escape and takes her to a secret office in a boarding house she owns. However, Sherlock Holmes hired by Lady Theodora shows up looking for Lady Cecily and she has disappeared without Enola having a clue as to where she has gone. Additionally, Lady Cecily suffers from dual personalities; one is strong and independent while the other is meek and docile.

Enola is a likeable character; she’s is witty, thoughtful, outgoing, smart, independent, spirited, and a master of disguises. She also stands by her friends and won’t let anything stop her from helping them. How she and Sherlock think and analyze situations is fun to see unfold. The chemistry between them creates an entertaining dynamic.

The book has a solid plot, and the character development was great to watch. The story was thought provoking as I thought about the treatment of women and the lack of rights they possessed during the era. The historical references on this and other topics added a significant layer of interest to the plot. The conflict moves the story forward and through unexpected twists. The internal dialogues pulled me into the inner world of the characters.

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. She effortlessly weaved themes of family, friendship, lifestyle, loneliness, treatment and expectations of women, abuse, and money into the plot.

Overall, this book was an engaging, captivating, and enjoyable historical mystery that moved at a quick pace. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Readers that enjoy young adult historical mysteries will likely enjoy this series.

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 September 06, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Really enjoyed the latest addition to the Enola Holmes series. It's fast-moving, funny, easy reading, and strikes a fantastic balance of "radical" ideas coexisting believably with the conventions of society at the time. Plus the interactions with Enola's big brother Sherlock are A+. There's secret code writing, daring escapes, over-the-top disguises, and an intriguing case of dual personality. What's not to love?

The Second Case of Imperious Sir Eustace, may not be the elegant title of this adventure, but it cuts to the heart of the matter. The very best friend of Enola Holmes--despite a rather short acquaintance--was being starved and held against her will by her own father. He wanted to force her into marrying an odious cousin.

Enola Holmes (much younger sister of Sherlock) saved her dear friend and thought all was well. Enola was more than dismayed to find that Sir Eustace was up to his previous villainy and more! But Cecily Alistair is fortunate indeed. She has a champion who cannot bear to see such mistreatment and injustice; a friend who is ready to recruit the Queen herself to a cause if necessary.

Cecily's troubles are deeper than anyone (besides Enola) knew. Much more than a dangerous and overbearing father. Cecily was born left-handed, and when forced to switch to the other hand, her personality split in two!

Will Ms. Holmes rescue the submissive and useless (though sweet) right-handed Cecily? Or the left-handed rebel? Because one Cecily will help, and the other may refuse to leave!

Enola Holmes may skirt the law at times, but her heart is true, and her loyalties are fierce. She doesn't just want to save one person, she wants to help change laws to protect all of the women, children, and downtrodden in every country. That's one of the draws of these books. She is also clever and resourceful, and she can laugh even when the joke is on her. She's the friend we all wish to have.

I recommend this book and the series to ages 13 to adult; anyone who likes a smart adventure and doesn't mind just a few short descriptions of fashion!

5/5 Engaging, clever, and fun!

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the delightful free preview of this ebook; the review is voluntary.

#EnolaHolmesAndTheElegantEscapade

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

While not being my favorite out of the series thus far, I enjoyed seeing returning characters (and the introduction of new ones!) and her working with Sherlock again.

I adore this series because it shows a firecracker, young lady making her way in a male-dominated society--in the shadow of her famous brothers, no less! My only complaint with this book was the title: I wasn't able to figure out what it was referring to.

I love the Enola Holmes books for their plucky heroine who can outsmart her brother, Sherlock, and criminals both. Enola is a character who will be admired by today's young people as Nancy Drew was admired by my generation. There's a timeless quality to Nancy Springer's stories that make them so enjoyable to read. Recommend these books to young adults who want to see a young girl succeed despite her stilted social confines. The adventures she enjoys are fantastical yet realistic enough for readers to relate to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nancy Springer for a preview ARC of this fantastic book!

I started reading the Enola Holmes series after watching the Enola Holmes movie on Netflix. This was an entertaining read that I could easily imagine as another movie.

Another great detective story by Springer! This story builds on a previous novel, but can also be read as a stand-alone book because the integral foundation in present. The main characters are smart and funny. Quite a family! I like the truth to the time period. I certainly would not want to be a smart, strong-willed woman striving for independence then! But I enjoy reading about the challenges of the time and how Enola overcomes society's restrictions. This book is a great read -- an entertaining series to start and continue!

A pleasant installment, but without much in the way of mystery. On the other hand, there was a great deal of Sherlock, which I'll take. The author has a way of writing him without making him a total scene-stealer that I find refreshing.

I loved the first six Enola Holmes books when they came out and was excited for a new entry to the series since I love mysteries with humor and great characters.

Sherlock Holmes studied cigar ash and boot treads to help him to solve crimes, and his sister Enola's knowledge of Victorian feminine pursuits--flower arranging, ballroom fans, embroidery--gives her an advantage in finding lost things and lost people. Enola has set herself up nicely in London and finally has some down time, so looks up her acquaintance Lady Cecily from the Enola Holmes books two and four.

As with the previous installments, Enola is smart and decisive, but now she's learned how to ask others for help. I like how this book shows Enola growing emotionally. She has been marvelously taking care of herself throughout all of these books and now has a chance to pause and think about what she wants from life beyond survival, such as friends. Her concerns for Lady Cecily, wanting to keep her safe and worrying she won't be able to take care of herself, mirrors Sherlock's concerns for Enola throughout the earlier books. Now Enola is finally able to see her own disappearance from her brother's point of view and how his actions were from concern and not only control.

I don't care for the use of mental health conditions as plot devices, and I feel Lady Cecily's condition was used as a plot device in the earlier books. This book handled it with consideration and compassion, more as her identity than used to forward the plot. I have no idea if this is a realistic portrayal, but I did appreciate it being handled with sensitivity.

If you love Enola, you'll appreciate this eighth book in the series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing advanced access to this book.

Enola Holmes, who is Sherlock Holmes’s younger sister, is a self-declared finder of lost persons and things. So when Lady Cecily, a young friend, hasn’t been seen in a while, Enola determines to find out what happened to her. Apparently, Lady Cecily has been locked in her room by her cruel father and kept from having any visitors or even any books to read. Enola conspires to help her and to make sure the man will not bother her again. This light adventure will please fans of this series. It’s an easy read with a feisty and resourceful heroine who is worthy of her famous brother’s admiration. Great for a quick escape!

Lady Cecily is not about in society, a friend to Miss Holmes, Miss Holmes takes this seriously. When Miss Holmes takes it upon herself to find out what's going on with her friend she finds her locked away by her tyrannical father. When Enola helps her escape to only have her go missing once again, she's once again on the case to help rescue her friend, keep her brother Sherlock away from her investigation and find a way for Lady Cecily to be free to live her life as she wishes. This story is an engaging mystery, Enola is once again out and about helping to save those in her little corner of the world.

What a great sequel! This was even better than the previous book. Enola is living independently from her brothers but her close friend Lady Cecily is missing. And Sherlock is asked for help by Lady Cecily’s mother. So naturally Enola and Sherlock work together. And I absolutely loved with together. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series and see what happens.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.