Enola is everything you would expect from a member of the Holmes family! This book is a wonderful coming of age with a delightfully sinister twist!

I have to admit, I’d never heard of Enola Holmes until I saw the Netflix movie. I really enjoyed it, so when this book popped up on NetGalley, I immediately requested it.

Can you imagine how intimidating it must be to have Sherlock Holmes as a brother? Enola is certainly up to the challenge and holds her own quite well. Don’t expect her to conform to society’s expectations of women in Victorian England. She’s a firm believer in women’s rights, lives independently of her brothers, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I loved her character.

Her friend, Lady Cecily, has a tyrant of a father who’s locked Cecily in her room and treated her as subhuman. Shockingly, most of this is because she’s left-handed, which is not looked upon kindly for a young woman in society. After Enola helps Cecily escape, she learns her friend has a dual personality, which figures prominently into the plot. And then Cecily disappears. Enola calls on Sherlock for help, and their banter and scenes together are among my favorites. Although he may not be quite fond of her methods, Sherlock respects Enola’s intellect, which matches his own, and listens to her.

This is the eighth book in the series, but each can be read as standalones. The author gives a bit of backstory, so I was never confused while reading this novel. Although the series may be geared to the younger YA crowd, adults will also enjoy it – I certainly did, and I’d love to catch up on the others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hi everyone! Today I'll be reviewing Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, the most recent book in the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer.
In a visit to see her best friend, Lady Cecily Alistair, Enola finds out that she's been imprisoned by his father. After succeeding in escaping with the help of Enola, Lady Cecily suddenly disappears. Will Enola be able to find her before Cecily's father does?
This was another very enjoyable entry in the Enola Holmes series, and also a very quick read. I really liked the story and the distinctive writing style. It was nice to read about Lady Cecily again. As always, I loved Enola and her personality, and I also liked the fact that Sherlock is more involved in solving the mystery. I'm really looking forward to read the next book in the series.
I'd really recommend you this book if you liked the Netflix movie and the prior entries in the Enola Holmes series.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enola is always a delight. This is a fun installment of the series, though I would say that I found the earlier books slightly more compelling than the last couple. While this is unlikely to lure in new readers, those already familiar with Enola will enjoy her adventure.

💭My review🐻
The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful and fits perfectly. I really wanted to enjoy this book and I was excited about it. I was worried about it being #8 and I hadn't read the ones before. But I don't feel like I missed anything and this could have been a stand-alone. I really enjoyed this book it was a fun fast read and there were so many details in this book that it was easy to visualize everything going on. My favourite was all the mysteries and secrets. I really like the Holmes family.

I would like to say thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for providing me with a digital copy.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade (Enola Holmes #8) by Nancy Springer, 240 pages. Wednesday Books, 2022. $19.
Language: PG (2 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Stopping by to see her best friend, Cecily (17yo), Enola is shocked to be quickly and thoroughly turned away. She has put a pause on her practice of being a finder of lost things, but that does not mean Enola is done deceiving and donning disguises. Enola will find out what has happened to Cecily and do all she can to help her.
Enola is brilliant; she is also rash. These traits usually end up serving Enola well, but not without a little bit of help from her detective brother. I love the dynamic between Enola and her brother Sherlock as they support each other and find each other’s boundaries, especially when it comes to meeting out justice. Springer balances the believable with the ridiculous as she tells of Enola’s antics, and I am greatly anticipating her next adventure.
Enola, Sherlock, and Cecily are English, as are the majority of characters they interact with. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs and alcohol as well as for illegal activity. The violence rating is for knife use and mentions of domestic violence.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Oh Enola is so much fun! I love her character, the voice that Springer has cultivated is such a good, exciting, interesting character to follow. This is actually my first Enola book and I’m excited to go and read all of them in order now. This story is really interesting, and I love the friendship and familial themes— you don’t often see those seperate from romance in YA fiction. I adore this version of Sherlock as well, and I like that he is growing to respect Enola in her own right. Love this so much.

Ever since I saw the movie on Netflix, I have been captured by this series and have enjoyed every book I have read so far. There is something about this spunky Enola Holmes that draws me in each time. Enola is a self-proclaimed perditorian, which is a finder of lost things or people. She does this exceptionally well, and in this novel, we find her saving her good friend Cecily from her locked room and uncovering a way to keep this from happening again. Because of the time period in which this book is set, most women are considered property. Cecily's father is not a kind man, and he apparently is up to some unscrupulous things.

We learn more about Enola's life at the woman's home and outside the home. Her brothers are always concerned for her, but she is taking classes that thrill them since they just want her to be happy and stay out of trouble. That last part is hard because she is not afraid to stick her nose in where it doesn't belong when it comes to her friends.

Cecily is a unique character, and I wonder if she is bipolar because she becomes two different people depending on which hand is dominant at the time. The left-hand Cecily is bold and not afraid of anything. The right-hand Cecily is a simpering food and can't stand up for herself. I liked how Enola would draw out the left-hand Cecily when she needed someone that was more forthright.

I enjoyed the fast pace of the story, Enola's unique costumes, and the interaction between all of the characters. The descriptions drew me in, and I felt like I was a part of the story. Enola is a role model for young women to achieve more than they think they can. 

These are fun reads, so check this series out. We give it 4 paws up.

Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of Sherlock, is now living independently in London and working as a scientific perditorian (a finder of persons and things). But that is not the normal lot of young women in Victorian England. They are under the near absolute control of their nearest male relative until adulthood. Such is the case of Enola's friend, Lady Cecily Alastair. Twice before Enola has rescued Lady Cecily from unpleasant designs of her caddish father, Sir Eustace Alastair, Baronet. And when Enola is brusquely turned away at the door of the Alastair home it soon becomes apparent that Lady Cecily once again needs her help.

Affecting a bold escape, Enola takes Lady Cecily to her secret office only to be quickly found by the person hired by Lady Cecily's mother to find the missing girl - Sherlock Holmes himself. But the girl has already disappeared again, now loose on her own in the unforgiving city of London.

Even worse, Lady Cecily has a secret that few know. She has dual personalities - one, which is left-handed, is independent and competent; the other, which is right-handed, is meek and mild. Now Enola must find Lady Cecily again - before one of her personalities gets her into more trouble than she can handle and before Sherlock can find her and return her to her father. Once again, for Enola, the game is afoot.

This latest installment in the Enola Holmes series features the young sleuth teaming up with her brother Sherlock to locate a Lady Cecily, missing debutante. The young lady in question has been locked up by her father and kept a prisoner in preparation for an arranged marriage. Enola helps her escape, but then the Lady disappears! Did I mention the Lady Cecily exhibits traits of a split personality, detected by her use of her left hand (independent woman) or her right hand (shrinking miss)? A new character, Lady Vienna, appears in this book, and hopefully will appear in future Enola Holmes adventures.

While this story seems designed for a television movie, it contains quite a bit of action and intrigue. Readers may find themselves scratching their heads at some of the over-the-top vocabulary. However, it is still worth the read.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

In 2006, author Nancy Springer introduced the world to Enola Holmes. Since then, she’s written seven more novels in The Enola Holmes Mysteries, with Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade releasing Sept. 6.

Though already popular, the series gained a new following in 2020 with a Netflix film (a follow-up is set to release Nov. 4).

The star of all of the Enola books is Enola, and that’s no different in Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade. The story unfolds from Enola’s point of view, with the protagonist telling you everything in a conversational, a little bit snarky, tone. It almost feels like she’s sitting next to you, narrating the events from the comfort of your living room. Springer’s brilliant prose is full of live, light and drama, making for an entertaining read from beginning to end.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade reads like a series of small mysteries buried inside a larger one. This setup gives readers little wins along the way while building to the final scene.

While the earlier books in this series were recommended for ages 10 and up, Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade is being billed as YA. The only reason I can see for this is that Enola is growing older. There’s nothing objectionable in it, and if my daughter had already read the first seven books, I’d have no problem handing her this one.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade is an engaging read that should appeal to readers young and old. It’s a fast read — I read it in one sitting —that made me wish Springer’s books were around when I was younger.

Love the characterof Enola she is so unperdeictable has a great mind.
Like how she handle ferself and all the situation she gets into.
Just a fun read with mystery and twists.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Now that Enola Holmes has reconciled with her overbearing older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock (yes, that Sherlock,) she has settled into a relatively respectable life as the youngest boarder at the Professional Women’s Club. She spends her days taking classes at the London Women’s Academy and attempting to get to know her brothers better now that they’ve acknowledged her as something more than a feminine nuisance to be shipped off to finishing school at their earliest convenience.

Even so, her heart yearns for a friend her own age. With that in mind she goes calling on Lady Cecily Alistair, whom she helped recover in her role as a perditionist – i.e. a finder of lost things – as chronicled in the second book of this series, The Case Of The Left-Handed Lady. To her dismay, she is turned away at the door. The butler informs Enola that neither Cecily nor her mother Lady Theodora are allowed to receive any guests, under orders from her father Lord Eustace Alistair.

Enola hadn’t been thrilled that Theodora had decided to return to her odious husband after prior events in the series, but knows that financial independence is hard to come by for married women in Victorian England, and especially for ones with eight children to provide for. Still, being denied any callers whatsoever is beyond the pale, and a topic of hot conversation amongst the boarders of the Professional Women’s Club when they hear the news, though some of their gossip goes over even Enola’s precocious head:

QUOTE
The advice columnist chose to summarize. “Sir Eustace Alistair is a dreadful domestic tyrant. Lady Theodora should have left him long ago, before she bore him so many children.”

“One of us should have slipped her a diaphragm,” remarked Lady Vienna.

I had no idea what this meant, and other women cast shocked glances, so I did not ask.
END QUOTE

Determined to at least speak to her friend and ascertain what’s going on, Enola makes a midnight foray to the Alistair residence that results in Cecily fleeing the premises with her. Eustace has been keeping his eldest daughter a virtual prisoner, depriving her of books and art and even all clothing except for a nightgown, this last in an effort to prevent her from running away. He intends to marry her off to someone rich and not otherwise discerning as quickly as possible. Theodora is his prisoner as well, lest she assist her daughter in the latter’s ongoing rebellion.

While Enola and Cecily are trying to figure out what to do next, Sherlock arrives in search of the runaway heiress. Cecily bolts, leaving only a cryptic clue behind for Enola to decipher as to her destination. Enola immediately fears for her friend, who suffers from a psychological issue that can instantly and unexpectedly turn the brave, confident young woman into someone meek and helpless. While left-handed Cecily is more than capable of taking care of herself, right-handed Cecily is vulnerable to any person of ill will on London’s mean streets.

Thus Enola must reluctantly team up with her brother in order to recover Cecily, even as she begs him for assistance in deterring Eustace from a continuing course of tyranny. Sherlock, however, is slow to see things from her perspective. Very well then, Enola decides. If she can’t persuade Sherlock to help her find justice for Cecily, then she’s just going to have to do it herself.

This was another charming installment in the Enola Holmes mystery series, as our equal parts sweet and intrepid heroine finds herself mired in unexpectedly sticky situations while trying to save her best friend. Sherlock is both helpful and exasperating, hewing closely to his portrayal in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon:

QUOTE
Due to his stork-like qualities, especially when wearing his top hat, it was not hard to locate Sherlock Holmes. However, it was rather more difficult to get him to notice me. Fluttering a handkerchief at him only made him look away and lengthen his stride to escape what appeared to be an attractive female on the hunt. Only by deserting my dignity and trotting after him did I catch him–with my gloved hand on his arm. “Sherlock!”
END QUOTE

It’s always a pleasure to revisit Sherlock’s London through the eyes of his younger sister, who adds a much needed feminine perspective to the milieu as she ponders issues of women’s rights that her older brother has the privilege of never having to worry about. The period language is used to excellent, often comedic effect, as Enola navigates the city in the course of trying to find Cecily before Sherlock does. And while the two butt heads over what to do about Eustace, the ending is truly satisfying for anyone who enjoys this series and general Sherlockiana, as I do.

tl;dr
A consistent entry in the series for fans of the books. The return of Cecily in peril made me sad.

About
Lady Cecily has once again gone missing, this time of her own accord. She's on the run from a controlling father, and Sherlock Holmes has been hired to find her. But even though the streets of London are dangerous for a young lady, Enola's not so sure that bringing her back home is any safer.

Thoughts
Lady Cecily cannot catch a break. This is the third time Enola's had to come to her rescue, and I feel worse for her every time it happens. Anyway, Enola's back, but not necessarily with a mystery. Lady Cecily is under duress again, and this time she's decided to run away. While Enola does wonder where she is, our young detective spends most of her time trying to secure a way to make sure Lady Cecily is not placed under duress again, once found. It's a departure from the usual unfolding of clues and more of an adventure story. Writing is easy to read, fast-paced, with a strong character voice as one might come to expect from the previous books. There's a brief prologue for readers who haven't read the books pertaining to Cecily, so this book can be read on its own (but hey, why not read the previous books anyway?). Cecily has dissociative identity disorder, which factors fairly strongly into this book. I am not educated enough to speak on the accuracy of the portrayal, but I can confirm that at the very least, one of the personalities isn't an evil murderer.

The series is also shifting the framework of Enola's "alone-ness." Previous books painted it as a mother equipping her child to be strong, but this narrative (highlighted with a thoughtful comment from a new character) starts to frame it as perhaps also not a kind thing to thrust on a child. As much as I love the message that Enola CAN do it on her own, I'm not sure I like the idea that she HAS to. I very much hope that this is explored in the future.

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade is the eighth book in the series of books about Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister. In this book, Enola tries to help her friend, Cecily, escape her father’s clutches.

Cecily was kidnapped in an earlier book in the series. She is now not a marketable society marriage prospect. Therefore, her father is trying to “unload her” on whatever cousin will have her. Obviously, Cecily is not happy. Still, there is no reason for her father to lock her up in her room with only a nightgown to wear. Enola comes to the rescue with a most bizarre plan. However, this was my favorite part of the book. After that the book’s pace slows down to a crawl and nothing much happens. The previous book, Enola and the Black Barouche, had much more action. However, it is always pleasant to spend some time with Enola so 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade!

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Enola is on another excellent adventure. When a friend of Enola's needs help, she is there. Things didn't go as planned, but she did help. Cecily's father locked her in her room with very little food and no clothing. When Enola gets her out, Cecily disappears. Cecily is a very pampered young woman who Enola thinks can't take care of herself out in the world. What to do? First, she needs to find her and then get her out from her father's rule. Can it be done? Will she even be able to find her?

Ebola Holmes books are some of my favorites and this one was no different! I love her brilliance and wit and I can’t wait to read more!

4 fabulously fun stars
“Decorum being the last thing on my mind, I proceeded with my agenda.”

It was delightful to spend a bit of time with Enola and her famous brother, Sherlock again. Springer writes a clean, intriguing mystery set in Victorian England. I loved the sense of adventure and the feisty female characters. Enola is charming and forthright, describing clothing, settings and characters in amusingly quaint ways.

I do hope it’s made into a movie, like another in the series. I also hope Nancy Springer will continue to delight us with more Enola Holmes adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enola is living in the first’s women’s residential home in probably the world. She enjoys shopping and her classes. But suddenly she has a message that an acquaintance Lady Cecily is once again in trouble. When she tries to visit, she finds there’s no admittance to the house. Enola tries to enlist her brother’s help but he’s hesitant. This is another great story.

Another fun book in the Enola Holmes series!
My first encounter with Enola Holmes was the movie on Netflix. Then I read the 7th book. Then I read the 2 graphic novels which included books 1-3 and 4-6 so I think I am all caught up for the most part! I am glad I had read the graphic novels to fill me in on what I missed even though I didn't have any problems reading the 7th book with just the movie knowledge. It was great to really have known Lady Cecily before reading this one since she is such a large part of it.
I always love Enola's spirit in these books. She is so independent and really values her independence. She is finally accepted by her brothers (mostly Sherlock) and even works with him in this one. She has gained Lady Cecily as a friend and really finally knows what it feels like to have a good friend.
We find out in this book after Enola find Lady Cecily has basically become a prisoner in her home by her father. We also learn that Lady Cecily has 2 personalities depending on which hand she is using as her dominant hand. In a prior book we learn she is left handed which is taboo at this time, so she has her left handed rebellious side and the right handed meek and obedient side.
What we find out near the ending is extremely satisfying and a good way to wrap up the book!