At the end of each of the stories, there are excerpts of Enola’s secret notebook. This makes for an interesting addition as it reveals Enola’s thoughts and modi operandi through her doodles. I haven’t met Enola’s mother yet but I love her already. She’s a suffragist who’s schooled her daughter in activities that will be useful, as opposed to those that will facilitate her transformation into a houseplant. Enola tries to find Lady Cecily Alistair, who disappeared from her bedroom. Enola, after disguising herself, talks to Lady Cecily's family, who think she has run off with the son of a tradesman. Enola finds some strange paintings that make her doubt that notion, and goes to find their daughter. The story itself is somewhat similar as well - this time it’s the daughter (not son) of an aristocratic family who disappeared and Enola bumbling investigates. Neither the investigation nor its outcome were very interesting to read for me and don’t get me started on “mesmerism”...

Could it be a coincidence? I loved the clever use of flowers to convey messages and the inclusion of excerpts from Enola’s secret notebook at the end of each case. Ich finde diese Reihe echt außergewöhnlich, weil sie für das empfohlene Lesealter wirklich anspruchsvoll geschrieben ist. Die gesellschaftlichen Umstände Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts werden gekonnt in die Handlung mit eingeflochten und durch viele kleine Details bekommt man die Denkweise der Gesellschaft und die gravierenden Missstände mit, die zwischen Ober- und Unterschicht herrschen. The only rational way to reform her into some semblance of decent young womanhood!” interrupts the older brother with asperity. “You, of all people, should see the logic – ”« Kroll, Justin (February 8, 2019). " 'Killing Eve' Director to Helm Millie Bobby Brown's 'Enola Holmes' ". Variety . Retrieved 2019-02-19.Moore, Kasey (April 22, 2021). " 'Enola Holmes 2' Reportedly In Development at Netflix, Brown & Cavill to Return". What's on Netflix . Retrieved April 22, 2021. Category List – Best Juvenile". Edgar Award Winners and Nominees Database. Mystery Writers of America . Retrieved 7 September 2015. Dass sie durch ihr Geschlecht und ihr Alter immer wieder unterschätzt wird kommt ihr manchmal aber auch zupass, vor allem wenn sie sich ihrem ersten Fall widmet, dem Verschwinden von Lady Cecily.

Nancy Springer also takes us on a tour of one of the very early versions of a ‘Department Stores’. While Enola’s experience until then is with small, individually fronted businesses, she is amazed by the sheer amount of goods and options presented by massive quantities of merchandise in just one place, but she also wonders at how it affect the people there: En este segundo libro, Enola ya está bien establecida en una vida independiente, y me encanta todo lo que ha hecho y conseguido la joven Holmes con los recursos a su disposición. Es muy divertido ver cómo se desenvuelve entre los adultos e incluso cómo juega con ellos a su antojo, y también me gusta ver los guiños a su famoso hermano, ya no solo a través de las apariciones de este sino, por ejemplo, con todo el tema de los disfraces de los que también se sirve Enola. Las ilustraciones son hermosas, me encantaron. Amo los trajes y vestidos y la atmósfera de Londres en general. Die Handlung an sich baut langsam an Spannung auf und grade gegen Ende wird es äußerst brenzlig. Die Aufklärung fand ich ein bisschen weit hergeholt, hat sich aber gut im Rahmen der Geschichte eingefügt.Wadley, Laura (2006). "Review of The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer". Children's Book and Play Review. 26 (4): 28 . Retrieved 17 March 2016. [ permanent dead link] Of course, since I watched the movie first, I compared the first book to the movie. I can assure you that the case is a lot more complicated and impressive in the movie. However, in this second book I wasn't sure what to expect, since the movie didn't capture this. And since I was expecting more of a Middle Grade than a Young Adult I was actually quite positively surprised by this second book. Because this was certainly a lot more serious than the first book!

Now, a digression. YA historical novels from the early 2000s appear to be rather full of a realistic darkness – at least that is the pattern I am noticing! There’s more of an emphasis on the lead’s coming-of-age.Determined to find the missing porter, Enola travels to the rough part of London where the boys live and starts searching Aldgate Pump area for the missing boy. When she finds the missing buttons - but not the boy - she decides that drastic action is essential if she's to save the missing boy. The original Enola Holmes novels were written by Nancy Springer, a collection of nine stories. Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels: The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets is a re-imagining of the stories in graphic novel format by French writer and artist Serena Blasco. Book one contains the first three stories. And it is very easy to see how these thoughts would be common when a small percentage of the population wore ridiculously high maintenance clothing while a big percentage served them: The greatest harm I could possibly suffer would be to lose my liberty, to be forced into a conventional life of domestic duties and matrimony. Summary: In spite of the realistic view of the era as shared above, the author does not shirk away from featuring some ghastly and otherwordly stuff similar to the narratives of the Holmes adventures, e.g. the references to Mesmerism which is kind of hypnotising someone to get them do your evil biddings, or the Dr. Jekyll vs Mr. Hyde personality transformation of the villain who turns into a monster with a wig :).