I love a good Victorian mystery and this series by Nancy Springer is smart and inventive, with an intrepid young heroine.
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline is the fifth book following the adventures of Enola Holmes, the young sister of the famous detective, Sherlock. The series opens in 1888 with the 14 year old Enola reeling from the sudden disappearance of her mother and facing the prospect of being packed off to finishing school by her older brothers. Having been left to her own devices by her strong-minded, reformist mother, Enola has spent her childhood exploring the English countryside and educating herself in the estate's library. She has a will and a wit to rival her brothers' and has no desire to conform to conventions of proper womanhood. So, donning the first among many disguises, she flees the family home and sets off for London. Once on her own, Enola embarks on a series of adventures, plying her detection skills as Ivy Meshle, assistant to the imaginary Dr. Ragostin, the world’s first Scientific Perditorian.
In this latest case, Enola is faced with the abduction of her elderly ("heavens, she had to be more than 50!") landlady, Mrs. Tupper. Enola must piece together a 30 year old mystery and is quickly on the trail of clues, such as the significance of embroidery on a woman's undergarment, that the men around her easily miss. Once again, Enola is hurtling headlong through the streets of London, from East End tenements to the luxurious Mayfair estate of Florence Nightingale (yes, that Florence Nightingale), struggling to dodge evil villains while staying one step ahead of Sherlock.
Enola is an endearing narrator, faced with the loneliness of being estranged from her family but still determined to live life on her own terms. Through her we glimpse the behind-the-scenes world of Victorian women and observe the duality of Enola's social ideals and the high-minded snobbery of her aristocratic upbringing. Interestingly, it is the class system that helps make Enola such an accomplished mistress of disguise. By understanding the nuances of dress, carriage and accent that separate the social classes, Enola becomes a chameleon, able to hide in plain sight as a widow, a shop girl or a lady of means. Constantly disparaging of her own looks (tall, thin and "hawk-nosed" like her brother), Enola relishes her ability to turn herself into someone entirely new with the right dress, wig and corset.
Attention to historic detail and complexity of character make the Enola Holmes series a real treat. Keep your eye out for The Case of the Gypsy Goodbye slated for 2010.
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