The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline

Cantankerous Mrs. Tupper has been kidnapped. But her boarder, 14-year-old Enola Holmes, is hot on her trail, drawing on her art of disguises and deductive powers, usually attributed to her brother, Sherlock. Katherine Kellgren's spirited narration transports listeners along the cobbled streets and back alleys of London. Fluid accents and tonal shifts between characters make for sparkling dialogue, in addition to accommodating Enola's various disguises. While Kellgren's lively performance conveys the light mystery of the plot, she also offers a sensitive portrayal of both Enola and Florence Nightingale's difficulties as females in a male-dominated culture. Deft pacing delivers a cliff-hanger ending to this scintillating story. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

July 1, 2011

Gr 5-9-Sherlock Holmes's 14-year-old sister, Enola, is once again featured in the fifth title (Philomel, 2009) in Nancy Springer's engaging mystery series. Enola, who has been living on her own and trying to evade Sherlock and his threats to enroll her in a finishing school, has fashioned a comfortable life working and renting a room from Mrs. Tupper. Her landlady is really a mother substitute as Enola was abandoned by her own mother. When Mrs. Tupper is kidnapped, Enola jumps into action and sets out to find her. Enola employs many of her inventive disguises and finds that the legendary Florence Nightingale has an involuntary role in the kidnapping. Mrs. Tupper had been given an important undelivered message during the Crimean War and now the senders want the information back. In order to rescue her, Enola must determine what the message was, what form it was in, and who is desperately looking for it. There are several historical references to the Crimean War and spying, which will probably not make sense to many listeners, but luckily knowledge of this time period is not necessary to enjoy the mystery. Katherine Kellgren brings the tale to life with flawless pacing and deftly changing British accents, from aristocratic English to cockney to others. Enola is a feisty young teen with a wide range of emotions that are skillfully portrayed by Kellgren. Fans, old and new, will not be disappointed by Enola's daredevil but oh-so-clever actions.-Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.