The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery

From the publisher:

The Case of the 
Missing Marquess
by Nancy Springer

""When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers - all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?"

Nearly every day of her life, Enola's mother told her, "You will do very well on your own, Enola".  When her mother disappears on her 14th birthday, Enola wonders if that is why she named her "Enola", which is alone spelled backwards.  This is the first of what looks to be a charming series about the 14 year old sister of Sherlock Holmes. It really had the feel of a Sherlock Holmes mystery - very Victorian - you could almost see the gaslight lamps. Enola is a young, female version of her much older brother, although no one recognizes that. In fact, Sherlock keeps mentioning to Mycroft that she has a small cranium and they shouldn't expect too much out of her. But Enola just quietly strikes out on her own and proves to be very intelligent and resourceful. A fun, quick read, but probably not for reluctant readers because the reading level is 6.6 and it starts out just a little slowly.

No objectionable content.

Suggested ages:
Booklist - Grades 5-8
School Library Journal - Grades 4-8