Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer - Book Review

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer

Series: Enola Holmes #8 (Standalone) 

Publication Date: 06th Sep 2022

Genre: YA Historical Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Fast, entertaining, and light-hearted 

*****

Enola Holmes, the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes (yes, one and only), is back in action with the eighth book in the series. Like the previous one, this can be read as a standalone. 

Enola lives in the Professional Women's Club, where women who share interests in various subjects and domains pursue classes and have intellectual discussions without the men disturbing or ordering them about. 

It turns out that Lady Cecily, Enola’s friend, needs help yet again. Enola has rescued her twice from her nasty father and sets about doing it for the third time. However, Lady Cecily has disappeared after the rescue mission.

 Enola is frightened about what could happen to her and is determined to find her at any cost. After all, Lady Cecily has a dual personality which can put her in difficult situations. Victorian society is no place for girls or women without male support. 

Teaming up with Sherlock is just another inconvenience Enola has to survive to accomplish her mission. 

The story comes in the first person POV for Enola Holmes. 

My Observations: 

I read Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche last year and loved Enola’s character arc. This book is just as entertaining if you like a young adult heroine who tends to run headlong into trouble and somehow manages to land on her feet every time. 

Enola is easy to like. She is witty, adventurous, daring (to the point of being stupid at times), and is her own master. She is also a trustworthy friend. Being Sherlock’s little sister gets her brownie points. 

This book has less than 250 pages and can be read in a couple of hours. The writing is easy and smooth. Various themes from the Victorian era are seamlessly woven into the story without resorting to preaching or drama. 

The banter between Enola and Sherlock is such a treat. I enjoyed these scenes the most. However, the parts about Enola being alone and stuff got a little repetitive. She’s got her family now, so maybe they could learn to live with each other. 

The setting comes alive and makes it easy to visualize the story. The descriptions are just enough to provide information for imagination. 

There really isn’t anything deep in the book, though it does show the life of women in that era. The book is meant purely for entertainment purposes.  

To sum up, Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade is a lighthearted and fast-paced addition to the series. Pick it up when you want something witty and fun to help you relax. 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley