The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan

Okay, this series has really grown on me. I liked the first book, but each book has appealed to me more and more, until now I've reached the point where I definitely look forward to the next installment. Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes is, of course, Sherlock's much younger sister. After her mother left town, her older brothers wanted to give Enola a horribly proper education and eventually marry her off. Having a fine mind and a willful streak, to boot, Enola instead ran away to London and has been making her own way ever since. Of course, one of her greatest challenges is evading the clutches of Sherlock and the even more uptight Mycroft, her other older brother. It would be easier if Enola weren't so inclined to follow in the family business of investigation. She is especially drawn to finding missing persons, a career she calls being a Perditorian. In this book, however, she turns her attention to helping a lost girl she found in her last adventure: now Lady Cecily is being married against her will. To Enola's surprise, she discovers that her brother Sherlock has been hired by the girl's mother to help stop the marriage, too. Yet budding suffragette Enola isn't willing to leave Cecily's fate in a man's hands, however capable they might be. She continues to work to solve the mystery of Cecily's current whereabouts and effect a daring rescue--rescuing Sherlock himself along the way. (Unlike Mycroft, Sherlock is slowly becoming impressed by Enola and her exploits.) Enola also continues to search for her own missing mother by exchanging coded messages in the newspaper, only to find out that her code has been compromised. There aren't very many good mystery series for 3rd-8th graders out there, but the Enola Holmes books are staking a very good claim for dominating the genre. Springer's portrayal of London in the late 1800s is simply an extra treat--it doesn't draw attention to itself, yet it handily supports the plot. I recommend every book in the series!

"The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan" continues Nancy Springer's mystery series featuring Enola Holmes, fourteen-year-old sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Enola is still working as a scientific perditorian in London, and still on the run from her older brothers, who want to raise her as a "proper" lady. This time around, Enola runs into an old acquaintance - Lady Cecily, from "The Case of the Left-Handed Lady." Cecily is being held against her will, and Enola soon discovers that Cecily will be forced into an arranged marriage. Enola's attempts to save Cecily grow more complicated when she discovers that there's another detective already on the case - her brother Sherlock, who was hired by Cecily's mother. Fans of this series won't be disappointed by this installment. Springer includes plenty of interesting historical details; the description of the "pink teas" is particularly fascinating (and garish). Enola is a relatively somber but engaging narrator, a smart girl who relies on hard work and perseverance to solve her cases. Still, the real heart of this series has always been the relationship between Enola and her family - her disapproving brothers and her absent mother. "The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan" is particularly gratifying because Enola actually spends some time with Sherlock. I really enjoyed seeing Sherlock's growing respect for his sister, and how much it means to her. Of course, the gaping plot hole in this book is why Sherlock would have ever agreed to work for Cecily's mother in the first place, since Cecily's father had every legal right to arrange the marriage...and isn't this what the Holmes brothers want to do to Enola? I imagine that Sherlock's decision was based on his recent experiences with Enola, but Springer should have clarified that so that he didn't come off as a bit of a hypocrite, really. Overall, though, this is a fun book and a worthy continuation of the series.

A series usually gets worse before the fourth book, but for me the books uphold their fun and mystery quite well. The continued storyline with fresh mysteries keeps me interested. Enola is really interesting and delightfully emotional and also intelligent. She has so much depth to her for such a long series, you really feel and root for her. As someone who rarely reads series and hardly ever looks forward to the next, this series has become a comfort read for me and I already have the next one on hold.

I picked this book out at the library for my kids and started reading it to make sure it was age-appropriate. I think it's best suited to 12 years and up. I've now read all 4 books in the series and I've enjoyed them on many levels. Firstly, it's a great feminist read, but it's more complicated than a feminist manifesto. Enola's mother abandons her, which is certainly not in keeping with my feminist sensibilities. However, Enola learns quickly to fend for herself and live her life on her own terms. She is scornful of the restrictions placed on women and children in 19th century England and uses her knowledge of social class, linguistics, disguises, codes and her own physical strength and determination to live in freedom. She sees injustice and poverty and does not turn away. She risks her own life to help others. She's a worthy role model for my daughter and son. The relationship between Enola and her older brother Sherlock Holmes is one of the most interesting threads in this series. They don't know each other well because Sherlock is much older and had a rift with their mother. They have a growing respect and affection for each other as the series goes on and yet Enola must live her life in hiding (disguised) because she fears Sherlock will force her into boarding school so that she can become a proper, marriageable lady. As they get to know each other better over time, I sense they both long for a closer relationship. I can hardly wait for book 5.

Nancy Springer has written yet another wonderful entry in the Enola Holmes series. Although Springer has been noted for her Rowen Hood series, among others, the Enola Holmes series is for a slightly more sophisticated reader who delights in solving puzzles and developing portrayals of interesting characters. Enola Holmes is Sherlock Holme's younger sister. Many of the Sherlock Holmes spin offs are tired and unimaginative but this is not true for this series. Enola is the younger sister of Sherlock who has been left to fend for herself by her mysterious mother. Her brothers want to send her off to finishing school to make her into a lady but she has other plans. Instead Enola takes the money and clues left for her from her mother (of course, Sherlock and Enola inherited their intelligence and imaginative gifts from somehwere) and has started her own investigative agency under an assumed name and disguise. The Case of the Pecular Pink Fan brings back a character from a previous novel (The Case of the Left Handed Woman) and brings her into new territory. Enola meets the "Left Handed Woman" in a woman's rest room and during this encounter the woman leaves a pink fan with a message of distress. Enola sets out to find and rescue the woman through creative and smart detective work that is mostly appropriate for a girl her age and position. In addition, she continues to develop her relationship with her brother Sherlock and earns his respect for her insightful ideas on how to find the missing woman. This is a terrific novel. My only regret is that it was not longer and that the plot and characters were not developed even more.

Good

I absolutely adored this 6 book feminist retelling of the Sherlock Holmes series and so wish it had been around in my youth. The protagonist is Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of the famous Sherlock & Mycroft Holmes, who is abandoned on her 14th birthday by their unusual mother but left with sufficient means to make her own path (if she can evade her brothers and societal expectations). Every sentence of Springer’s writing is brilliant and witty and the mysteries are intriguing, well-crafted—and at times shocking—in the true spirit of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. But my favorite aspect is the way the books reveal the true plight of women and the poor in Victorian London. There is a social consciousness as well as a retelling of romanticized notions we might have about this era that truly give this series substance. A book that manages to be clever and meaningful? Yes please! Finally, I was a bit worried that the quality of the series would start declining as it went on—as easily happens with longer series. Not so in this case. Books 4-6 were actually my favorites. Absolutely brilliant from start to finish!

I loved reading this book and I loved that Elona tries to help her friend Celicy to rescue from a forced marriage and got some help by her brother Sherlock and y'all would love the way Elona uses her super logical mind to rescue her friend Celicy. It's a well written story!!!