Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer (2026)
This can't be anything but the happiest news of all of us followers of the feisty, independent and indomitable young sibling of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, as created by author Nancy Springer. And even fans of Sherlock Holmes who've never sampled this series might want to join up with this one.........which pits young Enola and her legendary detective big brother against no less than the 'Napoleon of Crime' himself, Professor Moriarity.
Enola's entry into the mystery begins with her literally unearthing a helpless young woman who's been buried alive., yet sealed in a coffin with a breathing apparatus and a bell with which the victimized girl can summon rescuers. What kind of twisted, malignant mind could conceive of such a thing? Let's just say it won't be long before you can stop guessing.
As Enola nurses the traumatized girl, Trevonia, back to health, the pieces of the tortured girl's memory begin to assemble, clearing up the puzzle of her origins and at whose hands she suffered such physical torment. Everything points to that forbidding cadaverous gentlemen who occupies a nearby mansion.........and who also commands an army of vicious, murderous thugs who'll stop at nothing to recapture Trevonia.
While Enola dodges and outwits the violent goons pursuing both Trevonia and herself, she finds her brother Sherlock rendered haggard and exhausted from his quest to collect evidence against the fiend at the very heart of all these dark doings........... a certain mysterious professor of mathematics reputed to be London's most notorious criminal Kingpin.
This is simply a terrific fun package of Holmes-ian, lore, action, intrigue and suspense, all of it unfolding across a vivid recreation of late 19th century London. And in Enola, the members of her beloved Women's Club, and the one and only Florence Nightingale, there's some wickedly sharp humor at the expense of the entrenched British patriarchy and the class distinctions of the era.
For all fans of this series and anyone who loves nothing better than a wonderfully atmospheric tour through the world of Holmes, this one's an automatic 'don't miss'.
4 stars (****).
Enola's entry into the mystery begins with her literally unearthing a helpless young woman who's been buried alive., yet sealed in a coffin with a breathing apparatus and a bell with which the victimized girl can summon rescuers. What kind of twisted, malignant mind could conceive of such a thing? Let's just say it won't be long before you can stop guessing.
As Enola nurses the traumatized girl, Trevonia, back to health, the pieces of the tortured girl's memory begin to assemble, clearing up the puzzle of her origins and at whose hands she suffered such physical torment. Everything points to that forbidding cadaverous gentlemen who occupies a nearby mansion.........and who also commands an army of vicious, murderous thugs who'll stop at nothing to recapture Trevonia.
While Enola dodges and outwits the violent goons pursuing both Trevonia and herself, she finds her brother Sherlock rendered haggard and exhausted from his quest to collect evidence against the fiend at the very heart of all these dark doings........... a certain mysterious professor of mathematics reputed to be London's most notorious criminal Kingpin.
This is simply a terrific fun package of Holmes-ian, lore, action, intrigue and suspense, all of it unfolding across a vivid recreation of late 19th century London. And in Enola, the members of her beloved Women's Club, and the one and only Florence Nightingale, there's some wickedly sharp humor at the expense of the entrenched British patriarchy and the class distinctions of the era.
For all fans of this series and anyone who loves nothing better than a wonderfully atmospheric tour through the world of Holmes, this one's an automatic 'don't miss'.
4 stars (****).
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