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54th out of 145 books
—
221 voters
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan (Enola Holmes Mysteries #4)
by
Nancy Springer (Goodreads Author)
When Enola Holmes encounters her friend Lady Cecily hiding behind a pink fan, she finds it peculiar. In fact, she realizes Cecily is in danger! But what, exactly, is the matter? And how can Enola help? After examining the clues, Enola discovers Lady Cecily is being held hostage in an abysmal orphanage, and if she isn?t rescued, she?ll be forced into a miserable marriage! T...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
September 18th 2008
by Philomel
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Synopsis
Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, Enola Holmes, must use all her cunning to evade her brothers who wish to take her home and make her conform to Victorian ideals of femininity. However, this self-reliant daughter of a suffragette is able to maintain her independence while solving mysteries and aiding another young woman to avoid a forced marriage.
Review
The author set out to marry her love of Sherlock Holmes with a feminist character. And while that's not intrinsically a bad thing, the age...more
Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, Enola Holmes, must use all her cunning to evade her brothers who wish to take her home and make her conform to Victorian ideals of femininity. However, this self-reliant daughter of a suffragette is able to maintain her independence while solving mysteries and aiding another young woman to avoid a forced marriage.
Review
The author set out to marry her love of Sherlock Holmes with a feminist character. And while that's not intrinsically a bad thing, the age...more
It took me a good 70 pages before I really got into this one and wanted to keep reading it. After that though, it actually turned into one of my favorites of the series and makes me want to go read some more Sherlock Holmes books to find out more of his personality and see how well it matches with these books. Which is kind of weird really that reading a historical fiction based around a historically fictitious character makes you want to go learn more about this fictitious guy.
I don't know. I guess maybe I'm over this series already. While I liked this one better than the third book, I'm still really irked by the fact that so much of Enola's success relies on chance and coincidence. She'd be a much stronger heroine if that weren't the case.
Additionally, parts of this felt a little too didactic, the way the historical fiction can sometimes slip into - "and now I will educate you bluntly about life in this time period." Bleh.
But, the central story is compelling enough...more
Additionally, parts of this felt a little too didactic, the way the historical fiction can sometimes slip into - "and now I will educate you bluntly about life in this time period." Bleh.
But, the central story is compelling enough...more
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan is another winner for Nancy Springer. If you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan then you’ll enjoy the Enola Holmes Mysteries.
Enola Holmes is the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes who was born during her mother’s change of life, menopause. Her mother raised her not to be a lady but to be an independent woman. During Enola’s fourteen year her mother leaves her to fend for herself. Enola, spelled backwards is Alone, has the genius of her brother Sherlock...more
Enola Holmes is the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes who was born during her mother’s change of life, menopause. Her mother raised her not to be a lady but to be an independent woman. During Enola’s fourteen year her mother leaves her to fend for herself. Enola, spelled backwards is Alone, has the genius of her brother Sherlock...more
The brilliantly narrated audio version of the adventures of Enola Holmes takes off at a brisk pace from the first minute, taking the listener on an adventure through London of the 1800s. The main character is 14-year-old Enola Holmes, a detective and master of disguise who also happens to be the sister of Sherlock Holmes. In this particular adventure, Enola is endeavoring to find Cecily Alistair, an unfortunate young lady facing an unwanted marriage. As the exciting story unfolds, Enola uncovers...more
Sherlock Holmes stories and novels by Conan Doyle are among those "classics" that one never wearies of re-reading. But once a year is enough. What are we Sherlockians to do with the other 50 weeks of the year?
We read pastiches, and among the most charming of those is a series of children's books by Nancy Springer starring Sherlock and Mycroft's much younger sister, Enola. Particularly clever is the donee, as Henry James would put it (if he were a Holmes fan - I wonder if he read Conan Doyle.) Th...more
We read pastiches, and among the most charming of those is a series of children's books by Nancy Springer starring Sherlock and Mycroft's much younger sister, Enola. Particularly clever is the donee, as Henry James would put it (if he were a Holmes fan - I wonder if he read Conan Doyle.) Th...more
Another good story in the Enola Holmes series. This one has Enola to rescue, after Lady Cecily is again in grave peril! Enola is resting in the Ladie's Public Lavatory after a day of shopping when she encounters Lady Cecily (from The Case of the Left-Handed Lady). Cecily is dressed in a very curious and cumbersome gown and seems to be in the process of shopping for her trousseau. Lady Cecily manages to ask Enola for help using the language of fans before her guardians whisk he away and Enola is...more
Nancy Springer provides her readers with a well-plotted, interesting, and humorous look into the life of Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, Enola. Once again called upon to save the left-handed lady (from book 2) from a kidnapping and forced-wedding plot, Enola must don a plethora of disguises to hunt down the kidnappers as well as to avoid her two older brothers, intent on sending Enola to boarding school. Following the themes of the previous books, the Pink Fan provides a realistic look at the w...more
Enola was raised a idiosyncratically in an isolated manor house by her mother. When her mother decamped to live her own life, Enola discovered that she too could lead an independent life--but she nevertheless misses her mother terribly. Their only communication since her mother's disappearance is through cyphered messages left in newspapers, but this is enough to buck up Enola's spirits and confidence. Under a variety of disguises she sets herself up as a finder of lost persons. Her latest case:...more
What a rollicking good time I am having reading these books about 14 year old Enola Holmes, the very resourceful younger sister of Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes whose mom ran away to join the gypsies leaving Enola with a lot of money to support herself on. Sherlock and Mycroft want to put her in a boarding school to learn to be a lady and trophy wife one day but Enola is having none of it. She is living on her own in London and helping people solve mysteries while dodging Sherlock and Mycro...more
Not as good as the previous Enola Holmes mysteries, but the relationship between Sherlock and Enola became the main focus in this one rather than the actual mystery plot. Whether that was intentional or not, I cannot tell. For me that shows a distinct lack of polish. However, I still like it, and think these books on average smarter than the average YA novel for older elementary to middle school students.
Quite liking how Sherlock makes comparisons and contrasts between his little sister and he....more
Quite liking how Sherlock makes comparisons and contrasts between his little sister and he....more
(Genre:Children/Teen historical fiction/mystery) Enola Homes is still on the run and hiding from her older brothers in London. The story begins with Enola running into Cecily Allistair, the "left handed lady" from book #2. Cecily appears to be in some distress and begins to communicate with Enola using her fan. After signaling her distress, Cecily drops her fan in Enola's lap as she is whisked away by 2 ladies that act as though they are chaperoning/guarding her against her wishes. Enola attempt...more
I love Enola Holmes. I am so happy to have found this series at a time when my daughter and I can listen and enjoy them together.
We love the strong, brave, intelligent heroine Nancy Springer has created. As soon as we've finish one Enola we eagerly and happily have begun the next.
Sadly we are having a very hard time locating the 5th and 6th audio books in the series. And now that recorded books has discontinued selling audio books I'm not sure we will be able to get our hands on number six at...more
We love the strong, brave, intelligent heroine Nancy Springer has created. As soon as we've finish one Enola we eagerly and happily have begun the next.
Sadly we are having a very hard time locating the 5th and 6th audio books in the series. And now that recorded books has discontinued selling audio books I'm not sure we will be able to get our hands on number six at...more
When Enola Holmes encounters her friend Lady Cecily hiding behind a pink fan, she finds it peculiar. In fact, she realizes Cecily is in danger! But what, exactly, is the matter? And how can Enola help? After examining the clues, Enola discovers Lady Cecily is being held hostage, and if she isn't rescued, she'll be forced into a miserable marriage! This complicated case has Sherlock and Enola (literally) running into each other all over London. If Enola joins forces with the brother she has fough...more
This cute series went on our fall break to Calgary,Canada. The kids where not really wanting audio books this time but I pointed out that these were short and I needed something to keep me awake while I drove. They groaned a little but acquiesced. When the first one was over they were the ones who were begging for more. I had brought 3 of them along and we had to download another on my phone. In the end the kids all said that this was these were the best audio books that we have listened to in y...more
Does it get any better than this? I hadn't read the summary before reading Pink Fan so I was more than pleasantly surprised when I realised (very quickly, the plot starts within the first few pages) that the mystery was deeply connected to a previous book. I enjoy continuity and I enjoy being able to draw upon what I've learned in previous books. The highlight of this installment, however, was when Sherlock and Enola crossed paths. The scene was so good I read it twice. I had no idea this was co...more
Wheeeekend fun-reading starts here, May 1889...
This is the fourth of a series feauring Enola Holmes, the much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft, so I have unknowingly jumped in late but no worries, this works very well as a standalone. This is really good, especially the funny situations where Enola's interactions with her older siblings play out to her advantage.
Fully recommended as a light read for adults and an exciting, eye-opening tale set in late Victorian London for youngsters, wher...more
This is the fourth of a series feauring Enola Holmes, the much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft, so I have unknowingly jumped in late but no worries, this works very well as a standalone. This is really good, especially the funny situations where Enola's interactions with her older siblings play out to her advantage.
Fully recommended as a light read for adults and an exciting, eye-opening tale set in late Victorian London for youngsters, wher...more
May 21, 2011
Jennifer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
audiobooks,
historicalfiction,
kids,
mystery,
strongfemalecharacters,
youngadult,
2011reads
Listened to Recorded Books Playaway narrated by Katherine Kellgren. This was my second favorite of the series after the original book, although the coincidence of Enola coming across the ha-ha man's house and then having him involved in the mystery was a little hard to swallow. I love the progression of Enola's relationships with Sherlock and Cecily both and hope they come to a solid conclusion when the series ends. Kellgren as usual does a fantastic job of distinguishing each character with app...more
Mar 19, 2011
Heidi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
audio,
2011-book-challenge,
historical,
fiction,
mystery,
series,
spin-off,
ya-12-19,
for-work
My favorite Enola Holmes so far. I loved that she met up and "worked" with Sherlock. Her battle within herself as to whether or not she should trust Sherlock is interesting yet still fun to follow. I liked having a previous character come back into the series. Enola's admiration of her brother sometimes is a bit borderline in "ummm" for me, but then I ignore it because it's Sherlock. Who wouldn't be that way, sister or no?
The funny thing is that I read the first 3 books so I could listen to this...more
The funny thing is that I read the first 3 books so I could listen to this...more
I do like Enola Holmes with all her disguises, ciphers, and detective work, and I really enjoy books set in Victorian London. So the Enola Holmes series is a win-win for me. In fact, they are a little bit like Anne Perry's Monk novels but geared toward 10-15 year olds.
This installment shows some nice progression in Enola's relationship with her two famous older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. There were the typical strokes of good luck and sheer coincidence that tend to plague books of this natu...more
This installment shows some nice progression in Enola's relationship with her two famous older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. There were the typical strokes of good luck and sheer coincidence that tend to plague books of this natu...more
Yet another entertaining installment in the Enola Holmes mystery series.
In this, the fourth installment, Enola finds herself once again having to rescue the Left-Handed Lady, from a terrible, constricting fate.
Since it had been over a year since I'd listened to the "Left-Handed Lady" I'm afraid some of the impact of her return was lost on me, and I had to rely on what was included in this book to refresh my memory. That said, I was thrilled that much of this book finally focused on Enola's relat...more
In this, the fourth installment, Enola finds herself once again having to rescue the Left-Handed Lady, from a terrible, constricting fate.
Since it had been over a year since I'd listened to the "Left-Handed Lady" I'm afraid some of the impact of her return was lost on me, and I had to rely on what was included in this book to refresh my memory. That said, I was thrilled that much of this book finally focused on Enola's relat...more
I love how a 14 year old girl can outwit two male chauvenist brothers and gain the admiration of one of them at the same time. If you like Sherlock Holmes but were always a little annoyed at his rather cavaleir attitude about the intelligence of woman, you will enjoy this series featuring his much younger sister. You do have suspend disbelief a little - a 14 year old girl living on her own - but then again in the times in which this series is set, many young person lived alone - on the streets....more
Wow, Enola Holmes just keeps getting better and better! This time Lady Cecily is missing -- again! -- and she ends up working with her brother, Sherlock, (on her own terms, of course) to find her again. Once again, Enola proves that she can outsmart her brothers, as she solves the case before Sherlock and slips out of Mycroft's clutches more than once. Interestingly, though, Enola and Sherlock are starting to respect and admire each other, even though Sherlock still can't comprehend her capabili...more
Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Le Secret de l'Eventail?
"Je continue avec plaisir ma découverte de cette petite série sympathique de Nancy Springer."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Enola va croiser, tout à fait par hasard, Lady Cecily Alistair qu'elle avait déjà sauvée lors d'un précédent tome et qui une fois encore semble en bien fâcheuse posture."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"Le problème avec les séries, c'est qu'au bout d'un moment...more
"Je continue avec plaisir ma découverte de cette petite série sympathique de Nancy Springer."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Enola va croiser, tout à fait par hasard, Lady Cecily Alistair qu'elle avait déjà sauvée lors d'un précédent tome et qui une fois encore semble en bien fâcheuse posture."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"Le problème avec les séries, c'est qu'au bout d'un moment...more
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan is the fourth book in the Enola Holmes Mystery series. 14-year old Enola Holmes is the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes who, like her brothers, has a talent for solving mysteries. With both of her parents out of the picture, Enola is left in the care of her two brothers, who think that their sister should act like a proper Victorian lady. But Enola, a smart, spunky, and self sufficient young lady, has run away from her brothers to start her own busi...more
There are a couple things about this series that are getting a little tiresome. Enola's constant harping on her looks for one. It just seems out of character. Also, I only need hear how thin and sallow she is once, maybe twice, before I get the point. Also, the mysteries are still really, really weak - almost everything relying on coincidence. And yet, I still freaking tear through these books like there's no tomorrow and as soon as I put this one down I started the next! So there you have it. G...more
Enola meets a friend from a former case, Lady Cecily, in the ladies' lavatory, who manages to send a nonverbal plea for help. It turns out that Lady Cecily is being forced into a loveless marriage by her father. I found the scene with the wedding dress particularly amusing, and the 'pink tea" so totally Victorian. There is the continuing story thread of Enola's lost mother and overbearing brothers Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, as the characters chase each other around 19th century London.
This is the first Enola mystery I've read. I found it while doing some searching for the Beyond the Newbery Class I took (thanks, Melissa!), and I'm so glad I picked it up!
I loved Sherlock Holmes mysteries when I was in elementary school, and reading this reminded me why. The mystery was appealing, the clues were great, and Enola is a really wonderful character. Also! I love Springer's Sherlock. He's brilliant.
So. Yes. Now I need to go track down the earlier books in this series.
I loved Sherlock Holmes mysteries when I was in elementary school, and reading this reminded me why. The mystery was appealing, the clues were great, and Enola is a really wonderful character. Also! I love Springer's Sherlock. He's brilliant.
So. Yes. Now I need to go track down the earlier books in this series.
Enola Holmes is still enjoying her life in London though she is often forced to dodge her brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, who are determined to find her. Enola encounters a person she never thought to see again, Lady Cecily. Lady Cecily is in a most awkward situation. She appears to be the prisoner of her two chaperones. She conveys to Enola that she needs help. The only clue Enola has is the pink paper fan Lady Cecily was carrying and discreetly dropped near Enola. The fan leads Enola to the fa...more
I just read this book in three hours at the most and I LOVED it!!! It was daring and exciting just like a mystery should be. I love Enola Holmes and hope more keep coming. Now you might be surprised that I'm only twelve and read the book in three hours, but considering how much I love these books it's definitely not. I believe that this book is educational and brings a skip to step when I am reading it. Enola is Alone!
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BIO -- NANCY SPRINGER
Nancy Springer has passed the fifty-book milestone, having written that many novels for adults, young adults and children, in genres including mythic fantasy, contemporary fiction, magical realism, horror, and mystery -- although she did not realize she wrote mystery until she won the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America two years in succession. DARK LIE...more
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May 24, 2011 09:24am