The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline(Enola Holmes #5)

Cover Via Goodreads

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline

by Nancy Springer

Edition: hardcover, 2009

Synopsis: Enola Holmes’s landlady, Mrs. Tupper, is the closest thing Enola has to family these days, besides her occasional run-ins with her brother Sherlock. Even though Mrs. Tupper is nearly deaf and can barely cook, she’s an endearing presence as Enola longs for her absent mother. So imagine her horror when Enola comes home to find Mrs. Tupper kidnapped! Who would take her, and why? And what does Florence Nightingale have to do with it? From the master of mystery Nancy Springer, here’s another absorbing adventure for our award-winning, unstoppable heroine, Enola Holmes.

When her landlady, the deaf but kind Mrs. Tupper, shares a threatening and cryptic note she has received, Enola never expects that it would lead to the woman being kidnapped. With the barest of clues to guide her, Enola sets out to follow the trail back to Florence Nightingale, sometimes right under her brother’s nose.

It was a delight to learn more about Mrs. Tupper in this case. The book starts off with a prologue that shows how she was a young wife who sat by her husband’s side as he died. You can’t help but feel sorry for this woman who had so much suffering in her life and now is being threatened to provide a message she has no knowledge of.

Enola must make use of all her skills and shows that there are some things her clever brother just wouldn’t comprehend, such as embroidery. As someone who enjoys sewing, I found the use of embroidery to send a message to be clever. I especially liked the glimpse of Florence Nightingale, beyond the Lady with the Lamp more commonly seen.

This was a fast-paced, but fun read. I especially appreciated Enola’s cheekiness when she encountered her brother.

For fans of the series, this is not one to be missed.