The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer - 4 stars

[Ellen]

England 1888: Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of brothers Mycroft and Sherlock, suddenly fids herself motherless. On the occasion of Enola's 14th birthday, Mrs. Holmes seems to have mysteriously disappeared. The brothers immediately come to take charge of the investigation and Enola. Mycroft, being the eldest, decides Enola will be sent to a boarding school. He is stunned to learn that all of the money he had been sending to their mother for estate business was not used for its intended purposes. Instead she had squirreled it away to aid in her obviously planned escape. Enola has no intention of going to a stuffy boarding school and accomplishes her own departure in the middle of the night. She is headed for London in the hopes of finding her mother.

During her escape Enola learns of a kidnapped 12-year-old Marquess and she decides to investigate on her own. She quickly discerns that the young boy was not taken but had left on his own, seemingly tired of being treated like a baby. Once in London she follows her instincts to the wharves and suddenly finds herself at the hands of two dangerous men who also have the missing boy in their clutches. Enola must depend on her cunning to save them both.

I had never heard of this series until I watched the charming movie on tv and fell in love with the spirited Enola. I will definitely continue the series and hope that the movie will do the same.

[Theresa]

This sounds absolutely delightful!