Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess

This is the first in the series of Enola Holmes books, telling the story of teenage super-sleuth Enola ‘Alone’ Holmes, the much younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective, and Mycroft Holmes, the fastidious government official.

Enola lives in the country with her mother, who is homeschooling her in subjects from fencing to the language of flowers to cryptography. On the morning of her fourteenth birthday, Enola finds her mother is missing without a trace, leaving only a few clues as to where and why she has gone. Mycroft and Sherlock soon arrive and are astonished at the unladylike but extremely astute Enola. Despite their efforts to tame her, Enola goes out into the world by herself to find her missing mother.

But it is not only Mrs Holmes who is missing. Lord Viscount Tewksbury, Marquess of Basilweather, a young man with a promising future, has also disappeared, and ransom demands have been made. Enola soon starts to investigate this mystery as well, trying to prove she is just as capable as her brothers.

This is a great tale, written in a light and fresh style, which is bound to excite avid readers. Enola is likeable, and despite being a mystery story, it is easy to follow. The books have been turned into a Netflix TV series starring Millie Bobby Brown, which is likely to draw readers towards the books.