Love this seiries.

I read the first book in this series and was not completely convinced so I went on to this, the second book. Once again, Enola Holmes is an intelligent character, but suddenly things have become dark. Enola is running scared from her brothers. She wants her mom (who ran away in the first book). She becomes unsure of herself. My goal in reading the second book was to see Enola Holmes grow and succeed as a lady sleuth. I did not see that happen here. She seems to have gone backwards. She has not gained allies for when the going gets tough. Instead she simply runs and hides. On the last page she says, "I am a liar. All is not well. Not at all."

Not only is Enola's attitude darker, the whole book is darker. This book, advertized for grades 3-5, has upped the ante into the world of inappropriate for elementary students. There is a reference to rape, bodily remains, seducing, eating dog and cat meat, two strangulation scenes and a stabbing. Enola is a fourteen year old runaway who was abandoned by her mother.

The plot thread is about how Enola can keep running away from her brother Sherlocke even though he is on her trail. In the middle of this she helps solve the case of a missing girl which turns out to be, in my opinion, a more complicated mystery than necessary. We are exposed to schizophrenia, Marxism, mesmerism, labor protests, and more during this kidnapping. I feel that in trying to make Enola seem smart, the author has tried a bit too hard. I mean she is fourteen years old. No one expects her to solve world hunger.

I am going to read the third book and hope again to find growth and maturity of Enola Holmes.

I would still love to see this series reclassified as Young Adult due to mature content and that it is written at about the 7th grade reading level. The vocabulary is very sophisticated.

I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up. It is an interesting mystery for older readers.

A REALLY MYSTERIOS AND REALLY COOL BOOK

This is my favorite book in the E.H. series!

Great series. Enola is really likable, and her family is very unique.

This was a pretty good book, not one of the best of the great Enola Holmes series. I have to say, the ending was really funny. :D (overall the E.H. series is great)

I love this series by Nancy Springer. Enola Holmes, Sherlock Holmes younger sister, evades her brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, in Victorian London. This is the second, the first is The case of the missing Marquess.