The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline

An Enola Holmes Mystery

By: Nancy Springer

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Edgar Award-winning author Nancy Springer captivates young listeners with mysteries that feature Sherlock Holmes’ little sister Enola. Abandoned by her mother and fearing her brothers will exile her to a finishing school, 14-year-old Enola lives a lonely London existence. But when someone kidnaps her elderly landlady - the closest thing she has to family these days—the feisty heroine will do whatever it takes to find her.

©2009 Nancy Springer (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“From the riveting prologue to the satisfying conclusion, readers are hurtled headlong into Enola Holmes’s latest case.” (School Library Journal)

Full Disclosure: I'm an adult!

As a woman who raised children to read for pleasure during the Harry Potter craze, I've always tried to read things my kids (and now grandkids) have been interested in. This is a well-written series with excellent flow. The performance is equally excellent!

Nightingale's Eyes

The abrupt kidnapping of Enola's landlady picks up the mystery of her history in the Crimean War and meeting "The Lady of the Lamp" aka Florence Nightingale and a oddly threatening note of "Birds" and messages that finds Enola reaching out to Florence Nightingale and the truth. I found this a most refreshing adventure mystery as at the end of it there's some hope of a reunion of the Holmes family, but a bitter sadness that to get there before - Enola will have to lose her home and the mother-like figure of her landlady.

Engaging and delightful

I love the character that Nancy Springer has created and all of her amazing adventures!

I grew up on Sherlock Holmes

If you could sum up The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline in three words, what would they be?

Clever, fun, and intellegent

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It is always satisfying when at the end of a mystery of any ilk the detective sums up 'how it were done' so to speak. The Enola Character is wonderfully like her famous older brother, yet like the Wicked series this is a fun look at things from another perspective. Very believable and with the right 'feel'. She lets you in on 'how it were done' with the same deductive reasoning we associate with Sherlock. Throw in the family drama and it all comes together as a fast and fun read.

Any additional comments?

I have read many of the titles in this series and they are all good. Sort of a Jane Eyre meets murder on the orient express. It avoids the kind of silly kid behavior of characters written for younger audiences that I have sometimes seen. Also it paints a historically accurate picture of the London of the day. Definitely a story written for the teen and tween audience but written with intelligence.

Childhood Favorite

Read it when I was young and love getting to hear the familiar story while I do my tasks. Performance is great!