strange and random happenstance

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 5th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Enola Holmes has never been one to take no for an answer or to back down from a mystery. Although these days she's spending more time with her own studies and enjoying a peaceful life not having to hide from her bothers than working as a perditorian. That doesn't mean she isn't occasionally to be found at the offices of one Dr. Lesley T. Ragostin PhD, her clever ruse to hide her own identity and sex. She's at the office one day when a rather rude man bursts in. He demands to see Dr. Ragostin. His best friend, Wolcott Balestier, hasn't returned home and both he and Wolcott's sister Caroline are mad with worry. Wanting to help contain the man's hysteria she offers to take down all the details and embark on the case herself. This angers the man. A young girl could not possibly do the work of a man and he departs in a huff. Most likely off to hire Sherlock thinks Enola darkly. And even though this mystery man didn't bother to introduce himself she was able to get enough information to search out Wolcott's sister, Caroline. Yes, at first it's outrage that drove her to seek out Caroline, but the poor woman is standing on the street corner asking if anyone has seen her brother and Enola's heart breaks. Enola feels for the woman and decides that she will bring Wolcott back to his sister no matter that the angry man thought that she wasn't up to the case. It really is just about helping Caroline. Being able to gloat a little at the end of the day won't hurt though. But the deeper she gets in the case the more dire things seem for Wolcott Balestier. The neighborhood he was last seen in is known for a gang that doesn't take kindly to strangers. What's more there are rumors that a man matching Balestier's description was attracted by a rabid dog. If this is true perhaps Balestier took himself off to die somewhere away from his family and friends. The disease has no cure and the death is a painful one. But as Enola dons various disguises, helped out by her fellow lodgers at the Professional Woman's Club, to get into Caroline's house, to find out more about rabies, and to attend a literary soiree, she worries if they will just not find Balestier, or, if they do and he's been bitten, not find some way to save him. With her brother's help and the hindrance of the angry man, who turns out to be author Ruyard Kipling, they might just crack the case. Ruyard Kipling might be rude and underestimates women, but he sure can write and seems to care about the Balestiers. Plus, it would really piss him off if Enola saved the day. And she does like to thwart people's expectations.

I had planned for my review to start out by talking about how much delight I take in this series and hoped to enjoy it for years to come. Especially the way that Enola messes with the masculine establishment and in this volume in particular takes great glee in messing with Rudyard Kipling, which Nancy Springer took great glee in as well. It has become a birthday week tradition for me the last three years to read the latest adventures of Enola and then I learned that tradition would be no more. Nancy Springer, rather causally stated on Twitter leading up to the release of Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose that "the next, and last, Enola Holmes novel will be published in a few days." I couldn't believe it's the last. It appears to be because she's not writing at all anymore due to age, but I mean age is really just a number? I'd be willing to take one book every two to three years if that would be a satisfactory arrangement. I just can't not have Enola in my life. She entered it when I really needed someone who, despite all the windmills tilting against them, just got on with it. She knows what is right and she always fights for it. Plus, Nancy Springer builds her books around obscure yet fascinating history. In this instance it's rabies. I find it interesting that a lot of people in this day and age don't know about the dangers of rabies. I remember in one of the Amelia Peabody books she has a close call with rabies and it's literally as if she's been diagnosed with an incurable disease. Because for so long that's what it was. You got rabies and you died. Horribly. And while the number of shots needed to survive rabies has declined since Wolcott Balestier underwent his treatment, when I was a child the treatment was identical to that undergone by Balestier. How do I know this you might ask? Well, thankfully it's not from direct personal experience, but still, personal experience nonetheless. And made me learn at a young age not to mess with rabies or racoons. In second grade one of my classmates was involved in an altercation with a rabid racoon. Given his history I'd lay the blame firmly on him and not the trash panda. Anyway, he had to undergo weeks and weeks of painful shots. I envisioned it as that wall of needles coming towards Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. And it gave me joy. He really was a little shit. But reading this book I was fascinated to learn the origins of the vaccine and also blown away that in almost a hundred years the vaccine remained relatively unchanged. I will miss these insights into history. I will miss Enola. I know, you might comfort me that there could be more movies. You know what? It's not the same. That's not my Enola. This is.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Caroline Balestier Kipling, Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose, Murder Most Foul, Perditorian, Rabies, Racoon, Rudyard Kipling, Sherlock Holmes, The Empire Strikes Back, Wolcott Balestier

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 6th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Enola Holmes currently has it all. She no longer has to sklunk about in the shadows as a perditorian hoping that her famous brothers won't catch her and send her off to a finishing school when all she wants to do is make a name for herself as a finder of the lost. She has her place in the world, a safe roof over her head at the Professional Women's Club, and the chance of an education at the London Women's Academy. But she is a rare case. Most women in Victorian London are nothing more than chattel to their male relatives, be they fathers, or as was the case for Enola, brothers. By showing Sherlock and Mycroft what she is capable of she broke out of the cage her contemporaries live in. But a girl whom Enola has viewed as a dear friend from the first moment they met is trapped in this cage. Lady Cecily Alastair hasn't had the best of luck. First she was hypnotized and abducted, then because of her abduction her family, in particular her father, Sir Eustace Alastair, viewed her as spoiled goods and tried to force her into an arranged marriage. Both times Enola saved Cecily. And now Cecily needs saving again. Sir Eustace has locked Cecily in her room making her a literal prisoner. Enola hears about this and rushes to Cecily's aid, breaking her out of her prison cell and secreting her away. The only problem is Cecily's family hires Sherlock to find her. Things have been going so well between Enola and Sherlock and it hurts her to have to lie to him to protect her friend, but he just doesn't know what it's like to be a woman. Thankfully Cecily isn't as helpless as she seems, at least some of the time, fleeing Enola's office before Sherlock discovers her hide-hole. The danger is Cecily's upbringing has split her personality between the left-handed and her right-handed selves. Her right-handed is the woman her father and society wants her to be, her left-handed is her true self, brave, resilient, and capable. The only problem is who knows when she will be which. And when Cecily fled Enola's protection because she worried that Sherlock would discover her will she thrive or will she barely survive? One thing is clear, Cecily needs Enola and now Enola is working against the clock and her own brother. Again.

The world that Nancy Springer has created with Enola Holmes is just a pure delight with her innovative use of language and worldbuilding. I could read a further eight volumes and never grow tired of Enola's adventures, though perhaps poor Cecily is tired... That poor girl deserves a break. And while yes, this book is an escapade from beginning to end I have questions. Now these questions are spoilers, so look away if you haven't read about Enola's elegant escapade yet. OK you have been warned and if you are still reading this I assume that you know what happens or are willing to be spoiled. So the "big reveal" that frees Cecily from the clutches of her father's machinations is that he has made his fortune as a resurrection man. Well a more refined resurrection man in that he's only selling off the corpses of his dead employees. And I have so many questions. Mainly, how does he have so many dead employees? I mean it's heavily implied they have all died of natural causes so he's not doing a Burke and Hare, so how can this be a guaranteed income? At the time this book takes place it was basically a dead end job, pun fully intended. Cecily's father would have actually made more money selling off the hair and teeth separately. But would this have been enough to support a family with eight kids in luxury? I think not! This story, more than any of the others, relies on a heavy suspension of disbelief, at least from my point of view. The crime that Sir Eustace Alastair commits is so horrific that you are meant to recoil at the crime and not question it. Not question the economic logistics. But I did. Burke and Hare made about £8 a corpse in 1828 and that was in Edinburgh where corpses were in high demand because it was the center of medical study and research when they committed their crimes. This book takes place in 1889 and the pounds purchasing power had declined so if the price of a corpse stayed the same he'd only be making £6.77. And it's not mentioned if he had a lucrative side business in articulated skeletons like H.H. Holmes did. To be middle class, which a Baronet definitely is above, he'd have to make more than about £150 per year. So a middle class person would have to sell twenty-two plus corpses a year if that was there job. How the hell could he get that many? What's more that doesn't take into account the Anatomy Act of 1832 which came about as a result of the London Burkers. It made it easier to obtain corpses for medical research due to the strictures of medical cadavers only being criminals being lifted and licensing of teachers. So we're to believe that fifty-seven years later a Baronet is making his fortune doing this? As Conan Doyle himself said; "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." And the truth is that this twist doesn't work.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Burke and Hare, Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, H.H. Holmes, Lady Cecily Alistair, Mycroft Holmes, Resurrection Man, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked: Enola Edition, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: August 31st, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Now that Enola Holmes is no longer hiding from her famous, much older, brothers, she has the luxury of freedom. No longer constantly looking over her shoulder to see if Mycroft's lurking in a carriage to spirit her off to a dreadful and deadly boarding school. What's more, this means she can actually go and visit her brother Sherlock whenever she wants! Only her current visit to 221 Baker Street is at the insistence of Doctor Watson. Sherlock is suffering from melancholia. After triumphantly solving his last case he won't eat, he won't bath, he won't dress, and it took all of Doctor Watson's vast resources just to get him out of bed. So Enola swoops in. She is determined to get Sherlock off the sofa and back in the game. Thankfully a compelling case arrives on his doorstep. While he languishes on his sofa Miss Letitia Glover spins her story for Enola. Tish's twin sister Felicity has been declared deceased. But Tish just knows it can't be true. She would feel it if Flossie had left this mortal coil. They're twins after all. Therefore Flossie's husband must be lying. Felicity married above her station. While Tish is a humble typist, Flossie is a talented watercolourist and the wife of the Earl of Dunhench, Lord Cadogan Burr Rudcliff II. He wrote to Tish saying that Felicity had contracted a fever and died the same day and was immediately cremated in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Her ashes were included with the letter. Everything about this is too cavalier, too pat. But the case is enough to get Sherlock off the couch. Enola couldn't be happier. She's working a case with her brother! Or at least he'll soon realize they're working the case together once she arrives in Surrey. Of course she didn't intend to actually end up in Caddie's house. But since she's there she might as well investigate what happened to his first wife as well... because Caddie hasn't just tragically lost one wife in similar circumstances, but two. And things aren't adding up. For a family obsessed with death portraiture, neither of his wives have one. Then there's the secret message that Felicity hid in her most recent painting. And if they weren't convinced that Caddie was up to no good, the fact that Doctor Watson's signature was forged on the death certificate would be the nail in the coffin. Which begs the question, can they find Felicity before Caddie does something even more drastic?

Enola Holmes returns to her first home after her triumphant success on the small screen. When I was invited to be a part of the Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche Blog Tour I decided to do an Enola Holmes deep dive. I picked up my Scholastic Book Fair copy of The Case of the Missing Marquess and before I knew it, thanks to my local library, I had devoured Enola's entire back catalog of cases. For as long as I can remember Sherlock Holmes has always been in my life, primarily because of the Jeremy Brett adaptations for PBS which my parents adored. Personally though my Holmes canon revolves around Young Sherlock Holmes, The Great Mouse Detective, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and perhaps the first two seasons of Sherlock. Though the later seasons soured me to the earlier ones. What I'm saying is, despite there being SO MUCH Sherlockian storytelling out there, from irregulars to noncanonical wives, children, and siblings, only a few things have sparked something inside me and made me really connect to the material. This rarefied list now includes Enola Holmes. There is such joy and daring and girl power in this series that I fell instantly in love with it. What's more, Nancy Springer's use of language is a delight to read. To have an author properly use fantods in a text, it almost had me suffering from the vapors while Edward Gorey gleefully rolled over in his grave. This newest adventure, the first published in over a decade, shows a more mature Enola. After the events in The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye a shift has taken place. Enola is no longer having to divide her efforts between solving her cases and hiding from her famous brothers. Now she can concentrate on her work, or in this case, concentrate on inveigling herself into Sherlock's work. In fact, their one-upmanship brings about the funniest moments as Enola reverts a little to her more childish ways, because who doesn't revert to being a child around their siblings no matter their age? As for the case? Well, we are still dealing with the problems that only women suffer at the hands of Victorian society, but this time it's a little darker and a lot more Gothic, which has me very excited to see where Enola goes in future adventures and I can't wait.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Baker Street, Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, Feminism, Mycroft, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The Great Mouse Detective, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Victorian, Younger Sherlock Holmes

Enola Holmes and the Boy in Buttons by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: June 22nd, 2021
Format: Kindle, 21 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Joddy is the boy in buttons. The jolly little urchin dressed up at the office door. There to greet Enola and run whatever small errands she needs tending to. He's sweet and overly differential. He's a constant in Enola's changing life as she no longer has to go to work in disguise. She's taking classes and expanding her mind with education. In other words, her brothers are now on her side and not trying to hunt her down. But Enola does have a hunt on the horizon. Joddy takes ill and Enola sends him home. But his family is so desperate for money that they can't afford for Joddy to miss a day of work, so they send his younger brother Paddy in his place. The uniform is ridiculously big on him, but Enola is game. If this little one wants to work her door, more power to him. But the next day he doesn't show up and Enola is worried. She decides to go looking for Paddy. She never realized how far Joddy walked every single day for a steady paycheck. This makes Enola's heart ache and her need to find Paddy even more desperate. But when she finds just the buttons, torn off from his uniform she is very concerned. If anything happens to him this is her fault. Paddy will be found if it's the last thing she does.

This short story is a wonderful dip back into the world of Enola Holmes before the first new book in over a decade came out. It reintroduces us to favorite characters and shows us what Enola has been getting up to. But what I really loved is that this story connected back to that which really turned me into a Victorian nut, Michael Crichton's The Great Train Robbery. That book made me wild for anything Victorian. I admit now that it's not the best of Crichton's books. In fact the movie, also done by Crichton, is far better. But I loved all the weird little Victorian details I learned about, in particular the importance of a snakesman. As Urban Dictionary puts it, mentioning Clean Willy from the book I might add as the exemplifier, a snakesman is a "person of the criminal sort adept at finding his or her way into or out of a building. Usually someone of small stature able to fit through tight places." So wouldn't a small child be the best snakesman out there? Stands to reason.... So long as that child plays ball and is willing to be a criminal.... And that's why this short story was so great, it went in an entirely different direction than I thought it would but was still wonderfully Victorian to me.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adaptation, Child, Criminal, Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Boy in Buttons, Joddy, London, Michael Crichton, Movie, Paddy, Poverty, Sherlocked, Snakesman, The Great Train Robbery, Uniform, Urban Dictionary

The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye by Nancy Springer
Published by: Philomel Books
Publication Date: May 4th, 2010
Format: Kindle, 177 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Enola has another disappearance to solve, that of Lady Blanchefleur del Campo. She is the wife of a wealthy foreign nobleman, Duque Luis Orlando del Campo. The beloved Duquessa was with her ladies-in-waiting, ironically right near 221B Baker Street, when she disappeared into thin air. There was a woman who approached her at the entrance to the Baker Street Underground stop, but what happened next no one knows. Did the woman lure the lady down onto the busy platform? Was she dragged along the tracks to be dealt with? She had no reason to run away but then why is there no ransom? Enola is approached in her disguise as Miss Ivy Mshle, now Mrs. John Jacobson, Dr. Ragostin's assistant, she gave herself a promotion. The husband says he is desperate and would have called on the great Sherlock Holmes but he is out of town. Curious on so many levels Enola goes to meet the ladies-in-waiting and see the life the Lady Blanchefleur del Campo was living. If there is such a thing as a slave to fashion, the missing Duquessa is the embodiment of that phrase. She has spent her entire life in a constricting spooned corset, even sleeping in it. She has had several confinements but has always lost the children, not a surprise to Enola as the poor woman has the same measurements she did as when she was a child. But Enola has a theory.... The ladies-in-waiting lovingly describe their mistress's clothes when she disappeared and Enola wonders, what if she was taken not for who she was but how she looked and what she was wearing? As Enola herself knows from her first day in London, there are unscrupulous people who will do anything to earn a little money. She quickly flees to check out her hunch which is easy enough to prove, and also to avoid her brother who has arrived on the scene, but what won't be as easy is what Sherlock has in store for her. The problem with installing her ex-landlady, Mrs. Tupper, with Florence Nightingale is that now Sherlock has a place he knows she will return to. But just cutting out Mrs. Tupper wouldn't be right so Enola will have to risk being found out. Which happens in short order, not because Sherlock recognized Enola, but because her faithful pooch did. That's where he was when the Duque searched for him, down at Ferndell getting an accomplice to out Enola! But at least Sherlock views his sister in a different light after all her adventures. He's not going to throw her to the wolves, or as the case here would be, to Mycroft. No, instead he will ask her for her help with something that their mother sent him and in return they will search for the Duquessa together. And she guesses Mycroft can come along for the ride. Maybe they will reach an entente?

The "problem" with this book is the title, The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye. Oddly enough someone, somewhere, seems to have realized this and in the short story Enola Holmes and the Boy in Buttons which was released as a teaser for the first Enola Holmes book in over a decade it is referred to as The Case of the Disappearing Duchess. Some time later down the internet rabbit hole and it appears that perhaps this was done on British and Australian reissues when the Netflix movie came out. Be that as it may, someone at least realized the title of this book is just one big spoiler. Not that this really takes anything away from the book, it's just that you read the title and you think, oh, her mom's dead. Which is indeed the case. Which is also a good end to the series, or as it now stands, an end to the first arc of the series. Because Enola might have lost her mother but by opening up she realizes that she does have two brothers and if they could just really see her perhaps she doesn't have to spend her whole life alone like her name prophesied. And for me, the way the siblings come together through an interesting case and a long night shows that Enola can be accepted for who she is. What's more, I loved that Mycroft's every assumption was so far off base that he had more than a little egg on his face. While tying up the Holmes family drama Nancy Springer continues to handle topics of women's rights and what is done to them in the name of societal expectations. Lady Blanchefleur del Campo has suffered so severely at the hands of fashion that she literally cannot bear her own weight because her spine is too weak from a waist training corset. What I find interesting is that more recently there has been a push to say that corsets aren't the evil we once viewed them. That only those rare few cinched them tight enough to cause damage to internal organs leading to health issues such as the inability to bear children and constantly fainting. I have worn a corset and I didn't have any deleterious effects. But I wore one for only a few days and reading this book I thought back to one of my friends who in grade school had a scoliosis brace. To have to wear something everyday would be hard, but to do so AND try to use it to "improve" your figure? I don't think any right minded person would ever come to the conclusion that corsets are a good thing. But then again, people have always been choosing fashion over health.... Perhaps that's why there are those trying to rewrite the true history of corsets?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 221B Baker Street, Alone, Corsets, Disappearance, Enola Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, Nancy Springer, Netflix, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The Case of the Disappearing Duchess, The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer
Published by: Puffin Books
Publication Date: February 21st, 2009
Format: Kindle, 188 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

The main reason Enola has been able to keep herself hidden from her brothers is by secreting herself away in the poorer section of London. While sacrificing luxury and safety and a well cooked meal, her landlady, Mrs. Tupper, has become something of a surrogate mother to Enola in her own mother's absence. So when Mrs. Tupper is threatened things hit a little too close to home for Enola's sake and she vows to get to the bottom of things. It turns out Mrs. Tupper isn't at all who Enola assumed, starting with the fact she's far more observant than Enola has ever given her credit for. Enola could have sworn she'd gotten away with all her different disguises, turns out Mrs. Tupper just didn't like to pry. Mrs. Tupper has kept her own history secret so what does she care if her own lodger does the same? But the time has come to tell Enola of her past because whatever "message" the thugs want from her she has no idea what they are referring to. Mrs. Tupper's husband was in the Crimean War. As was often the case she followed her husband to the front because there was no way to send money home and it was the only way for her husband to support her. When he was injured in Scutari, Turkey, Mrs. Tupper met Florence Nightingale, who was trying to help care for the wounded. Byzantine ideas about health care meant that the injured men were left alone all night, the nurses only allowed to work during the day. Mrs. Tupper's husband died one night and Florence Nightingale took pity on the young pregnant war widow who had gone deaf from the bombs at the front. She gave her a new outfit and money enough to return home to England. Sadly Mrs. Tupper lost the baby and in her despair throughy no more of the nice nurse who helped her return home. But as far as she knew there was no message. Yes, she was given a piece of paper, but she can't read and got ride of it. But apparantly that message is very important because Mrs. Tupper is soon kidnapped and Enola is demanding to see the bedridden Florence Nightingale because no one takes her landlady and gets away with it!

In a series that is peopled with fictional characters it's always a bit of a risk to bring in an actual historical figure. People have preconceived notions about what they were like and unless it's a small cameo there's more chance for it to go wrong. Now I'm sure some people actually view Sherlock Holmes as real and hopefully love the way Nancy Springer has portrayed him like I do, but he's real in a different way than say Florence Nightingale. And that was really the sticking point for me in this book. I loved the idea of Florence Nightingale being a spy, I loved the coded message in the crinoline composed of embroidered flowers, once more showing how women can subvert what society thinks of them by using home arts to convey important information, but it just didn't quite work. The version of Florence Nightingale that I have in my head really comes from two sources, Drunk History and Victoria. I know these aren't probably the best sources, but Paget Brewster covered the whole Florence Nightingale taking to her bed and ruling her little world from the comfort of her mattress so I at least knew about that weird little historical detail that actually plays an important role in Enola's case. My problem was more with how Enola talked about Florence being an invalid than necessarily in how Florence herself was handled. Enola views Florence as a strange eccentric who likes to hold everyone under her power by claiming to be an invalid. Of course she eventually admits that her "every inference concerning the remarkable Florence Nightingale proved wrong, as became apparent to [her] within a few minutes." Florence just didn't want to waste time on social niceties and just wanted to get down to work. OK, fine. That's totally believable. What wasn't cool was that Enola's view of invalids was so negative. Yes, she's from the upper classes where invalids are more likely highly strung people looking for attention, but that doesn't mean they can be all classified as malingerers. Her contempt for the ill, and let us make it very clear, we actually don't know if Florence Nightingale was ill or not, left a bad taste in my mouth that all the flowery codes couldn't ameliorate.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Crimean War, Drunk History, Embroidery, Enola Holmes, Florence Nightingale, Invalid, Kidnapping, Mrs. Tupper, Nancy Springer, Paget Brewster, Scutari, Sherlocked, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, Turkey, Victoria

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan by Nancy Springer
Published by: Puffin Books
Publication Date: September 18th, 2008
Format: Kindle, 204 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Enola Holmes is taking a bit of a respite in one of London's brand new public lavatories for women. Such luxury, such decadence, such convenience! While there she sees someone she's been hoping to run into for quite some time, Lady Cecily Alistair. Ever since Enola rescued her from the clutches of Alexander Finch she has been hoping the two would become the best of friends. But when you're busy evading the grasp of your brothers, socializing isn't really at the top of your priorities. Plus, with her caseload, when would she have the time? But now she must make time, because Lady Cecily looks distraught. When Lady Cecily sees Enola she pulls out a pink fan and signals that she needs help. Before the two gorgons who are guarding Cecily return she drops the fan for Enola to pick up. Enola now has two clues, the gorgons and the fan. She would have more if she had been able to follow the trio, but she literally ran right into her brother Mycroft and that had her a bit shaken. She was hopeful that the gorgons dropped Lady Cecily at home, but that would be too easy. She is no longer in residence. What's more, Lady Cecily's mother has fled to her country estate which means Enola doesn't have a friendly face within the family to help with her inquiries. Back at her lodgings she scours old society columns looking for the gorgons but to no avail. Not only does she realize how much she hates gossip columns, but it has given her an idea. The fan has become the most important clue and this happens to lead her to one of the gorgons, whom flattery and vanity work wonders on. Lady Cecily is engaged to her cousin Bramwell. Judging by how she looked in the ladies lavatory this isn't by choice. Finding out where Lady Cecily is supposedly located Enola learns she isn't the only Holmes on the case. This could be a major problem, especially after her run in with Mycroft. Luckily, for perhaps the only time, she has the upper hand with Sherlock. She will help him and in return he will not use this case as a way to trap her. Because Lady Cecily's safety is, for the moment, more important than Enola's.

Anyone who has ever done a deep dive into historical fiction or British costume dramas has, at some point, learned a little in passing about the language of fans. Using a fan to communicate that which cannot be spoken to members of the opposite sex seems a bit far-fetched and impractical to me. At least with the language of flowers you can sit around admiring them and decoding them as you will, but fan gestures to me seem so fleeting and, dare I say, useless. But I love how this series is always using codes and secrets that are relegated to the female domain and making them useful for purposes other than flirting. Here is the first time I've seen fans used in a logical manner, aka, to call for help when to say so out loud would be dangerous. Genius! No one would, or in this case did, suspect and Lady Cecily was saved due to a pink fan. And while this is brilliant, I think what shines out most in this volume is it's humor. Nancy Springer knew that to balance the darkness of what Lady Cecily was going through there needed to be some truly funny moments to counter the bleak. I literally snorted out loud with mirth when Enola ran into Mycroft, screaming and then injuring him to make her escape. But nothing will EVER compare to how Nancy Springer wrote Enola's internal monologue while she searched the Victorian papers for clues as to the identities of Lady Cecily's captures. "Although I cannot say I particularly enjoyed it. Over the course of the next several hours I learned that croquet was quite passé, tennis and archery still in mode, but the Very Latest Sport for ladies was golf. Lord Jug-ears and Lady Parsnip-face had been seen coaching in Hyde Park; she wore a Worth gown of ciel-bleu French gibberish moire...A most distinguished gathering had attended the christening of Baby So-and-so, firstborn son of Lord Such-a-much Earl of What-does-it-matter. Satin was Out, peau de soie In. An oil-painting exhibition themed around the Progress of the British Empire was viewable at Gallery Ever-so-exclusive. Viscount and Viscountess Ancient-lineage announced the engagement of their daughter Long-name to Great-prospects, the younger son of Earl Blue-blood...I peered at photographs of Duchess Duck-foot’s boating-party, Baron Bulb-nose’s cricket-team’s annual banquet, Debutante Wasp-waist’s coming-out ball, and dozens more without finding either of the two unpleasant faces I sought." Well, I can say I did particularly enjoy it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bramwell, Enola Holmes, Forced Marriage, Gossip, Lady Cecily Alistair, Mycroft Holmes, Newspapers, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, The Language of Fans, The Language of Flowers

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer
Published by: Puffin Books
Publication Date: January 1st, 2007
Format: Kindle, 170 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Enola's encounters with Sherlock's right-hand-man, Dr. Watson, have been brief. Yet in that time she knew she was in the presence of an extraordinary man and that should anything ever happen to him she would do whatever was in her power to help. The occasion has arisen sooner than she ever thought possible as Dr. Watson has gone missing. Yes, helping find Dr. Watson might, just might, expose herself to her brothers, and result in her being hauled off to the nearest reform school with constricting corsets, but for Dr. Watson the risk is worth it. Yet she must adopt a disguise her brothers would never suspect if she is going to pay a call on Dr. Watson's wife, Mary. She decides she will appear as the very last thing her brothers would suspect, a beautiful young woman in the height of fashion. When she appears on the Watson's doorstep as Viola Everseau she is extremely confident the beauty she has become could be in the same room as her brothers and she wouldn't be found out. A theory that will be tested and proved correct before she leaves Mary. Yet it's what she finds at the Watson's that doesn't just unnerve her but makes her fear for Dr. Watson. The cops may say what they will about him getting away from it all for a few days, but Sherlock, Mary, and Enola know better and for Enola, the flowers speak volumes. Because among all the flowers and cards wishing Mary well during the disappearance of her husband there is one bouquet that stands out. It is a thing of beauty which belies the evil within. Each and every flower oozes venom and hatred. How could Sherlock not know the language of flowers? How could he miss this clue? Whomever has Dr. Watson, they want him to suffer and die. Therefore she must follow the flowers. Taking a room across the road from the Watson's home she sets up a watch. The flowers aren't a one time occurrence and therefore that is the evildoers weakness. Time and patience are what is needed, something that is in short supply when Dr. Waton's life might be in constant danger. But Enola knows one thing, this isn't about besting her brother, though that would be sweet, this is about Mary and Dr. Waton being reunited. That is all that matters, reunion with a lost loved one. Something Enola longs for herself.

This mystery galvanized me. The second Enola saw that evil bouquet a shiver ran up my spine. To lovingly grow and arrange such flowers with such an evil intent signals the sign of true villainy. In other words, this mystery was totally my jam. What's more I love that it reinforced how Enola is able to see what Sherlock doesn't. He would view flowers as "beneath him" because they are decoration and nothing more than something to do with women, a species he doesn't understand. When in fact those flowers are the whole essence of the case! Yes, it's a bit niche and Victorian, what with Enola and her mother communicating using this code, but Sherlock's bafflement as to what their code is is exactly why Sherlock has been at a loss to find either his mother or his sister and therefore makes it all the more important. This series has really made me think on how masculine the original Sherlock Holmes series is. That is why when the show Sherlock came about it made sense to call Irene Adler "The Woman" because in the canon of Sherlock Holmes she is in essence the only woman that matters. Dr. Watson's wife actually dies and he gets remarried and it's barely mentioned because women literally don't matter in this world they inhabit. Thus the idea of a prying, nosy, clever, and conscientious little sister being foisted on Sherlock and Mycroft is such a wonderful conceit. It's like literally the last thing they could possibly handle and handle it they must. One thing which I'm still not sure if it was handled right or wrong was the fact that the villain was a cross-dresser. Or as Sherlock says, suffers from "George Sandism," in reference to the French novelist who scandalously wore male clothing. While I've mentioned that this is a common mystery trope it's also one of the things that got Robert Galbraith's Troubled Blood in hot water. Of course the hate pouring off the pages of Troubled Blood is the exact opposite as here. This was handled delicately, but at the same time I was slightly troubled by the connection of mental instability and clothing choice.... It's a tricky subject and is something that merits discussion, or, at the very least, acknowledging that we have to do better.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Dr. Watson, Enola Holmes, George Sandism, Irene Adler, Robert Galbraith, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, The Language of Flowers, Troubled Blood, Victorian, Women

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer
Published by: Puffin Books
Publication Date: January 1st, 2007
Format: Kindle, 252 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Enola goes by the name Miss Ivy Meshle now and works for Dr. Ragostin, the world's first perditorian, one who divines that which is lost. Of course there's the little fact that Dr. Ragostin doesn't actually exist and that Enola doesn't limit her disguises to just Miss Meshle. Enola wanted to hang out her shingle in competition to her famous brother Sherlock, he had found his life's work and now she had found hers. Only she had to make sure Sherlock and her other brother Mycroft wouldn't find her, hence the alias and the fictitious boss. That and the wholly sexist notion that no one would believe a woman capable of running what amounts to a detective agency. Thanks to her mother Enola was actually able to buy the building Dr. Ragostin's offices are in, running the other rooms as a boarding house, thus providing her with a tidy income. She'd show the world what a woman could do, even if she couldn't take the credit. And as luck would have it she has discovered her first case. Lady Cecily Alistair is the daughter of a wealthy baronet and she has gone missing. The family doesn't want this known because it would reflect badly on them and ruin their daughter's chances of making a good match. Enola therefore knows she must tread carefully and arrives at the Alistair's London home as the young wife of Dr. Ragostin. She is admitted into the inner sanctum of the house and soon has access to Lady Cecily's rooms. It is odd indeed. Things appear as if Lady Cecily just got out of bed and climbed down the ladder pushed up against her window and simply left her family behind. But a young woman of breeding would never do that would she? What's more, Lady Cecily had secrets. Most interestingly, she was left-handed, a fact her family didn't want known and she kept hidden, often forced to use her right hand. Her true feelings and talents only emerge when she secretly uses her left hand. Her worries about the London poor, her drawings of their plight, and her letters to a Alexander Finch. What could it all mean? All Enola knows is that Lady Cecily seems like the type of girl Enola would be proud to call her first friend and therefore she must rescue her from whatever situation she has gotten herself into. No matter how dangerous.

I know I can't be the only one who was tickled that Enola's solution to setting up her own business is basically the plot to Remington Steele. She is the Victorian era's Laura Holt! Though if anyone suggests setting up Viscount Tewkesbury as Steele I will be forced to slap them. This series keeps surprising me again and again with just how relevant it is. Which in a way makes me sad that it's been over a hundred years and the problems Enola was dealing with are still being dealt with. Yeah yeah, I know these were written only a few years back and not in the Victorian era, but Nancy Springer does her research and captures the time period perfectly in a way to which we can relate. What shocked me though was how eerily relevant the anti-vaxxer mob was. Did she know something we didn't know about how dumb people are and what could happen if another pandemic happened? At least in the Victorian era it was a little more understandable because of the lack of education and the high illiteracy rate, which makes it even more shocking to me that educated people will latch onto the lie in this day and age. WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER. And we really should know better than the uneducated poor of the Victorian slums. Which is why I love this series, it's so socially aware. Enola doesn't live in a bubble. She understands excatly where she stands in society, the rights she doesn't have, the power her brothers do, and she works to subvert that all while helping those who need it. The fact that she dresses up as a nun and walks the streets at night offering them food or a warm blanket shows that she gets that even the smallest kindness can help. What's more it offers a nice balance to her brothers. They both live in this rarefied world. Sherlock only really views the poor and destitute as good disguises to blend in. But does he ever think to help these people? No! Just look at how he treats his irregulars! They are conveniently of a low enough station to be of use to him. If he helped them more, elevated them out of the slums, they would be of no use to him and so he doesn't help. And in the final contrast to her brother, Enola's purpose in life as a perditorian isn't about making a name for herself, it's about finding what was lost, a cause close to her as she has lost her mother. To find one's purpose at so young an age must be a wonderful feeling.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anti-Vaxxer, Dr. Ragostin, Enola Holmes, Lady Cecily Alistair, Miss Ivy Meshle, Nancy Springer, Perditorian, Remington Steele, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, Victorian

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
Published by: Scholastic
Publication Date: February 16th, 2006
Format: Paperback, 216 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

It is Enola Holmes's fourteenth birthday and it is sure to be a memorable one. Why you might ask? Because her elderly mother has disappeared. Enola was born long after her famous brothers Mycroft and Sherlock. One might even say indecently late. At least that's why she believes her brothers have avoided the family manse Ferndell and their female relatives for nearly her entire life. She and her mother are nothing more than embarrassments. But why would she choose Enola's birthday to disappear? Perhaps it is the prophecy of the name she gave her only daughter, Enola, which backwards spells alone. After spending her entire birthday confirming that her mother is indeed gone Enola contacts her brothers. She is sure they will be proud of the unique woman her mother has raised her to be. Instead they see a girl half feral who will have to be packed off to school to learn what femininity really is. But Enola is far cleverer than they give her credit for, just like her mother. Her mother had been padding the house accounts with fake expenses and squirreling away the money for just such an occasion as Enola now faces. With a beautiful book coded in the language of flowers Enola finds money secreted about the house, making her quite a wealthy young woman. Now she just needs to sneak out of Ferndell and find her mother and the two of them can ride off into the sunset together, never giving the men a backward glance. She successfully makes it to a distant train station disguised as a widow, thus concealing her features and making her appear older than her fourteen years, when she is distracted by the disappearance of Viscount Tewksbury Basilwether. He's only twelve and wouldn't it be just lovely to not only disappear under her brothers's noses, but also to dramatically solve a kidnapping? Sadly her ego exposes her cunning widow disguise as well as the fact that Tewksbury actually ran away. But reaching London she falls into a different trap not of her own making. One that Tewksbury himself has fallen prey to. Will she be able to escape, find her mother, and find her purpose in life, or is she destined to always be alone?

When the Enola Holmes film came out and took the whole world by storm I was going through a real rough patch in my life. I was having problems concentrating on anything that wasn't the gaping hole of pain I was stuck in. In fact I believe the film was the last thing I watched in my home before we had to move. That little television room had been my sanctuary all my life and the thought of never watching anything in it again was a thought I couldn't bear. So I kind of shut down and just got on with moving, and in particular packing up my books. While packing them up I found a copy of the first book in the Enola Homes series, The Case of the Missing Marquess. In a flash I remembered picking it up at the Scholastic Warehouse when I went with my mom years earlier to help her pick books for her school library. The find seemed serendipitous, so instead of consigning it to a box with other "S" authors I put it in my bag as something I wanted to read in the near future. Given my "to be read pile" it's actually surprising that I got to it in under a year. But I think that was due to the fact that I was invited to be on the blog tour for the release of Nancy Springer's newest Enola adventure, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche. But whatever the reason for my finally reading The Case of the Missing Marquess I'm ecstatic that I finally did. This book and then in turn this series brought something that I needed to my life. It brought wit and historical accuracy and fun! It brought female empowerment and puzzles! I wish this series had existed when I was younger because it was the first offshoot of the Holmes canon since Young Sherlock Holmes that made me love Victorian mysteries again like never before. And let me tell you, I was OBSESSED with Young Sherlock Holmes when I was younger. I can see younger me just reading and rereading these books until my teacher would interject that reading the same book over and over again doesn't count for Book It! And aside from it being a different series this IS something I was told. Yet it's wonderful for the adult reader as well because it's so layered with history and mystery that I just want to live in these books. Bring on more Enola!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alone, Birthday, Book It, Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, Mycroft Holmes, Nancy Springer, Scholastic, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The Case of the Missing Marquess, Young Sherlock Holmes

I have been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for as long as I can remember but it probably actually dates back to the release of The Great Mouse Detective when I was seven. Back in 2015 as I awaited the return of Sherlock I decided to go all in and finally read all the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle as well as a plethora of books and movies that were Sherlock adjacent. I think there are more adventures set in and around the world that Arthur Conan Doyle created than any other single property out there. Just off the top of my head there's The Irregulars, Murder Rooms, Without a Clue, Arthur and George, Basil of Baker Street, I could go on, but I think pointing out that even Will Ferrell has played Sherlock proves my point better than any list I could ever make. One thing I only lightly touched on in 2015 with Laurie R. King's The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the whole subgenre of women being at the center of a Holmesian adventure. Be they sisters, siblings, or wives, they are out there in force and one of the fieriest of all is Enola Holmes. My mom was a school librarian so the big treat every year was to go to the Scholastic warehouse and pick out books for the library. I went along to help and as a reward I could pick a few books for myself. This is where I first stumbled on Enola Holmes. I think Nancy Springer's series was actually on the Battle of the Books list that year and I thought the series sounded fun so I snagged a copy of The Case of the Missing Marquess and it languished, forgotten, on my bookshelf until I was moving at the exact same time as the first Enola Holmes movie hit Netflix. I added the book to my pile of books I planned to read that weren't going into storage and the next year when Enola returned to print with her new adventure, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, I not only devoured the whole series but was honored enough to be a part of Nancy Springer's blog tour. Needless to say I am now a devout convert to Enola as I hope you will be too. So join me this February as Enola proves she's just as capable of Sherlocking you as her older brother.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, Nancy Springer, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, Sherlocked: Enola Edition, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Great Mouse Detective

Feel the Bern by Andrew Shaffer
Published by: Ten Speed Press
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 256Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Who knew fighting for a living wage could be so deadly? Bernie Sanders and his Gen Z intern are drawn into a murder investigation in a small Vermont town in this hilarious spin on cozy mysteries from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery.

Fall is bursting out all over Vermont, and while the rest of the Congress enjoys its recess, Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to his beloved home state for a weekend of events in Eagle Creek, "America’s #1 Leaf Peeping Destination." It's up to intern and Eagle Creek native Crash Robertson to keep the senator on schedule - and out of trouble.

Crash's hopes for a quiet homecoming are dashed, however, when the lifeless body of a community banker with ties to "Big Maple" is found in Lake Champlain. While the sheriff's department closes the case as an accident, a leaked autopsy indicates foul play...with a trail of syrup leading directly to one of the senator's oldest friends. Bernie, taking a page from the cozy mysteries he's addicted to, enlists Crash in a quest to uncover the killer’s true identity.

If Crash allows the senator to go too far off-script, it will be the end of her yet-to-begin political career. But as the suspect list grows to include a tech bro set on "disrupting" the maple syrup industry, struggling small-business owners, and even Crash's own family, she realizes there's more on the line than her own future. If the unlikely duo can't solve the mystery of the Maple Murderer before they strike again, Bernie's life-long fight for justice may come to an unplanned end.

This (totally fictional!) mystery also features recipes from Eagle Creek's Vermont Country Shed, including Vermont Cheddar Mac and Cheese, "Feel the Bern!" Maple Sriracha Hot Sauce, and more!"

I needed this Bernie book in my life so bad. I also really hope that in some universe he is addicted to cozy mysteries.

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Renaissance Faire is on the move, and Lulu and Dex are along for the ride, in the next utterly charming rom-com from Jen DeLuca.

A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa "Lulu" Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it's all wrong. Lulu's cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire...and her traveling companion for the summer.

Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.

Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu's interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?"

I love anything Ren Faire, and I would totally see The Dueling Kilts if they came to my faire.

Witcha Gonna Do? by Avery Flynn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unlucky witch and her know-it-all nemesis must team up in the first of a new, spicy romantic comedy series from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

Could it possibly get any worse than having absolutely no magical abilities when you're a member of the most powerful family of witches ever? It used to be that I'd say no, but then I keep getting set up on dates with Gil Connolly whose hotness is only matched by his ego. Seriously. I can't stand him. Even if I also can't stop thinking about him (specifically kissing him) but we're going to pretend I never told you that part.

So yeah, my life isn't the greatest right now, but then it goes straight to the absolute worst hell when I accidentally make my sister's spell glitch and curse my whole family. And the only person who can help non-magical me break the spell? You guessed it. Gil the super hot jerk.

Now we have to work together to save my family and outmaneuver some evil-minded nefarious forces bent on world domination. Oh yeah, and we have to do all that while fighting against the attraction building between us because I may not be magical, but what's happening between Gil and I sure feels like it."

Because you need your cute witchy fix and Charmed was canceled.

Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels Book Two by Serena Blasco
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Book 2 of the series, Enola is back on the case, deciphering clues and developing leads in each of three new mysteries. What she doesn’t know is that she, too, is being pursued - by her own brother! Once again, Sherlock Holmes' brilliant, strong-willed younger sister takes center stage in this delightfully drawn graphic novel based on Nancy Springer’s bestselling mystery series.

London, 1889. A woman is being held prisoner while she awaits a forced marriage. Another has been kidnapped, and yet another disappears...

As Enola seeks to rescue the three women, her brother embarks on a quest of his own. When Sherlock receives a mysterious package, he knows he'll need Enola's help to decipher its meaning. In the end, the three Holmes siblings will have to work together to answer the question that started it all: What happened to their mother?

Book Two contains three engrossing mysteries: The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, and The Case of Baker Street Station."

Interesting that they've renamed the sixth book yet again...

Bryant and May: Peculiar London by Christopher Fowler
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Thinking of a jaunt to England? Let Arthur Bryant and John May, London's oldest police detectives, show you the oddities behind the city's façades in this tongue-in-cheek travel guide.

It's getting late. I want to share my knowledge of London with you, if I can remember any of it.

So says Arthur Bryant. He and John May are the nation's oldest serving detectives. Who better to reveal its secrets? Why does this rainy, cold, gray city capture so many imaginations? Could its very unreliability hold the key to its longevity?

The detectives are joined by their boss, Raymond Land, and some of their most disreputable friends, each an argumentative and unreliable expert in their own dodgy field.

Each character gives us a short tour of odd buildings, odder characters, lost venues, forgotten disasters, confusing routes, dubious gossip, illicit pleasures, and hidden pubs. They make all sorts of connections - and show us why it's almost impossible to separate fact from fiction in London."

You've always wanted a rather "peculiar" tour of London, right?

Murder in the Basement by Anthony Berkeley
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When two newlyweds discover that a corpse has been buried in the basement of their new home, a grueling case begins to trace the identity of the victim. With all avenues of investigation approaching exhaustion, a tenuous piece of evidence offers a chance for Chief Inspector Moresby and leads him to the amateur sleuth Roger Sheringham, who has recently been providing cover work in a school south of London.

Desperate for evidence of any kind in the basement case, Moresby begins to sift through the manuscript of a satirical novel Sheringham has been writing about his colleagues at the school, convinced that amongst the colorful cast of teachers hides the victim - and perhaps their murderer.

A novel pairing dark humor and intelligent detection work, this 1932 mystery is an example of a celebrated Golden Age author's most inventive work. This edition includes an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger Award–winning author Martin Edwards."

For Golden Age Detective enthusiasts many haven't heard of Roger Sheringham, and let me tell you, you are in for a treat. I was delighted when I first discovered Anthony Berkeley's creation almost a decade ago! 

The Earl and the Pharaoh by The Countess of Carnarvon
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling author the Countess of Carnarvon tells the thrilling behind-the-scenes story of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun on its centennial, and explores the unparalleled life of family ancestor George Herbert - the famed Egyptologist, world-traveler, and 5th Earl of Carnarvon behind it - whose country house, Highclere Castle, is the setting of the beloved series Downton Abbey.

In November 1922, the world was mesmerized by news of an astonishing historical find in Egypt's legendary Valley of Kings: the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharoah Tutankhamun. George Herbert, himself a famed amateur Egyptologist and noted antiquities collector, financed the expedition and excavation headed by lead archaeologist Howard Carter, and accompanied him inside this sacred space that had remained untouched for centuries.

Inside the tomb, the explorers found King Tut's sarcophagus and a treasure trove of astonishing artifacts: chariots and model boats, board games and paintings, a coffin made of pure gold. But these objects were more than just beautifully crafted works of art; they shed new light on Tutankhamun world and this fabled period of history, and changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians had lived - transforming overnight what had been formed through centuries of history and myth.

Drawing on Highclere Castle's archives, the Countess of Carnarvon pays homage to her ancestor on the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event. In vivid and dramatic detail, she brings into focus the larger-than-life characters and lustrous settings - as well as those twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Herbert's life. Across the early 1900s, Highclere saw no less drama than the fictional Downton Abbey, with early tragedies for the Earl and love affairs, as well highs of exorbitant wealth and trials of punishing debt. But above all there was adventure. While Herbert first went to Egypt for his health, this mysterious, romantic land would become a second home; the beloved place where he funneled his attentions over a period of decades, never quite realizing how great the fruits of his labors would prove."

Two of my favorite things, Egypt and Downton Abbey!

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling author of A Thousand Acres: a rollicking murder mystery set in Gold Rush California, as two young prostitutes follow a trail of missing girls.

Monterey, 1851. Ever since her husband was killed in a bar fight, Eliza Ripple has been working in a brothel. It seems like a better life, at least at first. The madam, Mrs. Parks, is kind, the men are (relatively) well behaved, and Eliza has attained what few women have: financial security. But when the dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town, a darkness descends that she can't resist confronting. Side by side with her friend Jean, and inspired by her reading, especially by Edgar Allan Poe's detective Dupin, Eliza pieces together an array of clues to try to catch the killer, all the while juggling clients who begin to seem more and more suspicious.

Eliza and Jean are determined not just to survive, but to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West - a bewitching combination of beauty and danger - as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon. As Mrs. Parks says, "Everyone knows that this is a dangerous business, but between you and me, being a woman is a dangerous business, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise...""

This sounds just like my favorite arc on season two of Deadwood. Who doesn't want to watch prostitutes inspired by Edgar Allan Poe to solve crime?

A History of Fear by Luke Dumas
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Devil is in Scotland.

Grayson Hale, the most infamous murderer in Scotland, is better known by a different name: the Devil's Advocate. The twenty-five-year-old American grad student rose to instant notoriety when he confessed to the slaughter of his classmate Liam Stewart, claiming the Devil made him do it.

When Hale is found hanged in his prison cell, officers uncover a handwritten manuscript that promises to answer the question that's haunted the nation for years: was Hale a lunatic, or had he been telling the truth all along?

Unnervingly, Hale doesn't fit the bill of a killer. The first-person narrative that centers this novel reveals an acerbic young atheist, newly enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to carry on the legacy of his recently deceased father. In need of cash, he takes a job ghostwriting a mysterious book for a dark stranger, but has misgivings when the project begins to reawaken his satanophobia, a rare condition that causes him to live in terror that the Devil is after him. As he struggles to disentangle fact from fear, Grayson's world is turned upside-down after events force him to confront his growing suspicion that he's working for the one he has feared all this time - and that the book is only the beginning of their partnership.

A History of Fear is a propulsive foray into the darkness of the human psyche, marrying dread-inducing atmosphere and heart-palpitating storytelling."

Read this to find out if Grayson's satanophobia was justified!

A Arranged Christmas by Mary E. Taylor
Published by: Independently Published
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 90 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Can Bain bring forth a Christmas miracle and prove his love to his reluctant bride-to-be?

Not if she has anything to say about it.

Her family faces financial ruin, but Lady Adalyn can't accept that the only way to save them is to marry for money, not love. When her parents arrange for her to wed a stranger despite her objections, she flees her childhood home. Just when she thinks her daring escape has been a resounding success, she finds herself in more trouble than ever.

When her knight in shining armor sweeps in like a fairytale, Adalyn can hardly believe it. He's charming and dashing, with the most beautiful green eyes she's ever seen. She's completely smitten with her handsome stranger. That is, until she realizes who he is...

Viscount Bain Cooke can't believe his luck. His future bride is witty and beautiful, with a strong mind and delightfully sharp tongue. She's less than thrilled with their engagement, but he couldn't imagine a better fit. He only has until Christmas Day to change her mind, and time is running out.

Can Adalyn open her heart to the possibility of love in her arranged marriage?

If you enjoy sweet, regency romances with strong heroines, sweet gentlemen and a touch of Christmas spirit, you'll love An Arranged Christmas."

Because I have to vary up my holiday reading. I can't read ALL murder mysteries...

The Princess Bride: The Official Cookbook by Jenn Fujikawa
Published by: Smart Pop
Publication Date: December 6th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""As you dish!"

Few films have captured the hearts and imaginations like The Princess Bride. Based on the book by William Goldman, the 1987 film, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, Andre the Giant, Carol Kane, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, and Peter Falk is as universally beloved as it is quotable.

Now, for the first time, The Princess Bride Cookbook: The Official Cookbook features more than 50 recipes for dishes seen in, and inspired by, the film, including:

Buttercup Buttermilk Scones
Hash You Wish
Farm Boy Breakfast
Six-Fingered Sandwiches
Chips of Insanity
MLT
The Grandson's Soup and Sandwich
Vizzini's Sicilian Meatballs
Fezzik's Stew
The Spaniard's Paella
Bread Pirate Roberts
Twu Wove's Kiss Cookies
Iocane Powder Punch
Inigo Montoya's Taste of Revenge

Perfect for fans, families, and Brute Squads, The Princes Bride: The Official Cookbook is the ultimate way for home cooks to plate up the adventure, comedy, and romance of everyone’s favorite film."

Because why not? Also the MLT makes total sense.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrew Shaffer, Anthony Berkeley, Avery Flynn, Bernie Sanders, Bryant and May, Christopher Fowler, Downton Abbey, Enola Holmes, Jane Smiley, Jen DeLuca, Luke Dumas, Mary E. Taylor, The Princess Bride

There are only a handful of book series that have forever become a part of my DNA. The Theodosia Throckmorton books by R.L. LaFevers is one of them. I never in a million years thought that this would be adapted into a show. It seemed just too niche. A girl who can see Egyptian curses and fights the forces of darkness from a museum where she sleeps in a sarcophagus in a closet? Well jump forward to 2020 and Enola Holmes making a big splash on Netflix and everyone going, what else is similar!?! Well, age Theo up a bit, add in her own Baker Street Irregulars, and you might, just might, have a hit on your hands. Now this isn't a faithful adaptation, but it is a fun adaptation. You can't help smiling as you watch the show and while I love the books and the show for what they are to me as an adult, if they had both existed when I was younger, I would have been the biggest fangirl they would have ever seen! And I can't help but think the creators of the show are about my age and felt the same way. Why you ask? Because this show has a very nineties Nickelodeon vibe. The opening credits alone give off a nineties video game vibe which is carried through with the music. Theodosia could have been made in the late nineties or early two thousands, if they had better special effects. It's like they took Sabrina the Teenage Witch and threw in some period costumes from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and it made me want to switch up my wardrobe and wear lots more sweaters. Theo's bedroom gave me Clarissa Explains It All room envy all over again. In other words, I think Eloise Little might just be the new Melissa Joan Hart! And the exploration angle means it can't help but be compared to the recent production of Around the World in 80 Days. And this show comes off way better. They use practical effects when able and don't talk down to you. Literally the production is top notch. I feel like I'm just listing things that it's like, but what Theodosia is is a whole bunch of nostalgic shows mashed together into something new and fun. But for the book nerd in me it's the little details that I loved. Theo putting on gloves to touch cursed artifacts, her use of carnelian to help protect against curses, her actually sleeping in a sarcophagus. All these little details that just add to the world of the show and made this fangirl of the books so happy. Because it felt like the creators of the show got it. They knew what was important and they knew how to adapt it and I just hope I get more episodes or that this will spark enough excitement about the original series like what happened with Enola Holmes so that we finally get a fifth book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Clarissa Explains It All, DNA, Egypt, Enola Holmes, Nickelodeon, Nostalgia, R.L. LaFevers, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Theodosia, Theodosia Throckmorton

The Embroidered Book by Kate Heartfield
Published by: Voyager
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 672 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"'Power is not something you are given. Power is something you take. When you are a woman, it is a little more difficult, that's all'

1768. Charlotte, daughter of the Habsburg Empress, arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Her sister Antoine is sent to France, and in the mirrored corridors of Versailles they rename her Marie Antoinette.

The sisters are alone, but they are not powerless. When they were only children, they discovered a book of spells - spells that work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.

In a time of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, they use the book to take control of their lives.

But every spell requires a sacrifice. And as love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.

Brimming with romance, betrayal, and enchantment, The Embroidered Book reimagines a dazzling period of history as you have never seen it before."

Historical fiction with magic, there is nothing more my jam than this.

Paint with Thread by Emillie Ferris
Published by: David and Charles
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Slow down and embroider your way through the changing seasons with the beautiful debut book from embroidery artist and rising star Emillie Ferris.

Needlepainting, also known as thread painting or silk shading, is a form of embroidery that creates a realistic, lifelike effect using a single strand of thread and one simple stitch - the 'long and short' stitch. You can create gorgeous colour gradients, magical details and flowing stitch directions that are perfect if you want to embroider flora and fauna.

In this richly illustrated step-by-step guide, self-taught embroidery artist Emillie Ferris shows you how to pick up a needle and thread in the same way as a paintbrush to create strokes of colour and bring images to life on fabric.

Inspired by nature and the changing seasons, Emillie has created five new and exclusive patterns for the book, four that reflect each season in turn and one special design that brings the natural year together into one showstopper embroidery.

This book is the culmination of all of Emillie's skills and years of experience in this wonderful, meditative art form. Each design has around 60 detailed step-by-step photos, showing every stage of the process, so that even complete beginners can follow along and create beautiful embroideries. If you have been considering learning the art of needlepainting but are unsure where to start, then this book is for you

Not only are the embroideries sublime, but the book itself is a thing of beauty, with incredible attention to detail - from the exquisite photography to the lavish hardback binding, making it a real treasure for the book lover. Plus, high quality iron-on transfers at the back of the book allow you to transfer the designs directly onto fabric to get started straight away.

In this book Emillie generously shares her tried and tested tips and techniques, including advice on materials, transferring designs onto fabric, and fully illustrated explanations of the stitches and skills needed. The five in-depth projects draw on Emillie's love of nature, including motifs that she is best known for such as flowers, foliage, bees and fungi.

This beautiful book will become an indispensable and treasured guide allowing you to paint with thread the Emillie Ferris way."

I've been wanting to learn more embroidery beyond cross-stitch, and this here is my answer.

A Country Escape by Katie Fforde
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 318 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An utterly gorgeous and escapist rural romance, set on a perfectly-imperfect small farm in the beautiful English Cotswolds, that fans of Robyn Carr, Carolyn Brown and Susan Mallery will fall in love with.

When Fran Duke was a little girl, she dreamt that one day she’d get to move to a beautiful farm, keeping animals and living the rural dream. Now it looks like her dream might come true...

Because her Aunt Amy, who Fran has never even met, has made her an offer she can’t refuse. Fran can live on her dairy farm for a year rent-free and, if she is able to turn the farm’s fortunes around - and keep it out of the hands of the dastardly neighbor Antony Arlingham - she gets to stay and live there forever.

Fran feels excited for the challenge. Right up until the moment she walks up the muddy path to the tumbledown little farm and realises it’s in a state of total disrepair. Not only that, but she’s more than a little scared of the cows themselves. But, rolling up her sleeves, she thinks it’s nothing that she can’t overcome.

But then she crosses paths with Antony... And as she takes in the tall, dark, handsome stranger with eyes that seem to flicker with gold, she knows she’s in trouble. Has she found herself a country escape, or will she end up running away?"

I love that Katie Fforde's books are getting well priced Kindle releases in the US. It used to be so hard to get her books stateside!

Desperately Seeking a Duchess by Christi Caldwell
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What happens when an impoverished duke with a reputation for being a rogue collides with a strong-willed heiress who wants to explore the world? An unlikely friendship...and unexpected passion.

Cailin Audley doesn’t fit in with Polite Society. A life spent among the working class taught her to value her independence in a way no newfound fortune or glittering ballroom could ever erase. When a major misstep sees the new heiress whisked away to the English countryside, Cailin soon realizes the vexing lengths her family will go to see her settled. But having risked her heart once before, Cailin has no interest in the men of the ton - especially not the frustratingly charming Duke of St. James.

Courtland Balfour, the Duke of St. James, devoted brother and notorious rogue, despises what he must become - a fortune hunter. But with the ducal coffers drained by his late, spendthrift of a father, Courtland knows his duty lies at the altar and he will do anything to ensure a future for his siblings. Just his luck that the one lady who could make this new fate bearable, who enflames him like no other, is the one woman who wants nothing to do with him or his title.

But when an act of desperation inadvertently lands he and Cailin at the heart of another scandal, Courtland knows better than to waste his chance. Surely he can convince Cailin to love him?"

Mmm, yes, more time with the Ton!

Oswald the Thief by Jeri Westerson
Published by: Old London Press
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"London, 1308. "All I need is a Plan!" So says Oswald of Harlech, a misplaced Welshman in the heart of London. Besides his trade as a tinker, he also robs houses, cuts purses, plays a crooked shell game, and has a way with the ladies. But this time, caught in the act of robbing a house, he is blackmailed by the scheming Keeper of the King’s Wardrobe into stealing the Crown Jewels from the impenetrable Tower of London. Gathering his gang of friends - his half-wit companion who is uncannily adept at picking locks, his greedy landlord, a mad alchemist, a desperate but beautiful alehouse owner, and a man-of-few-words blacksmith - Oswald must steal the jewels, avoid the gallows, skirt some unscrupulous moneylenders, get the girl, and escape the sheriffs’ clutches, all with sly wit and good humor. It’s Ocean’s 11 in the Middle Ages!"

This sounds very goofy and the cover is very A Knight's Tale... Therefore I'm in!

Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels Book One by Serena Blasco
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A graphic novel adaptation of the hit books that inspired the Netflix film! Sherlock Holmes' brilliant, strong-willed younger sister takes center stage in this delightfully drawn graphic novel based on Nancy Springer’s bestselling mystery series.

14-year-old Enola Holmes wakes on her birthday to discover that her mother has disappeared from the family's country manor, leaving only a collection of flowers and a coded message book. With Sherlock and Mycroft determined to ship her off to a boarding school, Enola escapes, displaying a cleverness that even impresses the elder Holmes. But nothing prepares her for what lies ahead...

Book One in the series includes three thrilling mysteries: The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets. At the back of the book, readers can explore a portfolio of pages from Enola's secret notebook!"

I love the Enola Holmes books and I think this is a wonderful adaptation, particularly for reluctant readers!

Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the shocking discovery of a murdered woman’s body disturbs the tranquility of tourist season, the police detective in charge of the puzzling case must work alongside the new filmmaker in town to pursue every lead in the new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

After a scandal derails her television reporting career, Macey Burns comes looking for a change of pace in Lost Beach, Texas. She’s ready to focus on her first passion - documentary filmmaking - and has a new job working for the island’s tourism board, shooting footage of the idyllic beachside community. Her plans for a relaxing rebound are dashed when she realizes the cottage she’s renting belonged to the woman whose body was just found in the sand dunes.

Detective Owen Breda is under intense pressure to solve this murder. Violent crimes are rising in his small town, and he can’t stand to see anyone else hurt...especially not the beautiful documentarian who keeps showing up at the precinct.

With the clock ticking, cameras rolling, and body count climbing, Macey and Owen must use all their resources to find the killer without getting caught in the crosshairs."

Love and murder in Texas!

Hide by Kiersten White
Published by: Voyager
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

The challenge: Spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don’t get caught.

The prize: enough money to change everything.

Even though everyone is desperate to win - to seize a dream future or escape a haunting past - Mack is sure she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she’s an expert at that.

It’s the reason she’s alive and her family isn’t.

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes that this competition is even more sinister than she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.

Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide but nowhere to run.

Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Sold at "abandoned amusement park."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Knight's Tale, Christi Caldwell, Embroidery, Emillie Ferris, Enola Holmes, Graphic Novel, Jeri Westerson, Kate Heartfield, Katie Fforde, Kiersten White, Laura Griffin, Magic, Nancy Springer, Serena Blasco