Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose - Nancy Springer

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose is the ninth entry in Nancy Springer's absolutely wonderful series. 

1890 London England. Enola is the much younger sister of Sherlock  and Mycroft Holmes. She too, is a brilliant detective. In the past she had to hide her skills behind a fake name on the office window. That is slowly changing. But what hasn't changed is her passion to be a "scientific perditorian, a finder of lost things and people."

This latest finds Rudyard Kipling looking for the 'real' detective to find his friend - an American book publisher who has gone missing in London. And even though she has not been formally hired, Enola is on the case.

Springer has written an excellent mystery, with elements I couldn't have imagined. Very clever! And I quite liked how the connections are made, how the clues fit together and more. I appreciate what detecting was like in this time - following hunches, interviewing people etc.

The setting was well described and the detail helped me to imagine it.

While this series is labelled as YA fiction, I think that anyone who enjoys the time, place and style of deduction would love Enola.

I chose to listen to Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose. I've said it before - sometimes I become more immersed in a book when I listen. That was the case with this book. Tamaryn Payne is the narrator and she did a fantastic job. Her voice embodied the mental image I had created for Enola. Her accent is pleasant, and lovely to listen to. She provided identifiable voices for the supporting characters making it easy to know who was speaking. (The Sherlock voice was perfect). The language is a big part of the books and Payne's reading is spot on. She infuses her words with just the right emotions, letting the words speak what she cannot say in polite society. Her passion and personality just shine through her voice. She captures the danger and action with her reading. An excellent presentation of of an excellent book. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose.