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Comments for The Case of the Cryptic CrinolineThe Case of the Cryptic Crinoline: 06/18/14
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer is the penultimate of the Enola Holmes series. In this one, Enola meets Florence Nightingale to help solve a decades old mystery. The clues are in code, sewn into an old horsehair petticoat (the pre-hoop skirt meaning of crinoline). The reason Enola's gotten herself involved is because her landlady has drawn the attention of international thugs. This then is the book where Enola's landlady gets an interesting backstory, just as "His Last Vow" (series 3, episode 2 of Sherlock) does for Mrs. Hudson (because Doyle never really did give her much of a character or story, so she's free game). I realize it's a rather common and inevitable for a historical fiction series to eventually include some actual historical figures. But these meetings of fictional and factual are often forced. Here Enola is taken under Nightingale's wing even though she's in self imposed exile. A young woman with Sherlock's abilities who has successfully survived on her own and solved crimes now eagerly learning spying from an ex-nurse who was also apparently a spy stretched my suspension of disbelief a little too thin. Three stars Comments (0) |