The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, is another enjoyable Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer. It is book 5, in the series. The story begins with Enola’s landlady, Mrs Tupper, receiving a threatening letter which mentions Scutari in the Crimea. Mrs Tupper explains to Enola how she and her husband came to be there during the war. It’s a difficult conversation as Mrs Tupper is quite deaf. The next day, Enola comes home to discover Mrs Tupper has been kidnapped and the house ransacked.
Enola also does a search of the house as it seems the kidnappers didn’t find what they were looking for. Enola finds a dress with a crinoline (hoop for petticoat) and, given its age, it seems to come from the right time period. She also realizes that Florence Nightingale is involved and visits her at her house in Mayfair. Florence has engaged the services of Sherlock Holmes. So again, Enola finds herself endeavouring to solve the same mystery as Sherlock and avoid him at the same time.
The story again makes use of historical figures, disguises and codes. This time using historical information from the Crimean War and Morse Code.
One of the nice touches in this series has been Enola’s compassion. Prior to this incident, Enola had a rather negative opinion of Mrs Tupper and her poor culinary skills. But when she was in trouble, Enola was quick to come to her rescue and becomes quite emotional about her disappearance. It becomes apparent that Mrs Tupper had become a mother figure in Enola’s life, since her own mother’s whereabouts remains unknown.
A great read.
Thanks to Christian School Suppliers for providing a free book for review.
