“So far, my only clients as ‘Dr. Ragostin, Scientific Perditorian’ had been a stout, elderly widow anxious to find her lost lapdog; a frightened lady who could not locate a valuable heart-shaped ruby that had been given to her by her husband; and an army general whose most cherished souvenir of the Crimean War had disappeared, namely, his bullet-riddled leg-bone signed by the field doctor who had amputated it.”

From Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes: The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan.

After learning that her older brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, are unaware of her favorite alias, fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes has resumed her job as secretary for the fictitious finder of lost things: Dr. Ragostin.  Posing as Miss Ivy Meshle, Enola is able to hide in plain sight while solving various small mysteries.  By chance, Enola witnesses the young Lady Cecily–that Enola rescued from a hypnotic criminal–being forced around by two mean older women, and before being dragged away, Lady Cecily slips Enola a pink paper fan and pleas for help.  After losing track of Lady Cecily in some commotion, Enola is left with the odd fan and the mystery of what’s happening.  When Enola discovers a message in invisible ink from Lady Cecily on the fan, she learns that the young lady is going to be forced into an arranged marriage, but the incomplete message leaves Enola without all the details needed to find where they are keeping the soon-to-be-bride.  Left with no other option, Enola begins to hunt for find Lady Cecily with the only clue that she has: the paper fan.  As she dives deeper into the world of London’s social elite, Enola discovers a familiar, fellow detective and a darkness hiding just beneath the surface that will threaten everything.

The fourth book in the Enola Holmes Mystery series allows the young heroine to develop in wit, skill, and charm for the reader’s benefit.  Springer creates another story that feels connected to the famous detective stories, while also maintaining a captivating uniqueness.  The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan is sure to entertain mystery fans of all ages, and leave them desperate for the next adventure.