Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels Book Two

Springer, Nancy and Blasco, Serena (illustrations)

Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels Book Two
December 6, 2022 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Book one of the graphic novel adaptation of this series has been very popular with my students, and I was asked just the other day when the sequel would be out. Ta da! I'm glad I still have the novels in my library, and have had some luck getting fans of the television series to pick them up. 

This volume gives us a look at The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, and The Case of Baker Street Station. In the first story, Enola runs into Lady Cecily again, and realizes that she is being held against her will. Using not only her detective skills, but her knowledge of the social workings of London, Enola manages to hunt down Cecily by investigating who was holding a fashionable pink tea and passing out pink paper fans. Cecily is indeed being forced into a marriage, and despite meddling from her brothers, Enola manages to locate Cecily. Will she be in time to save her?

In The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, Mrs. Tupper, Enola's landlady and supporter, receives a threatening and unsettling letter. It turns out that she was with her husband during the Crimean War, and had a terrible time getting back home after he died. She was assisted by none other than Florence Nightingale, the founder of the Red Cross. After her home is trashed, she seeks help from Enola to try to find out who is trying to get information from her. Things are complicated, Enola's brothers once again stick their noses into things, and Enola manages to work things out satisfactorily. However, she and Mrs. Tupper feel that they need to find other lodgings, and they leave together. 

The ongoing issue for Enola has been the disappearance of her mother. She isn't letting her brothers take care of her, because they don't want her investigating where her mother has gone. The Case of Baker Street Station (the same story as the wisely renamed 2010 The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye) finds Enola dealing with the case of Lady Blanchefleur as well as a cryptic message that her mother has sent. What dealing did her mother have with the Romany travelers? And will Enola's brothers see reason in how she should be allowed to live her life? 

While the graphic novels don't have the details that the novels do, they give a nice overview of the stories and have illustrations that make the Victorian settings come to life. It's worth it to take a look at these for the depiction of the clothing alone. Blasco's style isn't quite anime, but the big eyes and frantic faces of the characters certainly will appeal to readers who enjoy the Japanese style. The addition of Enola's "secret notebooks" with her drawings and surmisings are quite fun, and make it clear when one mystery has ended and another has begun. 

I've always enjoyed Springer's work (I should convince someone to read Rowan Hood today!), so was glad to see when it was adapted for the screen. Blasco's graphic novels are a great way to introduce readers to this series, and since the original novels are rather short, many off my students are willing to pick them up. This isn't true of all graphic novels; even though I can think of at least four graphic Anne of Green Gables retellings, the original 1908 novels are still gathering dust on the shelves!