Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer - ESSENTIAL

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer. 304 pages. St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books. 2023. $20. 

Language: PG (6 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Once again 17yo Enola becomes inadvertently involved in a mystery when a customer asks for help from the new false identity she’s using, Dr. Ragostin. This new London mystery is a missing man who was bitten by a rabid dog. His sister Caroline and best friend Rudyard Kipling ask for help in finding him. Enola throws herself into the search and comes across strange characters, a strong leader and an odd group with the mark of the mongoose. She’s determined to find the missing man no matter how much danger she puts herself in. 

I like how the author ties history into the fictional Enola Holmes’ stories. The author states what’s true history and what’s fictional in the ending notes. I enjoy Enola’s perseverance, bravery, and generosity. Ethnicity is predominantly white. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian