★★★★☆ The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, by Nancy Springer
Enola's impenetrable disguise
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets
Nancy Springer
Enola’s impenetrable disguise
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets is Book 3 in Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes series. In this one Sherlock's close friend Dr John Watson has vanished, and Enola, in her self-appointed métier of "scientific perditorian" (one who finds lost things) is determined to succor Sherlock by finding him. (We readers know where Watson is from the start, as the novel begins with a prolog that tells us.)
Enola decides to visit Mrs Watson to gather information about Dr Watson's disappearance. However, this is a danger zone for her -- she still fears that she is being hunted by brothers Sherlock and Mycroft, who she knows want to condemn her to Proper Young Ladyhood. Sherlock of course is likely to visit Mrs Watson with the same object as Enola -- to gather information for an investigation. Enola thus requires a disguise.
She decides to disguise herself as a pretty woman. She believes, plausibly enough, that Sherlock and Mycroft will be utterly incapable of penetrating this disguise. She pulls it off with the aid of make-up and a wig, successfully enough to visit Mrs Watson undetected, and to observe first-hand that men become fools in the presence of a pretty woman. (Some things never change.) Enola's knowledge of botany and the language of flowers is a theme of the series, so it is in character for Enola to notice among the consolation bouquets that have been sent to Mrs Watson one that sends an inappropriate message. Botany and flowers being in Victorian England recognized feminine subjects, this is a clue that Enola knows better how to follow than her brother Sherlock.
I was a bit disappointed by this entry in the Enola Holmes series. Enola solves the mystery in large part by getting lucky [spoiler1]. Also, Sherlock is implausibly feckless and blockheaded. I was not lost in admiration of either Enola's or Sherlock's intellect. Still, it was a fun little novelette.
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets on Amazon
To acquire the supplies she needs for her disguise, Enola visits a shop run by a woman who calls herself Pertelote. It transpires that Pertelote is an accomplice to Watson’s kidnapping, and that Pertelote’s sister is behind it. Now, while it does take some clever work on Enola’s part to figure that out, she would never have been in position to do so without this huge coincidence.