Books › The Case of the Left-Handed Lady
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady
265 pages
A clever, shadowy romp through Victorian London where a fiercely independent heroine outsmarts the world's greatest detectives.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like slipping through the foggy, cobblestone alleys of Victorian London alongside a fiercely intelligent friend. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, balancing the genuine peril of the city's dark corners with the cozy satisfaction of a well-unraveled clue. There is a lingering, poignant loneliness beneath the mystery, capturing the emotional weight of a young woman fighting for her autonomy in a world designed to restrict her. The prose is sharp and observant, colored with historical details that never bog down the momentum. It is a perfect fit for readers who love defiant, quick-witted heroines, atmospheric historical settings, and the quiet thrill of watching an underdog outsmart the most powerful men in the room.
- Mood
- shadowy
- atmospheric
- suspenseful
- lonely
- Tone
- witty
- defiant
- observant
- earnest
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- forging independence · loneliness of autonomy · invisible women · outsmarting authority · found kinship
- The writing
- Crisp and historically flavored, driven by a sharp, highly observant first-person voice that balances Victorian vocabulary with modern accessibility.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from a state of guarded, lonely survival to risking her hard-won safety for the sake of a profound, unspoken kinship.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in clever, fiercely independent young women outsmarting the establishment in foggy, atmospheric settings.
Content notes
- kidnapping
- mild peril
- class disparity
- child endangerment
About the book
Enola's name backwards spells "alone," and alone she is, in the world's biggest, darkest, dirtiest city. She is being hunted down by the world's most famous detective -- her own brother, Sherlock Holmes. For the sake of freedom she must elude him, but what can she do to ease her loneliness?
When she discovers a hidden cache of brilliant charcoal drawings, she feels as if she's a soul mate to the girl who drew them -- but that girl, young Lady Cecily, has disappeared without a trace. Braving midnight streets where murderers roam, Enola must unravel the clues to find the left-handed lady, but in order to save Lady Cecily from a powerful villain, Enola risks revealing more than she should. Will her own lonely heart betray her?
In this second installment of the acclaimed Enola Holmes Mysteries, two-time Edgar Award winner Nancy Springer brings us all the danger and intrigue of Victorian London as she continues the adventures of one of the wittiest and most exciting new heroines in today's literature.
Description from Open Library.
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