Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of the famous Sherlock Holmes, is growing up in Victorian England, where women are considered less intelligent and less important than men. After her father's premature death, Enola is raised by her mother, who then mysteriously disappears on Enola's fourteenth birthday. Knowing that she is the only one who has the clues to find her mother, Enola sets off for London in disguise. During her travels, Enola faces cutthroats and villains while happening upon and solving the famous kidnapping mystery of the Marquess of Basilwether. Although Enola's brothers underestimate her, she manages to hide from them while discovering how to keep track of her mother's whereabouts. 

The intriguing novel is the first in a new mystery series by Nancy Springer. Springer's use of historical facts, British dialect, and vocabulary create a believable work of historical fiction, convincing the reader of the setting and time period. The descriptive imagery also helps to draw the reader into the book. Cliffhangers in every chapter offer the reader continuous suspense and keep the pages turning. (BarnesAndNoble)

This beautifully written first novel presents a glimpse of life in Afghanistan before the Russian invasion and introduces richly drawn, memorable characters. Quiet, intellectual Amir craves the attention of his father, a wealthy Kabul businessman. Kind and self-confident Hassan is the son of Amir's father's servant. The motherless boys play together daily, and when Amir wins the annual kite contest, Hassan offers to track down the opponent's runaway kite as a prize. When he finds it, the neighborhood bullies trap and assault him, as Amir stands by too terrified to help. Their lives and their friendship are forever changed, and the memory of his cowardice haunts Amir as he grows into manhood. Hassan and his father return to the village of their ancestors, and later Amir and his father flee to Los Angeles to avoid political persecution. Amir attends college, marries, and fulfills his dream of becoming a writer. When Amir receives word of his former friend's death under the Taliban, he returns to Kabul to learn the fate of Hassan's son. This gripping story of personal redemption will capture readers' interest. (BarnesAndNoble)