The Case of the Missing Marquess

The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first Enola Holmes mystery by Nancy Springer. Enola wakes on her fourteenth birthday to find that her mother has vanished, then runs from the plans Sherlock and Mycroft have for her. The result is a short, energetic mystery about disguise, codes, money, and a girl refusing the life chosen for her.

Netflix's 2026 book-adaptation slate lists Enola Holmes 3 and identifies the film franchise as based on Springer's Enola Holmes mystery series. Puffin Books lists a current English edition under ISBN 9780593622483.

Read it if you want the series source before the next film. The book is lighter and smaller than the Netflix movies, but it gives Enola's independence a sharper page-level reason.

Enola Holmes is Sherlock's younger sister, clever enough to solve clues and angry enough to reject the role assigned to her.

Eudoria Holmes is Enola's mother, whose disappearance starts the story.

Sherlock Holmes is famous, observant, and not yet ready to understand Enola on her own terms.

Mycroft Holmes treats Enola as a problem to be managed, which pushes her farther away.

No. 1 - Franchise entry point. This is where the Enola Holmes books begin.

No. 2 - Fast mystery shape. The book is short, clue-driven, and easy to hand to younger readers.

No. 3 - Netflix relevance. Enola Holmes 3 keeps the character in the current adaptation window.

Read this if you are...

• Coming from Netflix's Enola Holmes films.
• Looking for a quick mystery for a young reader.
• Interested in Sherlock Holmes spin-offs with a feminist angle.
• Choosing a lighter detective book with codes and disguises.

Skip it if you are...

• Wanting an adult Sherlock Holmes pastiche.
• Looking for the exact scale and action of the Netflix films.
• Avoiding Victorian gender-constraint plots.
• Hoping for a long, complex mystery.

• Start with Book 1. Enola's family conflict sets up the series.
• Watch the codes. The mystery is built for readers who like solving alongside the heroine.
• Expect a younger register. This is a middle-grade/YA mystery, not adult crime fiction.
• Separate film scale from book scale. Netflix expands the action and ensemble.

• Arthur Conan Doyle - A Study in Scarlet. For Sherlock's first case in the original canon.
• Holly Jackson - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. For a modern YA investigation path.
• Agatha Christie - The Seven Dials Mystery. For lighter classic mystery energy.
• Karen M. McManus - One of Us Is Lying. For YA mystery in a contemporary register.
• Roald Dahl - The Twits. For another Netflix-linked book suited to younger readers.

1. What makes Enola different from Sherlock besides age and gender?
2. How does Eudoria's disappearance shape Enola's idea of freedom?
3. Does Mycroft function more as family, antagonist, or social system?
4. Which clues make the book satisfying for young readers?
5. How do disguises change Enola's power in public spaces?
6. What does Netflix gain by expanding the scale of the books?
7. Would Enola's choices feel different if Sherlock supported her from the start?
8. How does the book use Victorian rules to create mystery stakes?