Juvenilia

[Anson (Bob) Roberts]

There have been a number of efforts to introduce Holmes to younger readers. Many take the form of abridged or sanitized stories. Others trace the "genealogy" of The Master to a modern descendant, not unlike more adult pastiche writers. Often these "descendants" are female, as in the current example.

I do NOT recommend these stories to the more conservative among us nor to those for whom juvenile reading is but a distant and ancient memory (unless second childhood has intervened) . . .

Herewith Enola Holmes:

Two-time Edgar Award-winning author Nancy Springer introduces the sleuthing powers of Sherlock Holmes’ sister in the captivating mystery Booklist and School Library Journal praise with starred reviews.

Missing Marquess features the intriguing, much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Enola was a late-life baby, causing something of a scandal in society. Her rather vague mother is a 64-year-old widow who disappears on Enola's 14th birthday. It takes the girl a short time to realize that her mother left her some ciphers that indicate why she went away and how she is faring. The teen reluctantly enlists the services of her adult brothers, who quickly determine that Lady Holmes has been padding the household accounts for years. When they decide that their sister belongs at a boarding school, Enola escapes and heads for London dressed as a widow. There she is able to solve a mystery involving the disappearance of young Viscount Tewksbury. She decides to stay in the city, adopting a number of disguises, and become a Perditorian, or finder of lost things or people.

[Anson (Bob) Roberts]

The next distaff member of the Holmes "family" appeared in only one radio show. Minerva Holmes is the illegetimate, half-Indian daughter of The Master (eek!)

Apparently, the source of this show is a book entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Daughter by Ian McTavish, although I have been unable to locate a copy of this book.

[Anson (Bob) Roberts]

Here's the last part of the first book. I've zipped the files to make it easy to upload. Just unzip them together and you will get a multi-part audiobook.

More volumes (I have four) will follow if anyone expresses an interest.