Lock And Mori by Heather Petty

Lock And Mori by Heather Petty
Release Date - September 15, 2015
Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 256 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received from publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students, one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James "Mori" Moriarty, meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart.

Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more.

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London's Regent's Park. The police have no leads.

FACT: Miss James "Mori"Moriarty and Sherlock "Lock" Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.

FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.

FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock's one rule--they must share every clue with each other--Mori is keeping secrets.

OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can't trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again. 

Sherlock Holmes may be one of the most reimagined and retold stories out there. There is something about Arthur Conan Doyle's characters that have captivated and enthralled generations to the point that reincarnations of them are still hugely popular. It's a fast, absorbing read that will leave you tearing through the pages as Heather Petty has crafted a fun take on the classic and twisted the character of James Moriarty in the most delectable way.

This is Mori's story through and through. Those looking for another Sherlock tale may be a little disappointed as Mori is the one who takes centre stage. Sherlock is a large part of this story as he is a large part of Mori's story. The Sherlock you love is absolutely here. We get more than a glimpse of the things that are so beloved about the character, and teases of more to come which is sure to please the hardcore Sherlock fans. His intelligence, wit, and mannerisms are all lovingly included. However, Mori is who shines in this. We get to see this complex character faced with impossible choices. Through her eyes we see how this relationship could go from one of love to something much more complicated to eventually being enemies in a way that is believable and heartbreaking. While there are plenty more steps to take for this relationship to fully falter, we all know those cracks are coming (if they author stays true to cannon) and this set up is wonderfully done.

The secrets kept in this book, particularly by Mori, are ones that you understandable. You get the why behind her actions. These character details where you understand their motivations and the reasoning behind their actions are something that Heather Petty excels at. She does characterization in general really well, and manages to make you care about these characters underneath everything else that is going on.

While the guilty party is pretty easy to suss out, the path taken to the ending is not. It's the ending and what it deliciously sets up for the future books that is the real takeaway of this novel. It's the characters more than the case they are solving that is the focus, and that worked well for this incarnation of these characters. We leave the characters on the edge of something with so much potential that the sequel is pretty much mandatory reading after closing the pages of this one.

Heather Petty has written a novel that will pleasantly surprise Sherlock fans while having more than enough to appeal to non-fans as well. This is a romance, a mystery, and the start of what has the potential to be a fantastic series. Here's hoping we get to see some more Watson in the sequel!