Review: Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

Title: Lock & Mori  

Author:  Heather W. Petty
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date:  September 15th 2015

Pages: 256
Genre: YA Mystery/ Classic Retellings

Series: Lock & Mori #1
Source: ARC 

 

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.

This was the first Holmes book I have ever read. I know terrible. I am hoping to read the classic real soon and I know I started this backwards by reading a retelling first. But this book did its job as a retelling and made me want to read the original so that will done soon. Now back to this book, it was was great. I enjoyed this read so very much. I loved the classic mystery feel, I loved the characters, and I loved the story. I am not sure how it measures up to the original but this retelling had me stuck and invested from page one. 

Well not much to tell here. Its about Sherlock and its about Moriarty. Sherlock is a teenage boy.. obsessed with mysteries, puzzles, and games. Moriarty is a teenage girl. One who has a hard home life, very smart with life and books, and needs a friend. There have been a string of murders in the park and Sherlock and Moriarty decide to get together to investigate them. Solve them, Its a game, a challenge, a competition. The game is afoot. 

This book really surpassed my expectations. I really didn't know what to expect but I didn't expect to like this book and enjoy it as much as I did. The beginning started off a little slow for me but it didn't take me long to really grab onto the characters and run with them.

My favorite part of this book was the characters. The mystery was great and I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did so yay for keeping me in the dark.... but it was just a murder mystery. Well executed and enjoyable but not anything extraordinary. The characters however were.

I loved these two. They were quite the opposite but they got a long... well they went together well. They start off as just two smart bored kids with a mystery to solve, then they become friends, then they fall in love.... it was fast but it was so much fun. The bickering, the chemistry, the need for each other was all wrapped in a sweet but troubled way. It wasn't the usual romance. It wasn't all fluffy and irresistible. It was a need and a connection and of course great timing for these two. It worked and it worked very well.

I didn't connect to Moriarty as much as I wanted, She was a hard cookie to feel but I did connect enough to want to know her more and take my time figure her out. She  had it rough and she was a bit closed off. Only opening herself up enough to keep Sherlock around. She needed him and even though she hated to admit it, she kept him around because she needed  him. She was very smart, Very street smart and book smart. She is very loyal.. to her family and now I think to Sherlock. She was screwed up... just a little from being smacked around and hated by her father. She was a a survivor.

Sherlock was an interesting character. I wish I has more of him. This story was told from Moriarty's point of view so Sherlock was in the background. He did catch my eye though. Smart... well book smart. Socially awkward. Conceited a bit. Yes all the things expected but.. He had a huge heart for Moriarty. He was kind (what he knew of kind) He protected her, he had a huge sense of needing to protect her. His love was for Moriarty was quite evident.

So they mystery was good. The story was an introduction for more to come in the relationship of Moriarty and Sherlock, The romance was well done. The book was a very very fast read. It happened quick and it was a page turner once I got past the first two chapters. It was a real winner for me. I really liked this one and expect the next one to blow me away. 

If you like Sherlock Holmes read this, if you have never read Sherlock Holmes read this, If you have read Sherlock Holmes and didn't care for it... read this. I think you will  like it.

Heather Petty writes Young Adult novels about grim reapers with English accents, snarky magic shop cashiers, and faery-infested summer camps, all of which are represented by Laurie McLean of Fuse Literary.
Her debut YA mystery, LOCK & MORI, is coming Fall 2015 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Heather is also a granola mom, avid reader, technical writer, and freelance editor. She lives in Reno, Nevada with a Lumberjack, a Fairy-Child, and four cats who she’s pretty sure are plotting her demise.