My Review
I’ve had this book on my To Be Read list since it came out, and I finally had to chance to pick up a copy of this and get lost in an amazing and complex world with a plot that had me biting my nails and on the edge of my seat until the very last page.
If ever a book had a great plot that it actually stuck to, it’s definitely Lock & Mori. Some books end up shying away from what the story is supposed to be about when they start adding other elements in, such as romance, but that wasn’t the case in this book.
James “Mori’ Moriarty is our narrator, and she is a brilliant girl who has been dealt a rather poor hand. She lives with her three brothers and her father. Her mother died a few months ago after a battle with a terminal illness, and her father, missing their mother terribly, has become rather angry and abusive. While trying her hardest to protect her brothers from her father’s foul personality at home, she also does incredibly well in school.
One day, during play practice, Mori is sent to fetch Sherlock Holmes from his personal lab in the school, and while the two of them don’t exactly hit it off friendship wise right away, after learning about a murder in the park, they come together to try and solve the mystery of the murder. However, when other murders start occouring in the same park, things seem to get a little bit out of hand. As Mori uncovers clues about the murders that seem to be wrapped up in her own family, she isn’t sure what to do with the information, but is determined to solve the case.
What I think I loved most about this book was the fact that it just stuck to the story. While there were a lot of things going on in this book, it wasn’t so much that it took away from the main plot, instead it enhanced it. For example, Mori and Sherlock develop feelings for each other that turn into a bit of a romantic relationship…but it wasn’t the kind of romance that takes over the whole book; instead it was a subtle romance that added the right amount of “awe” to the story while making you hope that they make it as a couple.
I did have the mystery of this figured out very soon into the book, but I didn’t find that it ruined the story for me. How the ending of it played out was a lot different from what I thought it was going to be, so I was happy with that.
Mori is a very independent and strong character, and I really liked her. I haven’t managed to really connect to a main character in a book in a while, but I felt right at home with Mori. She was making the most of a bad situation by taking care of her brothers and trying to make sure that they all stayed together. Plus, she had just lost her mother, and that is an incredibly heartbreaking thing for her to be going through. Mori shows emotion, too…and the right amount of it. She is hardened by her mother’s death and her father’s abuse, but she still knows how to care about someone, and this is shown by her emotions toward Sherlock.
I’ve read other Sherlock retellings recently, but I think this is probably the best one that I’ve read to date. Lock & Mori is such a fresh new take on beloved characters, and it’s bound to wrap you up in the story and keep you reading until the very end.
I can’t wait until the next book in the series comes out – I’m definitely hooked and can’t wait to find out what happens next for the characters.
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About the Author
Heather Petty has been obsessed with mysteries since she was twelve, which is when she decided that stories about murders in London drawing rooms and English seaside villages were far superior to all other stories. She is the author of the Lock & Mori series. She lives in Reno, Nevada, with her husband, daughter, and four hopelessly devious cats. You can visit her online at HeatherWPetty.com.
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Giveaway!
3 Finished Copies of LOCK & MORI (US Only)
Tour Schedule:
9/5: In Wonderland – Review
9/6: Don’t Fold the Page – Guest Post
9/7: Da Readaholic Book Blog – Review
9/8: readwritelove28 – Q&A
9/9: Here’s to Happy Endings – Review
when I first heard about this book I knew i wanted to read it. I know I’ll enjoy the “fresh take” on the original characters.
I hope you enjoy it when you read it! You’ll have to stop back and let me know what you thought!
Thanks for the review! I love that Lock and Mori are in high school. It’s a whole new version that I’ve never seen before or yet.
It definitely is a clever take on an old favorite!
This book saved me from mayhem on the train coming back from Portland last year, when it was held up for several hours. I was so engrossed I had no idea three hours had gone by. A great read even when not stuck in traffic! Can’t wait for book 2!
It’s amazing how a great book can just make you lose track of time like that. Lock & Mori was definitely one of those…the mystery was just so engrossing!
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