Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

Lock and Mori #1. Simon & Schuster (Sept. 2015) Library

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.

My love of Sherlock Holmes, his world, and the cast of characters that come with him came from the British tv show. It's remarkably well made and features one  Moriarty played by Andrew Scott. I am in love with this mad man who plagues Sherlock. Sherlock who is always one step ahead when it comes to crimes but who is always one step behind Moriarty. It's the ultimate rivalry that had me saying yes to Lock & Mori before I even knew about it. 

Sherlock or Lock, is as much of a genius and pain in the rear as he ever was. He feels even more pompous as a teenager really. He finds Moriarty or Mori, intriguing when she stumbles upon him one day in a school lab reserved for him and makes a surprising first impression. She's smarter than I'm sure many of the people he's come across. She's perceptive and an observer. What he doesn't know are the secrets she keeps surrounding her family - who they are and the connection with a murder they take on together. Filled with twists and turns, Mori's family and Lock's investigation become intertwined until Lock crosses a line.

This was a perfect beginning to Moriarty and Holmes. I love reading origin stories even if it's not the original author of the series. These characters are clearly loved by Petty which helps her bring to life a story, unlike anything I could have imagined. I loved seeing Moriarty start becoming who she will be as an adult. She has a dark side when it comes to family. I could see her taking shape into the criminal mastermind I love so much while she navigated her family's darkness and her own brewing one. Holmes felt naive but he seems to always be that way when a girl is involved. And a girl is in the center of the story so that was a main personality trait I came to as I observed him. Well, that and his keen observation skills and maddening I-know-more-than-you personality that for some reason works for me.

The two do become love interests which was really exciting but felt odd to me too. They are both very serious. Holmes more so than Moriarty. I know Holmes was written like he did feel more for her but I didn't get it. Possibly a case of love too fast and too complicated. 

In general, I felt like there was something lacking that could have made this truly great. I do have high hopes for the next book especially where it is going. Stuff's going to go down! I only hope that Holmes starts acting more like himself and less like an average teenage boy.