#Review - Final Fall by Heather W. Petty #YALit #Mystery

Series: Lock & Mori # 3
Format: E-Book, 208 pages
Release Date: November 28, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Edelweiss 
Genre: YA / Mystery / Thriller

Sherlock Holmes and Miss James “Mori” Moriarty started at the top of their game—so they have that much farther to fall in this epic conclusion to the Lock & Mori trilogy, perfect for fans of Maureen Johnson and Sherlock.

You know their names. Now discover their beginnings. 

Mori is out for revenge. Imprisoned in the English countryside, with her brothers held as leverage, she’s never felt angrier or more helpless. When an opportunity for escape arises, Mori takes it and flees back to the streets of London, where she is finally able to plot the demise of her recently freed father and his cohorts. 
But after a bittersweet reunion with Lock, she discovers that he may not be the ally he once was. In the face of blackmail, threats, and Lock’s noble attempts to thwart her crusade, Mori has an impossible decision to make.
Can Mori wash the blood from her hands and walk away? Or will her final fall from grace be the end of everyone she loves?

Final Fall is the third and final installment in Heather W. Petty's Lock & Mori trilogy. As the story opens, Mori is Alice Stoke's captive having been taken from London to the English countryside. She's kept in a cage away from her brothers who are being used as leverage to keep Mori in line. With Alice's real threat of taking her brothers to America without her, Mori must bide her time and scheme her way to freedom. Alice needs a soldier to be her sword against those like James Moriarty. 

That means teaching Mori how to survive and that leaves a new character named Trent to teach her. But, when the time finally comes to escape, Mori takes it and returns to her home in London. Revenge remains at the top of Mori's list. She must find a way to end the threat known as James Moriarty, her father and his corrupt gang of cops who made Mori and her brothers lives a living hell. But, she also must find a way to deal with a certain Sherlock Holmes who is on the wrong side of what Mori plans to do. 

Even though Final Fall is a rather short book at 206 pages, there is a whole lot of action within its pages. This is Mori's story not Lock's. There's no way to twist it to become Lock's story. Even when Lock does show up, he is just an obstacle standing in the way Mori's plans. A look at what Mori's life could have been if she had different parents. Mori will do things and things will happen quickly. Things might even shock you considering how young Mori really is. But, never forget what happened to her and her brothers at the hands of an abusive father and corrupt cops who looked the other way.

You want to give hope that Mori won't walk down the road into darkness. You want to give hope that Lock can change her mind from going full vigilante. But, what would the point of writing an origin story if Lock and Mori ended up as the good guys when all is said and done? You have to know the history between Sherlock and Moriarty to understand that you really can't give either of them a HEA. Not really. Even though they could be brilliant together, there is too much baggage on Mori's shoulders. 

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#Wednesday Review - Mind Games by Heather W. Petty #YALit, #Mystery @heatherwpetty @SimonKIDS

Series: Lock & Mori # 2
Format: E-Galley, 304 pages
Release Date: December 6th 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Source: Edelweiss/Publisher
Genre: YA, Mysteries


Sherlock Holmes and Miss James “Mori” Moriarty may have closed their first case, but the mystery is far from over in the thrilling sequel to Lock & Mori, perfect for fans of Maureen Johnson and Sherlock.

You know their names. Now discover their beginnings.

Mori’s abusive father is behind bars…and she has never felt less safe. Threatening letters have started appearing on her doorstep, and the police are receiving anonymous tips suggesting that Mori—not her father—is the Regent’s Park killer. To make matters worse, the police are beginning to believe them.

Through it all, Lock—frustrating, brilliant, gorgeous Lock—is by her side. The two of them set out to discover who is framing Mori, but in a city full of suspects, the task is easier said than done. With the clock ticking, Mori will discover just how far she is willing to go to make sure that justice is served, and no one—not even Lock—will be able to stop her.

Mind Games, by author Heather W. Petty, is the second installment in the Lock & Mori series. This series is a modern day take on the Sir Arthur Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and his would be criminal mastermind & nemesis Professor James Moriarty. In this retelling, James Moriarty is a 16-year old female with a brilliant mind for the maths, while 16-year old Sherlock remains the same aloof, intelligent, but nerdy detective who takes on strange and unusual cases. 

It has been two weeks since Mori's father, Detective Sergeant James Moriarty, was stopped from killing her and now is tied up in prison for killing her con artist mother Emily Moriarty, and Mori's best friend. Yet, things aren't exactly all rosie and peaceful for Mori. The police have had some interesting takes on the fact that Mori, not James, may have been involved in the killings. Mori's father definitely has some allies within the PD who want him freed. 

They also claim that key witnesses have come forward with information that could land Mori in jail, while Mori gets several strange letters cataloging her supposed sins, including tossing her mother's sword into the lake. Thankfully, Mori has been given permission to live alone, and her brothers now have Alice Stokes, her mothers best friend, as their guardian to watch over. Alice was introduced in the previous installment, and has now put herself firmly into bringing Mori into her grifting group which her mother belonged to. 

Mori hasn't exactly forgiven Sherlock "Lock" Holmes for interfering in her plans, even though he saved her life. She considers his actions to be a lack of trust and betrayal, and that betrayal hangs over their interactions. Mori 's relationship with Lock is the saving grace for this story even with all. I say that because he is the only one, besides her 3 brothers, who doesn't look at her like she's responsible for anything but being a responsible young adult who did the right thing in stopping her father. Lock, I believe, truly loves Mori with all his heart. 

But, with someone trying to tear Mori apart, Mori can't let her heart or emotions get close to Lock until she finds out who is trying to destroy her. And, that mystery, my friends, is kept so tightly wrapped up, that you don't get the drastic revelation until the very last chapter. Let's not forget about Lock. Lock has his own issues that are really sad. His relationship with Mycroft probably should be at the forefront, but it's definitely more of a story of two passing ships who have the same last name.

Holy, Hot Damn! Give me the next book, quickly! 

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#Saturday Review - Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty (Young Adult. Mystery)

Series: Lock & Mori # 1 
Format: E-Galley, 248 pages
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Publisher: S&Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher 
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

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.

Lock & Mori is the first installment in author Heather W. Petty's series by the same name. While the book is called Lock & Mori, the story is actually narrated in the first person by James "Mori" Moriarty. Mori is the daughter of a London Detective Sergeant who has lost himself to alcohol and violent outbursts. She gets thrown together with the school nerd, Sherlock "Lock' Holmes, in order to solve murders that continue to happen in Regents Park. One could say that this story is the modern day version of Sherlock Holmes

except for the fact that the pair become friends with romantic interests.

In Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Professor James Moriarty was the brilliant mastermind who nearly outwitted Sherlock Holmes at every angle. In this version, Mori is a math genius which results from the fact that she has Eidetic memory which allows her to pick things up quickly. Mori carries dice around with her so that she can run different probabilities. They also have a calming affect on her while living at home with a drunk, and trying to care for her three younger brothers who have lost their mother to a terrible illness. 

After meeting with Mori in Regents Park where Lock's intellectual

pursuit has led him, he offers Mori a unique challenge. The idea is that both of them will attempt to solve who is responsible for the murders before the bumbling coppers who he has no respect for after watching them work. There has to be total transparency and they must meet regularly to discuss any and all findings. The one who solves the murders first, wins the game. But, what will happen when past secrets are exposed that lead Mori to open doors that may affect the rest of her life? Guess you'll to read the book to find out!

Admittedly, this isn't my first or last rodeo when comes to Sherlock Holmes retellings. I dare say that if the author wanted to go all the way out on the limb, she could have just said the book would be mostly about Mori, her family, and her desires for a future where her brothers can live without a raging lunatic for a father. Lock, while not snogging every 30 pages with Mori, is pretty much a secondary character who might appear to be his more famous name sake. His brother makes several footnote appearances but isn't a factor at all. The only character outside of Lock & Mori that does play any part is America Sadie Mae Jackson. 

I dare say that the mystery behind the murders and who is blame, 

is rather too easy to follow. One has to say that the most important part of this story is Mori's relationship with her brothers, who she would do anything for. Her relationship with her mother who obviously had a few secrets she kept under lock and key, and her relationship with her father who has nights called Memories of You where he dives head first into the bottle of nips, and comes out a monster. After reading this book, one has to own up to the fact that Mori's path is heading anywhere but towards peace and happiness. Her relationship with Lock is in a place where I believe will lead to a major confrontation before this series is finished.  

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