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 Thoughts
I love Sherlock Holmes. It may be one of the few fandoms that I actually belong to. That said, it’s unsurprising I gobble up whatever Sherlock pastiche thrown my way. Earlier this year I heard another Sherlockian book’s coming out, and the synopsis promised so much! Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty? A female Moriarty? Gimme!
While I enjoyed the book, I must say I’m slightly disappointed. The story is narrated by James Moriarty, our female protagonist, which somehow dulls Sherlock Holmes’s brilliance. Granted, they’re both teenagers who don’t know much yet, but sometimes their actions are just so immature I can’t feel that awe I do for the real SH. Nevertheless, I like Mori for the most part. She’s a cop’s daughter with three younger brothers. Her father is abusive after her mother’s death, and his colleagues make sure the children have nowhere to turn to (it’s not like they can run over to the police and tell them their father beats them). Trapped in this desperate situation, Mori can only hope she become independent fast so she can take care of her sisters. She’s also intrigued by Sherlock Holmes, the strange boy who does chemical experiments in his house. After they arrive at a murder scene in Regent’s Park, they decide to take it upon themselves to solve the crime. But the more evidence Mori discovers, the more confused she becomes about her past and her future. In this book, Mori is kind and responsible in some moments, but we can also see her slightly cruel nature beginning to show. Even as she plays the vigilante and stands up for her friend, she enjoys the thrill of threatening others. I think the author does an excellent job developing her character; not yet a full-fledged mastermind, but has the potential to form plots. We can sense she’s an unreliable narrator. Hopefully we can see how Mori turns into a more mature and mysterious character in the next book.
Sherlock Holmes, the character I came for, is hardly in the book. Sure, he appears in nearly every chapter, but his presence feels as thin and unreal as a runway model. We know he has a brother (a shorter, fatter, know-it-all), a sick mother, and they live in 221B Baker Street. But that’s pretty much all. The deductions? The logical mind? Where are they? How can our author drum up a socially awkward, “super-intelligent” protagonist and stick the illustrious name of Sherlock Holmes on him without giving him his most defining qualities? Our author’s SH is more vulnerable and unsure of himself. More than once Mori wants to comfort him or hold his hand because he reminds her of her younger brother. I don’t want a younger brother SH, I want a so-brilliant-my-eyes-hurt Sherlock Holmes!
Of course, boy Lock + girl Mori = teen romance. As a romantic, I want to ship them, but I’m also conflicted because I know how it’s all gonna play out. Their romance has an Insta-love smell to it, because out of nowhere they’re kissing and saying I LOVE YOU. While the author teases us with their relationship, at the end of novel Mori also says she’ll never forgive Sherlock, after saying she’ll always love him. It’s just one confusing mess of teen hormones and tangled feelings. Once again, I’m waiting for the big fallout and the turning point of Moriarty. Apart from the characters, the setting is quite realistic. Modern day London, high school, etc. The family abuse part is also tastefully executed, and provides a back-story to how Mori can eventually turn into someone twisted and manipulative.
While I enjoyed the book, I must say I’m slightly disappointed. The story is narrated by James Moriarty, our female protagonist, which somehow dulls Sherlock Holmes’s brilliance. Granted, they’re both teenagers who don’t know much yet, but sometimes their actions are just so immature I can’t feel that awe I do for the real SH. Nevertheless, I like Mori for the most part. She’s a cop’s daughter with three younger brothers. Her father is abusive after her mother’s death, and his colleagues make sure the children have nowhere to turn to (it’s not like they can run over to the police and tell them their father beats them). Trapped in this desperate situation, Mori can only hope she become independent fast so she can take care of her sisters. She’s also intrigued by Sherlock Holmes, the strange boy who does chemical experiments in his house. After they arrive at a murder scene in Regent’s Park, they decide to take it upon themselves to solve the crime. But the more evidence Mori discovers, the more confused she becomes about her past and her future. In this book, Mori is kind and responsible in some moments, but we can also see her slightly cruel nature beginning to show. Even as she plays the vigilante and stands up for her friend, she enjoys the thrill of threatening others. I think the author does an excellent job developing her character; not yet a full-fledged mastermind, but has the potential to form plots. We can sense she’s an unreliable narrator. Hopefully we can see how Mori turns into a more mature and mysterious character in the next book.
Sherlock Holmes, the character I came for, is hardly in the book. Sure, he appears in nearly every chapter, but his presence feels as thin and unreal as a runway model. We know he has a brother (a shorter, fatter, know-it-all), a sick mother, and they live in 221B Baker Street. But that’s pretty much all. The deductions? The logical mind? Where are they? How can our author drum up a socially awkward, “super-intelligent” protagonist and stick the illustrious name of Sherlock Holmes on him without giving him his most defining qualities? Our author’s SH is more vulnerable and unsure of himself. More than once Mori wants to comfort him or hold his hand because he reminds her of her younger brother. I don’t want a younger brother SH, I want a so-brilliant-my-eyes-hurt Sherlock Holmes!
Of course, boy Lock + girl Mori = teen romance. As a romantic, I want to ship them, but I’m also conflicted because I know how it’s all gonna play out. Their romance has an Insta-love smell to it, because out of nowhere they’re kissing and saying I LOVE YOU. While the author teases us with their relationship, at the end of novel Mori also says she’ll never forgive Sherlock, after saying she’ll always love him. It’s just one confusing mess of teen hormones and tangled feelings. Once again, I’m waiting for the big fallout and the turning point of Moriarty. Apart from the characters, the setting is quite realistic. Modern day London, high school, etc. The family abuse part is also tastefully executed, and provides a back-story to how Mori can eventually turn into someone twisted and manipulative.
Altogether Lock & Mori is very promising even though a bit unsatisfactory. The plot is twisty and entertaining enough, so if you're a Sherlock fan, I recommend this book. But I must also mention Eva Morgan's Locked, also about a teenage Sherlock & Irene Adler. SOOO good.
