I have always had a particular love for mysteries. As a kid, it was the section of the school library that I gravitated toward, and I spent a good portion of my elementary years going on adventures with Frank and Joe Hardy, The Boxcar Children, and Nancy Drew. (We won't discuss the fact that now, as an adult, I've purchased nearly complete sets of the "original" hardcover Hardy/Drew editions, just so they can sit on my shelf and look pretty, and that one or four Nancy Drew titles may account for a few of the dollars in my contest jar...) I've previously expressed my appreciation for Agatha Christie (as every book connoisseur should), and love a good cozy mystery, especially if it involves coffee and/or book shops.
In the "mystery canon", though, one name stands paramount as the standard against which all sleuths are measured: Sherlock Holmes. The classic Holmes tales are timeless for many reasons, including the characters, the cases themselves, and the atmosphere of the stories. They have passed the test of time, and remain both interesting and relevant. In fact, Holmes has experienced a great resurgence in popularity in recent years. If you've been paying attention, you will have noticed no less than three current incarnations of Holmes on film/tv, and countless new novelizations. It's been an adventure in and of itself deducing which of them are "worthy" of acclaim. (Just in case you're wondering, BBC Sherlock is the Sherlock to end all Sherlocks. Cumberbatch, Freeman, and Gatiss et al are brilliant beyond belief, and I hope they make more series of Sherlock forever and ever.) But this is about books, not awesome British TV. So... back to it.
I've given up hope of someone being brave enough to write a "Sherlock Holmes" book from Sherlock's POV. In the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series, all the stories are told from John Watson's point of view; this is also true of the New Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro. In Heather W. Petty's Lock & Mori, it's Moriarty's voice we hear. Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis Moriarty who only ever appears as a distant threat, on the peripheral of the Holmes stories as an ever-present shadow, is given a voice. And here Moriarty is the impetus for the story; it's Moriarty's voice who carries us. And what a voice she has. Ahh - caught that, did you? Yes, I said she. Because in this version, James Moriarty is a girl.
Before I get any further into it, here's the cover (which I'm not crazy about- Sherlock looks like a teen serial killer, and Moriarty looks like she's pouting at the camera), and the book blurb from Goodreads:
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.
Yep, it's a contemporary setting, and Moriarty and Sherlock are teenagers. (You'll notice I reversed the order in which I write their names - I did this on purpose because Moriarty really is the main character of the book, and Sherlock is relegated to the role of sidekick for once. But Moriarty carries the story well, so I'm actually pretty ok with it.) Those of you who said "I'm out!" when you read "teenagers", hang with me for a minute.
One thing I like about contemporary YA books is that the characters experience and deal with problems that no teenager should ever have to deal with; and then they SOLVE them! I think this is great. Even in fiction, it's beneficial for teens to see kids "their own age" using their smarts and resources to work out problems. This book is full of those instances. These teens are smart, and they get into trouble. Lots of trouble. But they don't panic; they don't give up. They tackle the problems head-on, and look for solutions. This book isn't heavy on the teen angst, or on the drama, though there is a smattering here and there; it seems just enough to remind readers that they're dealing with teenagers, but not enough to make them want to throw the book across the room at the wall.
The plot: is very intricate, but isn't hard to follow, if that makes sense. There are some twists and turns, but Petty is never in danger of losing her readers. The plot builds slowly, and readers learn and figure things out as Moriarty does. There is a limited point of view, as readers are only privy to what Moriarty knows, and not what Sherlock knows, and I think that works well. For me, it makes the story seem more immediate and raises the stakes.
The characters: are well-crafted, if not carbon copies of the original Moriarty and Holmes. Let's talk about each one.
Moriarty: As I said before, none of the original Doyle stories have Moriarty meeting any of the other characters; even Watson has never encountered Moriarty. So there isn't a lot to compare the character to. That noted, I think Petty does a nice job of constructing the character. Holmes fans will understand that the character would have to have some element of darkness to deserve the role of Holmes' enemy, so she does not create Moriarty to be innocent. Rather, Moriarty has an existence that makes her darkness believable, and even understandable. Moriarty is open-minded, and has no illusions about anything. Even her friendship with Sherlock is not one built on trust, but on necessity. It begs the question of whether their "friendship" will survive the subsequent installments of the series, given the wide gulf between their sensibilities.
Sherlock: Is nearly unrecognizable as the Sherlock Holmes of old. Yes, he's quirky; yes, he's brilliant; but something has been lost in translation. He (cringe) emotes. And that took some getting used to. He is very intuitive, less arrogant, and certainly not as self-centered. For me, Sherlock was less successful than was Moriarty. However, if I forget that I know anything about Sherlock Holmes, and just read it for the story, and judge the character on his own merit, it's less of a miss.
AND THEN THERE'S MYCROFT: Mycroft, Mycroft, Mycroft. Was 179% my mostest favoritest thing about this book. I have always gravitated toward Mycroft as a kindred spirit (though the sentiment would make him shudder). He is clever, stoic, resourceful, and he gets crap done. You want something done, give it to Mycroft. I have always thought there was something slightly terrifying about Mycroft and his ability to "solve" problems, and that is still the case in this example. And I love him for it.
Just a note about the next two books (since this series is, reportedly, to be a trilogy) - I can see Moriarty taking continual steps toward a dark and dangerous path, and I think, even though Sherlock cares for her, it is not in his nature to follow her down said path. It is my guess that it will eventually lead to one of those love-to-hate/hate-to-love relationships that can plausibly be the start of their arch-rivalry that the classic stories boast. Just my two pennies...
Overall, I give this a favorable rating. The plot was strong, the characters well-developed, and it held my interest enough that I will read the next installment of the series.
I would suggest this to anyone who has an interest in Sherlock Holmes and is interested in other versions of the character, and to people who like a good mystery with a twist.
Those of you looking for readalikes, check out:
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallari - A fresh take on Holmes/Watson descendants. Check out my review here.
Jackaby by William Ritter - While not an "official" Holmes novel, the titular character is obviously modeled on Holmes.
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - A cool twist on the Holmes/Stoker descendants.
Death Cloud by Andy Lane - This features Holmes as a globetrotting teen.
I have just finished a marathon reading of Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Wings and Ruin. I'm recovering. Literally ALL the feels, and I'm not sure I'll ever be the same. I'll get to that one as soon as I've had adequate time to consider everything that happened.
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