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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 6th, 2016

304 Pages

Synopsis: 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 starting 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.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Sherlock Holmes and will give any adaptation a try? Well, Lock & Mori is one of the latest incarnations and it’s truly unique because it not only doesn’t just modernize the Sherlock and Moriarty relationship, but Jamie Moriarty aka Mori, is a girl. Before picking Mind Games up, even though it works as a standalone I recommend reading the previous book because you’ll get so much more out of the story, especially in regards to Mori’s relationships with Sherlock and her completely batshit crazy father. Sorry for the language, but I really can’t stand this guy. Mind Games begins exactly where Lock & Mori ended. Mori’s abusive and murderous police sergeant father is locked up in jail, but that hasn’t made her or her brothers any safer. Not only are the police doing just about everything they can to throw doubt on Mori’s story and exonerate her father, but there’s someone out there equally determined to bring Mori down and the suspect pool just keeps widening. Before I get to the actual mystery, let me first address the romance between Mori and Sherlock. Heather Petty has done a marvelous job in recreating these two characters. Sherlock loves Mori, but is constantly overstepping boundaries in his efforts to protect her. Normally this would annoy the heck out of me, but Petty balances Sherlock’s more irritating qualities, with his loyalty and love for Mori. His cluelessness in regards to his treatment of Mori is actually endearing at times. It’s obvious he respects her, but his innate stubbornness has him constantly trying to take over. Mori, the true star of the story, refuses Sherlocks take charge attitude, and even if you didn’t know that Holmes and Moriarty are two of literatures greatest arch-enemies, this foreshadows that their romance is not meant to be. Throughout the story Mori battles her feelings for Lock, while trying to maintain her independence. Heartbreakingly, this is mostly due to her feelings that she doesn’t deserve happiness, and her determination to keep Lock safe. She has a prickly personality and can come off as being unlikable at times, but Mori is trapped in a horrible situation and her upbringing hasn’t exactly taught her how to trust. The story itself is fast-paced and the mystery had me guessing right up until the cliffhanger ending, which caught me completely by surprise. There are a couple of loose threads that are left hanging, but hopefully those will be resolved in the 3rd book. I believe teens who love exciting mysteries will love this series. I also highly recommend this to any Sherlock aficionados who have always been fascinated by the complex relationship between Holmes and Moriarty. I can’t wait to see where Petty takes her two main characters next!