Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Mind Games
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.heatherwpetty.com/
CITY: Reno
STATE: NV
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Heather-W-Petty/452866533 * https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/the-debut-club-an-interview-with-heather-w-petty-author-of-lock-mori/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: daughter.
EDUCATION:Graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former technical editor in the gaming industry.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Heather W. Petty earned her degree at the University of Nevada, Reno and then went on to work for fifteen years as a technical editor. Petty then became a published novelist with the release of Lock & Mori in 2015. The book serves as the first installment of the eponymous young adult series, and it has since been followed by Mind Games and Final Fall. The series adapts the classic tale of Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis James Moriarty, but in Petty’s hands, Lock and Mori are teenagers, Mori is a girl, and romantic tension bubbles between them. Sharing the series’ path to publication on her website, Petty explained: “I got my first agent in 2009 with an Urban Fantasy novel about faeries at summer camp, but the market was already shifting away from Paranormal/Urban Fantasy and toward Dystopian at the time. I had zero interest in writing Dystopian. So I wrote a lot of paranormal and urban fantasy that had no chance of selling, but still taught me a lot about crafting novels. And right before my second agent decided to retire from the business, I came up with this idea about a female Moriarty meeting Sherlock Holmes in high school.”
Petty additionally noted that there is a difference between being a writer and being a published author: “Becoming an author is when you get into all the professional/business type stuff that takes away from what you really want to do as an author: WRITE. Becoming a writer is the fun bit, where you learn by creating and reading other people’s creations, and then creating some more.”
Lock & Mori
Mori’s adventures in Lock & Mori begin after Mori’s mother has died from cancer. Mori is largely left in charge of taking care of her three brothers, and her police officer father has grown increasingly unstable and abusive. Mori hardly has time for herself or her friends anymore, but when she meets Lock, the spark between them is undeniable. After a body is found in Regent’s Park, Lock and Mori notice that the police don’t seem particularly interested in finding the real killer, and they undertake their own investigation. Along the way, Lock and Mori uncover a series of crimes and murders, all stemming back to Mori’s own father. In fact, Mori learns that he killed both her mother and her best friend.
Petty shared her inspiration for the story in a Sweet Sixteens website interview with Elly Swartz, noting: “I came up with the idea after reading a blog post about the relationships between heroes and villains that made the point that all we know: Moriarty is from Sherlock’s POV. That made me wonder what if Sherlock had lied to Watson. What if Moriarty knew Sherlock in high school and something happened to turn them into enemies?” Praising the result in her Voice of Youth Advocates assessment, Kristi Sadowski advised: “This is definitely more of a character study of Moriarty than the average Sherlockian mystery.” Though Sadowski stated that the novel may not be for everyone, she also asserted that “die hard Sherlock fans will require access to this book.” According to Booklist correspondent Maggie Reagan, Lock & Mori “feels vaguely steampunk, and comes with a dark atmosphere and high stakes.” A Kirkus Reviews critic felt that “mystery lovers will be pleased to have this whodunit, which is neither Victoriana nor steampunk.” Traci Glass, writing in School Library Journal, offered further applause, and she felt that “Mori is a well-developed, multidimensional protagonist and a lively narrator,” while “Lock is just as intriguing.”
Mind Games
Mori is grappling with the fallout of her terrible discovery in Mind Games, and she’s also struggling to trust Lock, who has not always honored her wishes. Mori must additionally contend with her father’s friends on the police force. Most refuse to believe their colleague is a killer, and they would prefer to believe that Mori is the true criminal. Even as Mori faces the naysayers, she still has to take care of her brothers. Luckily, her mother’s best friend moves in to help out; but just as Mori seems to find some kind of normal, someone leaves a severed hand in her garbage.
In a rare negative assessment, an online Sam’s Little Corner reviewer warned: “With her constant back and forth with Lock and thinking that she is superior to everyone else. Mori is just not a relatable character.” On the other hand, Christina Jones in Voice of Youth Advocates stated that Mori, sans Lock, “proves that she can be quite the detective, all on her own.” Indeed, a Kirkus Reviews critic declared that “Mori keeps her own wise counsel and solves the many puzzles around her,” while “a surprise twist sets up the cracker of a cliffhanger.” Offering further applause in the online Gizmo’s Reviews, a contributor commented: “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.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 1, 2015, Maggie Reagan, review of Lock & Mori.
Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2015, review of Lock & Mori; October 1, 2016, review of Mind Games.
School Library Journal, September, 2015, Traci Glass, review of Lock & Mori.
Voice of Youth Advocates, October, 2015, Kristi Sadowski, review of Lock & Mori; December, 2016, Christina Jones, review of Mind Games.
ONLINE
Gizmo’s Reviews, http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/ (December 6, 2016), review of Mind Games.
Heather W. Petty Website, http://www.heatherwpetty.com/ (July 24, 2017).
Sam’s Little Corner, https://samslittlecorner.wordpress.com/ (January 13, 2017), review of Mind Games.
Sweet Sixteens, https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/ (July 4, 2017), Elly Swartz, author interview.*
eries
Lock & Mori
1. Lock & Mori (2015)
2. Mind Games (2016)
3. Final Fall (2017)
Heather has been obsessed with mysteries since she was twelve, which is when she decided that stories about murders in London drawing rooms and English seaside villages were far superior to all other stories. She is the author of the Lock & Mori series, a Sherlock Holmes origin story told from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old, female Moriarty. She lives in Reno, Nevada with her husband, daughter, and three hopelessly devious cats.
Photo © 2013 by Ari Nordhagen.
FAQ
Where do you live?
I live in Reno, NV. It’s a desert surrounded by mountains, so we get to have hot, dry, dusty summers and bitterly cold, snowy winters. The weather is not my favorite part about this place. The best way to describe my town is with the three biggest events of the year: the Reno Rodeo, the Great Reno Rib Cook-off, and Hot August Nights, a week when everyone talks about old cars or something. I’ve lived here like 20+ years and I’m still not sure what all goes on that week. We also host Street Vibrations, which is a week where everything sounds like overly loud motorcycles.
Are you married?
I have a husband who I call The Lumberjack, because he is a giant man who is overly fond of plaid flannel. He also comes from where Christmas trees are born and bred: Oregon.
Any kids?
I have one daughter. She’s obviously the most amazing girl child who has ever walked the planet, renowned for her beauty, wit, and charm. She gets it from her mom. (cough)
Pets?
We have four cats: P-Star (old lady calico), Java (black cuddle queen), Callie (calico ferocious sweetheart), and Etcetera (fluffy gray thing).
What kind of weirdo has four cats?
The kind who loves having cat hair all over everything all the time. You also have to be someone who recognizes their place in the Cat Hierarchy: 1 – Food, 2 – Sleep, 3 – Cat Nip, 4 – Humans.
Did you go to college?
I have an English degree with a Journalism minor from the University of Nevada, Reno. (Not the most marketable of degrees, but I managed to find employment.)
You have a day job?
Not at present, but I was a Technical Editor for various casino gaming/lottery companies for over 15 years.
How did you become an author?
I got my first agent in 2009 with an Urban Fantasy novel about faeries at summer camp, but the market was already shifting away from Paranormal/Urban Fantasy and toward Dystopian at the time. I had zero interest in writing Dystopian. So I wrote a lot of paranormal and urban fantasy that had no chance of selling, but still taught me a lot about crafting novels. And right before my second agent decided to retire from the business, I came up with this idea about a female Moriarty meeting Sherlock Holmes in high school. It took me a while to write it, but I finished the book and found my current agent, Laurie McLean, who sold the book to Simon & Schuster in the Fall of 2013.
Sounds like you’ve had a lot of agents.
I’m on my fourth. And I hope she’ll be my forever agent, because she is rad.
Can you give me advice on how to become an author?
So that’s a really big question. I think I’ll suggest this as a first step:
Focus on becoming a writer first.
Becoming an author is when you get into all the professional/business type stuff that takes away from what you really want to do as an author: WRITE.
Becoming a writer is the fun bit, where you learn by creating and reading other people’s creations, and then creating some more.
So, to become a writer, I have these suggestions:
Read as much as is humanly possible. Read ALL OF THE BOOKS. Read in genres and categories you never thought you’d be into. Read the high literary stuff that takes longer to read because you need digesting time. And then read trashy just for fun stuff that makes you stay up into the night. Need suggestions? Become BFFs with your school librarian and ask him/her. Librarians spend most of their time wishing that someone would ask them for book recommendations. THEY LIVE FOR THAT.
Read your favorite books twice. The first time to realize they are your favorites. The second time to see how the author put her story together. That’s called “reading with the eyes of a writer.”
LISTEN TO YOUR ENGLISH TEACHER LIKE SHE IS YOUR FAVORITE PERSON EVER. I know. English class? YES. Pay super close attention in English class. Are you diagraming sentences? PAY ATTENTION. Are you learning to write an essay? PAY ATTENTION. All of that is teaching you how to be a better writer. And it’s FREE. And I bet money that if you asked your English teacher to read one of your stories on the side and give you feedback, she would. And she’d be so excited to do it. Because English teachers are generally rad people. (If yours isn’t…wait a year and your next one probably will be. I’m telling you. They are mostly rad.)
Write all the time. Write every day. Carry a composition book with you like artists carry sketchbooks. Write down all of your craziest ideas and write out weirdo scenes when they come into your head, even if they have nothing to do with the book you’re working on now. Keep your comp book next to your bed so that you can write down that one really great idea you have while falling asleep or that dream you had that sounded really good at the time. It will probably sound less good in the morning, but write it down anyway.
When you have a completed story of any length, find a local writers group or critique group. If you’re writing for kids/teens, look up the local SCBWI group. If you’re writing romance, look up RWA, etc. There are writing groups for every genre and category, and there’s bound to be one in your area. This is another opportunity to talk to your librarian (school AND public) to ask if she knows of a group like that. See if you can find a teen-writer’s group online or post something on Wattpad.
And here’s the hard part… LET OTHER PEOPLE READ YOUR WRITING.
(Insert panicked WHAT?!?! here)
I know… it’s rough. They may hate it. They may even say not nice things about it. Some people are jerks. But you know that you’re going to be a super star writer some day, so you’re going to take everything they tell you and work on it so you can show them how awesome you will become.
The truth is that the first book you write will probably not be the one that makes the world cry over your genius. Some of my very favorite authors wrote five or ten or even FIFTEEN full books before they found the one that broke them into the publishing world. (I wrote four.) But every book you write will teach you more and more about what it means to be a writer.
So… right now, focus on the writer part. Learn your craft like a painter learns technique. Learn about story by immersing yourself in the best stories you can find.
The author stuff comes after all of that.
Okay, so how did YOU become a WRITER?
I was always a huge reader, but I never thought about becoming a writer until my high school English teacher, Author Terri Farley (Phantom Stallion series) read an assignment I’d turned in and basically told me I needed to be writing. So, I joined the school paper. Then, in college, when I was kind of over the Journalism thing, I applied for a fiction writing class with Author Susan Palwick, who later taught me one-on-one. She really helped me find my niche as a kidlit writer.
I joined SCBWI shortly after I graduated, and my very first critique (of a really horrible middle grade book) at a conference was from Ellen Hopkins, whose debut novel CRANK was coming out later that year (2004). (Crazy, right?) She was very patient with my rookie writer ways and encouraged me to keep going. But I had a baby the next year and floundered for a bit with my writing until Author Cynthia Cotten read one of my silly LiveJournal posts one night and told me I should be writing YA. She pointed me in the direction of authors like Melissa Marr, Charles de Lint, and Holly Black. I was especially taken by Holly Black’s Tithe series, and started writing my own YA within days of reading VALIANT.
What inspired you to write LOCK & MORI?
I read an article on nemesis relationships, where the writer mentioned offhand that everything we know about Moriarty is what Sherlock tells us, as he’s the only one who meets Moriarty in the canon. That, to me, was a super delicious gap in the story that was begging to be filled. Pretty much any time I can ask the question “What if?” I get super excited. In this instance, I thought, what if Sherlock lied to Watson for some reason? What if he’d known Moriarty since they were kids? What if something that happened when they were kids is why they’re rivals as adults? The story kind of spiraled out from there.
Why make Moriarty a girl?
At first she was a boy. I was really excited to write a kind of bromance/power struggle/friends-but-rivals kind of dynamic. But every time I re-read a scene, Moriarty just sounded like a girl to me. And when I finally gave in and realized how fun it would be to write a girl villain who is exploring her darker self and who uses her intellect instead of her sexuality to get what she wants…I was hooked. I couldn’t go back if I wanted. Maybe someday I’ll be able to write the bromance of my dreams.
Were the Sherlock books your favorite when you were a kid?
No… (ahem) I liked them okay, but I really preferred Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers and Elizabeth Peters. I really fell in love with Sherlock while watching Jeremy Brett play the role. And when I reread the series later on, I was amazed at how modern the narrative style was. But mostly I fell in love with the intricacy of some of the stories and the messaging and style.
Who are your favorite authors?
Patricia McKillip
Terry Pratchett
Holly Black
Agatha Christie
Dorothy Sayers
Leigh Bardugo
Elie Wiesel
George MacDonald
C.S. Lewis
Virginia Woolf
What are some of your favorite books?
The Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Phantastes by George MacDonald
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
White Cat by Holly Black
Paper Towns by John Green
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
What are you working on next?
This is always a secret. But I promise to give you news when I have it!
QUICK FIVE
Favorite Movies: Superhero movies, Shakespeare remakes, anything with Idris Elba in it…
Favorite TV Shows: I mostly watch Korean dramas and variety shows, BBC mysteries, and binge Marvel series and seasons of Great British Bake Off.
Last Shows Added to Your Netflix Queue: The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Mystery Science Theater 3000 – The Return, and Limitless.
Favorite Manga: Deathnote
Places You Want To Visit: Amsterdam, Wales, South Korea
Connect
rssrssrssrss
Upcoming Events
SCBWI Artown Event
Heather Petty has been obsessed with mysteries since she was twelve, which is when she decided that stories about murders in London drawing rooms and English seaside villages were far superior to all other stories. She is the author of the Lock & Mori series. She lives in Reno, Nevada, with her husband, daughter, and four hopelessly devious cats. You can visit her online at HeatherWPetty.com.
8Sep2015
The Debut Club: An interview with Heather W. Petty, author of LOCK & MORI
Posted in 2015 Debuts, Detective, Interviews, Mystery, The Debut Club, Young Adult Authors by Laura Shovan
Sweet Sixteener Elly Swartz recently spoke to Fearless Fifteener Heather W. Petty about her debut YA detective mystery, LOCK & MORI (September 15, 2015 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).
About the Author:
Heather Petty pic
Heather Petty has been obsessed with mysteries since she was twelve, which is when she decided that stories about murders in London drawing rooms and English seaside villages were far superior to all other stories. Lock & Mori is her first novel. She lives in Reno, Nevada with her husband, daughter, and four hopelessly devious cats.
You can visit Heather on her website, Twitter, Tumblr, Goodreads, Facebook, and Pinterest.
About LOCK AND MORI:
Front Cover 012015 - Lock and Mori
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.
LOCK & MORI is available for purchase at Target, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Powell’s, and IndieBound.
Elly: I loved this book and once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down until I reached the very end and knew what happened.
Heather: Thank you!!
Elly: This story is about the mystery in life and death. How did you come up with this idea?
Heather: I came up with the idea after reading a blog post about the relationships between heroes and villains that made the point that all we know: Moriarty is from Sherlock’s POV. That made me wonder what if Sherlock had lied to Watson. What if Moriarty knew Sherlock in high school and something happened to turn them into enemies?
Elly: How did your own life impact the telling of Mori’s story?
Heather: In the story, we meet Mori after her mom has died (promise, no spoiler). I was 15,000 words into writing this book when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She died six weeks later. It was hard to write for a while. And, when I finally did dive back in, I wanted to be sure I could write Mori’s story without it becoming my own.
Elly: I am so sorry for your loss. And, I want you to know that you succeeded in your goal. While I felt an authentic sense of loss while reading, I experienced it through Mori’s lens. Sherlock Holmes is obviously well-known for his crime solving, how did you decide to weave his teen self into this novel and not make him the main character?
Heather: Sherlock has been so explored over time and is always the center of the story. I wanted this to be Mori’s story. I liked turning the good girl/ bad boy trope on its head. This is not a retelling, but a story of origin. Kind of like what Smallville was for Superman.
Elly: Did you find the essence of your story changed a lot from when you first started writing?
Heather: In the very beginning, Mori was going to be a boy. But when I started taking notes about the character, I realized Mori was meant to be a girl in this story. During revision, the story didn’t change much, but the stakes got higher. Mom’s role exploded. Dad became more violent. Lily’s role crystalized – as she plays a large role in book 2.
Elly: LOCK & MORI is a great mystery. Can’t wait for book two!
Heather: Thanks!
Lightning Round Questions
Favorite mystery as a kid? Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.
Favorite mystery now? The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie.
Oddest job you ever had? Outdoor education instructor teaching Geology and Mining and Physics in Nature (even though I’m bad in math).
Mori wears a feathered hat. Do you have a favorite hat? No favorite hat, just hoodies.
Morning or night-time writer? Night time. Peak hours for writing are 11 pm to 2 am. However, with a day job and a kid, my optimal writing now lands between 7 pm and 11 pm.
You have your best aha story moments when … I am taking a shower/ driving in a car/ about to fall asleep at night.
Character in a story who you most identify with is … Harriet Vane from Dorothy Sayer’s Lord Peter mysteries.
LOCK & MORI is available for purchase at Target, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Powell’s, and IndieBound.
Heather has been obsessed with mysteries since she was twelve, which is when she decided that stories about murders in London drawing rooms and English seaside villages were far superior to all other stories. Lock & Mori is her first novel. She lives in Reno, Nevada with her husband, daughter, and four hopelessly devious cats. You can learn more about Heather and her books at heatherwpetty.com.
Petty, Heather W.: Mind Games: Lock and Mori, Book 2
Christina Jones
39.5 (Dec. 2016): p65.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
2Q * 2P * J * S
Petty, Heather W. Mind Games: Lock and Mori, Book 2. Simon & Schuster, 2016. 304p. $17.99. 978-1-4814-2306-9.
Jamie Moriarty, nicknamed Mori, is trying to stay strong. She is fighting her feelings for her good friend, Sherlock Holmes, nicknamed Lock, as she protects her younger brothers. In the first novel, Mori discovered her abusive father was a serial killer who killed her mother and her best friend. Now, Mori must deal with a woman protesting her father's innocence while also dealing with her father's former police friends who think she is the criminal. Luckily, Alice, her mother's best friend, moves in to help take care of the boys. When a severed hand is discovered in Moris trash, she begins to receive cryptic drawings depicting Mori destroying her fathers murder weapon, something that can link her to the murders even though she is innocent. Mori begins to worry that she is in danger. Lock, the all-knowing teen detective who solves mysteries and helps Mori piece together the clues, is somewhat pushy. After a body is found on Moris doorstep, however, she proves that she can be quite the detective, all on her own.
This is the second novel in a series and it does not stand alone; it builds on the tensions and details of the first installment. Though it is set in London, the prose has a distinctly American feel. The tension between Mori and Lock is well written and engaging, but the plot disrupts the pace. The twist and cliffhanger ending show some promise. This is recommended for readers who want a simple mystery with a brooding male love interest.--Christina Jones.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Jones, Christina. "Petty, Heather W.: Mind Games: Lock and Mori, Book 2." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2016, p. 65+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA474767953&it=r&asid=3d811743295405c8cc002e1991508f5c. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A474767953
Heather W. Petty: MIND GAMES
(Oct. 1, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Heather W. Petty MIND GAMES Simon & Schuster (Adult Fiction) 17.99 ISBN: 978-1-4814-2306-9
The adventures of a modern Holmes and a girl Moriarty, begun in Lock & Mori (2015), continue.When Jamie MoriartyMoriproved her abusive father was the serial killer responsible for murdering Mori's con-artist mother and best friend, it just complicated her life. Sure, as a 16-year-old she's allowed to live alone, but her beloved kid brothers are saved from the foster system only by the fortuitous appearance of their dead mother's BFF. Mori's ex-cop dad has too many allies in the police force; are they responsible for framing Mori by leaving a dismembered hand in her rubbish bin? Mori's relationship with her brilliant classmate LockSherlock Holmes himselfdevelops romantically (was the gender-swap really necessary to add sexual tension to this century-old pairing of beloved enemies?), but Mori keeps a distance, protecting her heart. Sherlock repeatedly imposes on Mori far too often (while mouthing platitudes about respect), with unpleasant boundary pushing that leads Mori to doubt herself. Luckily, she's a splendidly resourceful heroine: despite her gaslighting father, her pushy boyfriend, and the multiple murderers who trash her house and leave a corpse in her doorway, Mori keeps her own wise counsel and solves the many puzzles around her. Copious Americanisms weaken the London setting of these white teens. A surprise twist sets up the cracker of a cliffhanger. (Thriller. 12-15)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Heather W. Petty: MIND GAMES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA465181830&it=r&asid=1ecb659f7db63bf409291e4b4f68787b. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A465181830
Petty, Heather W.: Lock & Mori
Kristi Sadowski
38.4 (Oct. 2015): p58.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
3Q * 4P * J * S
Petty, Heather W. Lock & Mori. Simon & Schuster, 2015. 256p. $17.99. 978-1-48142303-8.
Petty's re-imagining of the classic Sherlock Holmes tale is from the perspective of a young, female Moriarty (Mori) as she meets Sherlock (Lock) for the first time. After crossing each other's paths, Lock starts a game. The two will observe a crime scene of a murder in the park, share all their information, and see who can use their powers of deduction to solve the mystery first. Mori is not sure she wants to play, her relationship with Lock quickly blossoms into romance, and the discovery of an old photo makes the mystery very personal. The mystery is solved early on, at least by Mori, and the rest of the book is her making bad decision after bad decision as she tries to protect the identity of the murderer and hide the conclusion from Lock.
This is definitely more of a character study of Moriarty than the average Sherlockian mystery--in fact, other than as a love interest, there was no need for Lock in this book. Their romance seems rushed and not entirely natural. The decisions Mori makes seem more in line with setting the stage for future books in the series than what made the most sense. Sherlock Holmes in any variation is hot, hot, hot. Die hard Sherlock fans will require access to this book, but other readers may not be as enamored.--Kristi Sadowski.
Sadowski, Kristi
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Sadowski, Kristi. "Petty, Heather W.: Lock & Mori." Voice of Youth Advocates, Oct. 2015, p. 58. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA432172953&it=r&asid=dc07a85b8505e42fc1d0293e2318a526. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A432172953
Lock & Mori
Maggie Reagan
112.1 (Sept. 1, 2015): p105.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Lock & Mori. By Heather W. Petty. Sept. 2015. 256p. Simon 8i Schuster, $17.99 (9781481423038). Gr. 9-12.
James Moriarty, called Mori (also, she's female--it's a family name) is coasting. School isn't challenging enough to interest her, she's distanced herself from friends, and her mother's death from cancer has left Mori and her three younger brothers alone with their father, a policeman whose grief has made him increasingly volatile. But when she meets fellow student Sherlock Holmes and a murder occurs in nearby Regent's Park, things change: after witnessing some shoddy police work, the two set out to solve the murder themselves. Despite not wanting to get involved, Mori is drawn to quiet, brilliant Lock, and soon finds herself entangled in a mystery that may be closer to home than she realized. Set in modern-day London, this adaption still feels vaguely steampunk, and comes with a dark atmosphere and high stakes. Though Lock and Mori, with their tentative romance, aren't yet the famed archenemies of literature, this first in a planned trilogy has opened the door for them to follow that road to its end. --Maggie Reagan
Reagan, Maggie
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "Lock & Mori." Booklist, 1 Sept. 2015, p. 105. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA430716952&it=r&asid=eafcffb1909435d5da4ac30db2fbc039. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A430716952
Petty, Heather W.: LOCK & MORI
(July 1, 2015):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Petty, Heather W. LOCK & MORI Simon & Schuster (Children's Fiction) $17.99 9, 15 ISBN: 978-1-4814-2303-8
The brilliant daughter of Detective Sgt. Moriarty meets posh Sherlock Holmes, so obviously there will be murders. Mori's got her hands full putting up with idiots at school, grieving her six-months-dead mum, and protecting her three younger brothers from their alcoholic and abusive father. Not so long ago, her family was happy: her dad spent time being manly with the boys, while Mori learned about martial arts and sleight of hand from her mother. With all that over, Mori has no intention of becoming friends with arrogant classmate Sherlock. Despite her best efforts to stay away from him, though, Mori fails. Both his intelligence and his affection for her are deeply compelling, and that's not to mention how interesting it is to be solving a murder with one of the few clever people she knows. When the crime they're investigating starts hitting too close to home--reminding Mori of her beloved mother's many secrets--she no longer wants Sherlock to be a part of her investigation. The story is set in present-day London and narrated affectingly by Mori. The conclusion leaves space for the fated collapse of the Holmes/Moriarty relationship in later series entries, putting a nice potential twist on the good girl-bad boy trend. Mystery lovers will be pleased to have this whodunit, which is neither Victoriana nor steampunk. (Mystery. 13-15)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Petty, Heather W.: LOCK & MORI." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2015. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA419698407&it=r&asid=bcf1bef2dccd3100373f490553376b56. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A419698407
Petty, Heather W.: Lock & Mori
Traci Glass
61.9 (Sept. 2015): p170.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
PETTY, Heather W. Lock & Mori. 256p. S. & S. Sept. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781481423038.
Gr 9 Up--Miss James "Mori" Moriarty's mother has died of cancer, leaving her and her three younger brothers alone with their violent, grieving father. But then she meets Sherlock "Lock" Holmes at school. In this reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle's world, Lock and Mori pair up to try and solve the very disturbing murders that are occurring in London's Regent's Park. After the father of one of their schoolmates is brutally killed, the duo agree to team up to see who can solve the murder first, and their only rule is that they have to share everything they find. But when Mori finds out that her mother might just be at the center of not only Mr. Patel's murder but three other suspicious murders, she decides that she must investigate on her own to keep her new friend and family secrets safe. Along the way, the teens start falling for each other, which makes Mori all the more determined to keep the whole dangerous mess a secret. This fun, thrilling read will interest not only fans of the Sherlock TV show, but also those who have no prior knowledge of Baker Street and the wonders and mysteries that happen there. Mori is a well-developed, multidimensional protagonist and a lively narrator. Lock is just as intriguing, and it will be fun for fans to see the sleuth as a teenager, trying to make his way to his ultimate destiny. Watson shows up, too--he's the boyfriend of their classmate Lily Patel. The ending will leave readers wanting more from these two mystery mavens. VERDICT A definite purchase where mysteries are loved and Sherlock fandom is celebrated.--Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, OR
Glass, Traci
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Glass, Traci. "Petty, Heather W.: Lock & Mori." School Library Journal, Sept. 2015, p. 170. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA427423826&it=r&asid=a548d3a683bfc901623b2c017e0502e1. Accessed 1 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A427423826
#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!
Lock & Mori: Mind Games Review
Posted on January 13, 2017
img_2234
Mind Games (Lock & Mori #2) by Heather W. Petty
Published: December 6th 2016 by Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers
Rating: DNF
Goodreads Summary:
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 (Lock & Mori, #2)
I should have learned from the first book, but I was hoping that this one would be better. I really only read it because I received it with the first one in my Lit-Cube subscription last month.
I think it was really Mori that just drove me crazy that I had to stop reading it. With her constant back and forth with Lock and thinking that she is superior to everyone else. Mori is just not a relatable character and I have too many books on my TBR shelf to read a book I am not interested in.