IS IT HERE YET? No?

I don't normally get so hyped over a book, but I sincerely love Mori so much. I just want more of her and Lock being awkward clever geniuses.

Sherlock and Moriarty, infamous enemies, are boyfriend and girlfriend in the Lock & Mori series. When we last saw these two, Sherlock betrayed Moriarty. I thought as I picked up this book, "She's going to try to kill him." That's what I surmised from their last meeting. She would never forgive for what he had done. But that wasn't the case. She is still pretty angry with him, he is stuck in his ways according to her, and they have to deal with the repercussions of the night she tried to kill her father and failed.

Mind Games was such a surprise because I didn't think it could get any better from the last book and it did. I had a couple of complaints about the last story that I felt this one improved on. Mostly Sherlock didn't annoy me as much. Sherlock "annoy me?" you gasp with indignation. Yes, well Sherlock is a lovable, awkward, genius but in a relationship he just seems - desperate. I just don't like the way he acts around Mori. Either Mori was too angry with Sherlock and she spent less time with him or the rest of the story captured me so much that I didn't bother with him. Anyway you out it, I just liked the story more.

Mori is now dealing with her father being in jail (trying to get out), the police harassing her, and someone wanting her dead. She's been getting drawings that show her what she's done and is told to confess or trouble will happen. Mori tries all that she can to keep her brothers safe from her monster of a father while also trying to quell the monster in her. The mystery was very intriguing. I was enraptured by all the connections that were being made and the possible suspects. It was a very good twist that I would have never guessed.

Mind Games and this series is mostly about Mori and becoming the villain she was always meant to be. There is a lot of talk about how the police are corrupt, how she is helpless to keep her brothers safe, and how much better it would be to resolve everything the way her mother did - with cunning and persuasion. Mori's angry side is showing as well. She sees that she's not good enough for Sherlock. She wonders when he will see her for who she truly is. Now Sherlock on the other hand, is himself to the very core but there is one thing I can see changing - his belief in the police. He wants Mori to trust them and go to them. I think after all of this he's going to start saying how incompetent the are but he will still have the sense of justice we know of him having today.

I fear the worst with Mori and this twist ending. Mori isn't really a monster. She's angry and will kill to save her brothers but she's still the kind person who goes to Sherlock's aid when he truly need her. I have a theory that she will become who she really is when her brothers are taken away from her. That will destroy any goodness inside her and she will become not Mori but Moriarty. She will take back her father's name and unleash herself upon the world.

I'm pretty excited to see it all play out. Mori will surely lose her humanity and get her revenge. Sherlock will see her for who she really is. It's inevitable and I love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for letting me read and review Mind Games in exchange for an honest review! ( )

“…Am I afraid of what you might be? Or am I afraid of what I know for certain I would be without the constraints of law?” He looked me straight in the eyes and asked, “Am I more afraid of you or myself?”

“Mind Games” picks up just a couple of weeks after the first book so not much time has passed for the characters.

Mori’s situation is one of those that really frustrate, fascinate, and scare the crap out of me at the same time. Her abusive father might have been arrested, but he was a well liked cop, and he has plenty of guys on the inside willing to stick to his side rather than the side of the law.

Mori herself highly developed as a character in this installment of the series. It’s still too early to tell if she’ll actually follow the footsteps of her namesake or not, but the confusion, intention, and ability was prevalent though this book.

Lock is brilliant as always, but skittish around Mori as he works toward her forgiveness for something he’s not really all that sorry for. He also seems to struggle with how much space to give Mori; if he should leave her alone with her thoughts as she wants or pull her closer and risk being pushed away.

Overall, Mind Games wasn’t as action packed as the first book but it was shrouded in mystery. This installment of the series seemed to be a build up for the third book, which will hopefully have more of the action we saw in the first book. ( )

Mind Games starts only two weeks after the events of the last book. James "Mori" Moriarty finds herself in a bit of a mess as her family is constantly the target of a media smear campaign, a police department who seems to have a grudge against her as well as anonymous threatening letters that appear at her doorstep. Sherlock Holmes has constantly tried to be by her side and get back into her good graces, much to her annoyance. However, the two will have to find a way to work together if Mori wants to stop her father from being released from Prison as well as find a new killer who's only goal seems to be to frame Mori for her father's crimes.

This second book has the same great characters as the first, the same tone as the first (surprisingly just as dark) and does have a rather interesting, albeit somewhat predictable, mystery. The book, however, does tend to meander a bit. It focuses a lot on the relationship between Mori and Sherlock quite a bit more. Which, while interesting and more established than the first book, can be a little grating by the seventh time that Mori mentions she can't be with Sherlock while still being with Sherlock. The book also suffers with dragging out the mystery until the very end of the book, leading to most of the book simply forgetting it exists until someone brings it up again.

There are a lot of great scenes with Sherlock in this book that we didn't really get in the first book. Although Mori is the main character, most of the character development is focused on Sherlock and his determination to not only keep going forward but to try to keep Mori safe and by his side. Mori definitely gets darker as a character, as her entire determination is focused around killing her father, as it was by the ending of the last book.

Once again, the book totes that this is a Sherlock Holmes/James Moriarty story. And once again, there is very little that connects this to the classic stories. Arguably, there are more references in this book than were in the last, including a mention of a group of criminals that were hypothetically run by Mori, another mention of Watson and Gregson. However, anyone looking for a direct adaptation will again be highly disappointed. Take this story as it's own story. Don't try to compare it to the Sherlock Holmes novels.

If you liked the first book, you'll definitely like Mind Games, which plays less like another story and more like a continuation of the first book. The biggest flaw about the book is the painful cliffhanger ending. Otherwise, it's just as fun as the last book, if not more and I highly recommend it for a quick and enjoyable read. ( )

Picking up where the first book in the series left off (I'm going to avoid spoilers in this review), Mori is reeling from the revelations, and trying to put her life back together. But a new mystery has sprung up, one that directly involves her, her family, and Sherlock Holmes.

I love what Petty has done with Lock and Mori. They are complex characters that I have come to care deeply about, and to root for.

The mystery is another good one, lots of twists and turns, lots of unexpected revelations. That cliffhanger at the end is amazing!!

I have a hard time finding anything not to like about this series. If anything, the ending felt a little rushed.

Thanks to that crazy cliffhanger at the end, I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series! ( )