I was pulled into this story, but I found the ending a little abrupt. It is certainly a cliffhanger, but it seems to leave more questions than answers. There isn't anything that is really tied up in this book; it is clearly a book in the middle of a series. While I like reading books in a series, I like for the books in the middle to stand on their own, at least for their own story. It is easy to forget that Mori is actually supposed to be the bad guy in the Sherlock Holmes-James Moriarty duo since it is told from her perspective. Her dad is genuinely a creep, and I like how fiercely she tries to protect her brothers from him.

This book didn't grip me quite as forcefully as the first. I recognized the ending about 60 pages before the book got there. I had forgotten a lot of details about the first book, so I struggled to make some connections. But it was an enjoyable story with good characterization and a more human Sherlock than his classical persona.

2.5 stars.

I read this book in a day. Not because I couldn't put it down, but because nothing much happens. I feel like I read a really long prequel chapter for Book 3.

I think I actually enjoyed this sequel more than the original because the world was already established, the relationships and characters were established. I really liked the new characters introduced and appreciated the way the author worked through the plot. I was even surprised by it, which was nice. I'm looking forward to the third book and hoping that Mori's resolve about Sherlock remains as weak as it has been. I really like these two together as a couple, but knowing the original 'canon' I have a feeling they're doomed.

There's this weird thing with this trilogy. I have some sort of feeling where this trilogy is going. And I'm not entirely sure if that's exactly where I want it to go, or if I'd secretly wish the author would provide us with a different outcome. And that also makes me a little reluctant to read on and to pick up the next book. I had to gather some courage to read this book and I hope to find the courage to read the next one next week.

However, just like the first book this book was an amazing rollercoaster of emotions. What I really love is that you see Sherlock and Moriarty growing into the people we get to know in their original stories. We see Mori losing her grip on herself and on her anger. We do see her lose the fight against her fixation on murder being the only solution to her issues. We see Sherlock realizing that feelings do not only hurt, a lot, but that they also cloud his judgement and make him miss obvious clues.

In a way reading this book, and trilogy, is a little bit like watching Titanic. There is a potential for romance and for a happily ever after, but somehow I feel that it's not going to happen. I'm basically watching how the ship sinks. And what makes it even more amazing is that I can understand why it sinks, why Moriarty becomes the person she is and why Sherlock becomes the person he is and why the two of them really can't stay together like that, even if they would both be willing to try their hardest.

Although this is the middle book in the trilogy, it doesn't really feel like a middle book. There really is a lot happening, both mystery wise and emotional wise. Characters are really growing and learning and going somewhere. Of course, we will only see where they'll end up in the next book, but this is not just a way of getting the characters from A to B. The entire series is about characters going from A to B and this is part of the road.

That doesn't mean that I really liked that cliffhanger. I don't really hate cliffhangers and I can handle them quite well, but this one WAS kind of nasty!

Absolutely cannot wait for the final book in this dark, well-written YA retelling.

Is it too much to ask that these two get a happy ending, preferably together?

I found Mori's single minded pursuit of loneliness and becoming a villain underwhelming and not very intelligent of her. She's in kind of a tough spot by the end of the book, but you'd think that by now she'd understand that she can trust Sherlock to help her save herself?

This was just a frustrating read. I'd started this series hoping for a new look at the relationship between Sherlock and Moriarty other than (good/evil), but that end seems inevitable now. I hope I'm wrong, and I really hope they get their happy ending. Please???

I liked this one a lot better than the first one, but it's hard to feel a lot of suspense when I, a chronically terrible story-figure-out-er was able to figure out the villain, and most of the tension revolves around Mori potentially going to jail despite the fact that the police never once offer up a motive for her to be a murderer. But if you can forgive this book for being poorly plotted and stupid, you will probably be able to enjoy Mori's slow decline into madness and evil-villain-ness.

I have to say..... I didn't like this book as much as the first one.

Trigger Warnings: Violence, Abuse

Although I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one, I did still really like it. This is a good continuation of the series. We pick up a little bit after where the last book left off.

My main complaint with this book is that it took over 100 pages into the book for what was being teased from the end of the last book to happen. I feel like the story could have gone better if it had happened earlier.

Overall this is a series I had never heard of before I found it in the library so I just want to give it some love and I recommend it to fans of mystery books.

I think I actually enjoyed this sequel more than the original because the world was already established, the relationships and characters were established. I really liked the new characters introduced and appreciated the way the author worked through the plot. I was even surprised by it, which was nice. I'm looking forward to the third book and hoping that Mori's resolve about Sherlock remains as weak as it has been. I really like these two together as a couple, but knowing the original 'canon' I have a feeling they're doomed.