Final Fall

Gr 9 Up—This final series installment opens with Mori imprisoned in a temporary cell, desperate to find a way out and save her brothers from Alice, the woman who deceived her and now threatens her siblings' safety. After a failed escape attempt, she comes to a grudging agreement with Alice that she will train to be her "sword;" but she secretly plots to kill Alice and rescue her brothers. After successfully freeing herself and whisking her brothers off to America to tentative safety, Mori returns to her London home, seeking vengeance from her father. Ultimately she succeeds but loses her ally, friend, and possible lover, Lock, as he discovers what she is now capable of doing. This continuation of a modern-day Sherlock and Moriarty tale provides readers only light mystery and very tepid characters. Despite several fight scenes and mysterious notes, there is no real menace or sense of urgency to the plot. Mori is an angsty and conflicted protagonist, lacking any of the real skill or subtlety that Sherlock Holmes fans crave.