The Initiation (Lock and Key Series #1)

by Ridley Pearson

Overview

“Will leave you dying to know more.”—Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series

The New York Times bestselling author of the Peter and the Starcatchers and Kingdom Keepers series, Ridley Pearson, brings us the riveting first tale of the Lock and Key trilogy about the origins of the rivalry between literature’s most famous enemies—Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty, told from the perspective of James’s observant little sister, Moria.

Before James grew up to be a ruthless, remorseless villain, he was a curious boy from Boston, with a penchant for trouble and an acid tongue. Thrown into a boarding school against his wishes, James winds up rooming with a most unlikely companion: a lanky British know-it-all named Sherlock Holmes (“Lock” to his friends). An heirloom Bible, donated by the Moriarty family more than a hundred years ago, has gone missing, and it doesn’t take long for the two to find themselves embroiled in the school-wide scandal.

The school is on lockdown until it’s found, strange clues keep finding their way to James, and a secret society lurks behind it all. It’s a brave new reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes series as only master of suspense Ridley Pearson could envision. As Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series, says, “This tale will change the way you see Sherlock Holmes and leave you dying to know more.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062399014
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/20/2016
Series:	Ridley Pearson's Lock and Key Series , #1
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	444,542
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ridley Pearson is the bestselling author of over fifty novels, including Peter and the Starcatchers (cowritten with Dave Barry) and the Kingdom Keepers and Lock and Key series. He has also written two dozen crime novels, including Probable Cause, Beyond Recognition, Killer Weekend, The Risk Agent, and The Red Room. To learn more about him, visit www.ridleypearson.com.

Hometown:

St. Louis, Missouri

Date of Birth:

March 13, 1953

Place of Birth:

Glen Cove, New York

Education:

Kansas University, B.A., Brown University

Website:

http://www.ridleypearson.com/

Editorial Reviews

07/11/2016
The famed rivalry between Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty gets an update in this modern-day origin story, first in the Lock and Key series, which sees the two future archenemies rooming together at the elite Baskerville Academy. James Moriarty and his younger sister, Moria (who narrates), struggle to fit in after being sent to Baskerville, several hours away from their Boston home, also dealing with the weight of their family’s lengthy association with the school. When their family Bible, a prized possession of the Academy, is stolen, the pressure is on for James to unravel the clues and retrieve it. With Holmes and Moria alternately helping and hindering his efforts, he additionally investigates a conspiracy that seems to be targeting him. While Pearson (the Kingdom Keepers series) tries to put a new spin on these classic characters, he fails to capture their true essence; it’s hard to take the future “Napoleon of Crime” seriously as a surly 14-year-old, and Holmes is more annoying than brilliant without a Watson to temper his excesses. Coupled with a convoluted central mystery, this reimagining misses its mark. Ages 8–12. Agent: Amy Berkower and Dan Conaway, Writers House. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

This novel spin on a familiar tale will pull in lots of fans.

Booklist

James Moriarty, at fourteen, and his twelve-year-old sister Moira have grown up in a prestigious Beacon Hill home in Boston, before they are sent off to an elite boarding school, The Baskerville Academy. The Moriarty siblings come from a long line of Moriarty’s that have attended the Academy. Meanwhile, their father is traveling to places unknown. Prior to their leaving, Moira is told that if she stopped hearing from her father, she was to search out a key in the fireplace ashes and unlock her father’s desk drawer—revealing who knows what? Moira fit in immediately at the Academy, but James stumbled a bit and blames everything on his roommate, Sherlock Holmes. It was as if destiny itself had forced these two into each other’s lives. Moira is smitten with “Lock,” and this only made things worse. When the family’s heirloom Bible is stolen, Sherlock is quick to start deducing where it might be; James does not want his help and he immediately draws lines, thus beginning a lifetime of jealous competition. Clues are followed; blood is spilled; and a mystery is afoot. James embraces a dark side that even his younger sister cannot stop. If only he had not so many secrets. If only the siblings, who have always been so close, had not been ultimately pitted against each other, with a young overly curious Sherlock Holmes placed in the middle. Told by Moira, this is a page-turner, a must read for Holmes fans. It is a true delight to discover a tale about Holmes’ young arch nemesis’ Moriarty and their first fated meeting. Readers will hope there is to be a sequel! Reviewer: Toni Jourdan; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Toni Jourdan

07/01/2016
Gr 5–7—Baskerville Academy is the locale where teenagers James Moriarty, his younger sister Moira, and Sherlock Holmes meet as new students. Immediately, something untoward happens. The irreplaceable Moriarty Bible, which belonged to the original Moriarty ancestor, goes missing. The entire student body is under suspicion, but only James receives curious red envelopes containing cryptic messages as to the Bible's whereabouts. His roommate Sherlock offers to assist him, as does Moira, but James refuses all help because he finds Sherlock arrogant, and now that he is in school, he distances himself from Moira as well. Instead, James prefers to align himself with some unsavory upperclassmen. When James and Moira's father dies, Moira asks Sherlock to do some sleuthing, because his death was not accidental. This new role for Sherlock pleases his restless spirit. On campus, there is a secret society that includes the headmaster and James's late father. The members of this clandestine organization, called The Fellowship of Scowerers, want James to join. The initiation involves tattooing James's underarm with the symbol of a tree and key as well as warning him that to reveal anything about this society could lead to his death. Pearson perfectly captures Holmes's deductive methods. He humanizes Holmes's prickly personality by creating an innocent, blossoming romance with Moira. Likewise, Moriarty's persona becomes darker and more devious as he transforms into a malevolent force. VERDICT The first installment in an exciting new series that's ideal for fans of Pearson and those looking for a more modern take on Sherlock Holmes's mysteries.—Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2016-06-22
Set in modern-day Boston, this first in a new series chronicles the interactions between high school age Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis, James Moriarty.Moria, James' younger sister, narrates, chronicling the first clashes between the famous archrivals. James, already angry at being forced to attend Baskerville Academy according to family tradition, is further enraged when he is paired with Sherlock Holmes for a roommate. Sherlock is prideful and talks too much, and true to character, he is unapologetic for his intellect. When the Moriarty family Bible goes missing from its display case, the school is put into lockdown. Both James and Sherlock believe that the administration's extreme reaction is proof that the Bible holds secret information. But while Sherlock applies his intellect to the mystery, James relies on deception and bullying. Lengthy narrative passages and long-winded monologues slow down the action. And although Moria and Sherlock's budding romance is sweet, their endless banter is both repetitive and exhausting. Further, James' sudden shift in character from loving brother to cruel criminal mastermind-in-training is abrupt and unsupported. It is never clear why he hates Sherlock so much, which makes him seem like a petulant child rather than an evil genius. Though the Moriartys are now Boston Brahmins, Pearson does not deviate so far from canon as to depict his leads as anything other than white. A disappointing reinvention of beloved characters. (Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews