The Mammoth Book of the Adventures of Moriarty: The Secret Life of Sherlock Holmes’s Nemesis
ed. Maxim Jakubowski (Robinson, 2015); audiobook read by Toby Longworth (Bolinda, 2016)
An enormous anthology, remarkable for having no truly poor stories—though also very few classics. Keith Moray’s traditionally styled ‘The Fulham Strangler’ and Claude Lalumière’s more experimental ‘A Scandal in Arabia’ come closest, showing Moriarty to be as dangerous as Holmes asserted.
Holmes and Moriarty
by Gareth Rubin (Simon & Schuster, 2024)
audiobook read by Michael Fenner & Gareth Armstrong (Simon & Schuster Audio, 2024)
The Holmes/Watson characterisation feels right, and Moriarty/Moran emerge as an equally absorbing duo (Watson and Moran alternating their first-person accounts), yet the titular conflux amounts to little. The plot devolves into explicated mystery where neither Holmes nor Moriarty (nor Mycroft) contribute much.
Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall
by Stephen Thompson; dir. Toby Haynes (BBC, 2012)
Another clever (if frenetic) script, reworking Conan Doyle’s ‘The Final Problem’ and cramming a whole series of character arcs into one episode. While Andrew Scott (Moriarty) positively steals the show, Rupert Graves (Lestrade) proves subtly effective, grounding the mad turn of events.
Sherlock: The Great Game
by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2010)
A grim episode to round out Series One, its plot not obviously based on a particular Conan Doyle story. Moriarty (Andrew Scott) proves a revelation while Sherlock becomes less and less likeable—a smug, classist brainbox acting much as Sergeant Donovan cautioned.
Moriarty
by Anthony Horowitz (Orion, 2014)
No Sherlock Holmes or Watson, just a cleverly subversive homage and a body on the slab at Reichenbach, both tagged ‘Moriarty.’ Therein lies the mystery, Horowitz leading as Inspector Athelney Jones investigates and Conan Doyle’s London plays host to the ultimate swindle.