James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal

Before Sherlock Holmes named him his greatest adversary, Professor James Moriarty was something else entirely: the cleverest mind in London's criminal world, solving problems that Scotland Yard could never touch. In this collection of three original short stories, Andy Weir reimagines Moriarty not as a villain lurking in shadow but as the hero of his own intricate adventures, complete with a loyal companion and a methodical brilliance that mirrors Holmes's own. Set in Victorian London, the tales unfold with the clockwork precision of classic detective fiction, only with crime itself as the protagonist's true vocation.

At just over an hour, the runtime suits Graeme Malcolm's measured, authoritative delivery perfectly. Malcolm gives Moriarty a calm, considered presence that conveys intelligence without tipping into melodrama, letting Weir's dry wit land cleanly. The short-story format plays naturally to audio listening, with each tale arriving as a tight, satisfying episode. Fans of Conan Doyle will find the familiar rhythms rewarding, and the perspective flip gives well-worn territory a genuinely fresh angle.