AUDIO

The Return of Moriarty

by John Gardner
11 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 13 hrs. AudioGO. 2012. ISBN 9780792788645. $84.95; digital download. MYS
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This 1974 title is a heretical take on the Sherlock Holmes canon. The world's first consulting detective scarcely appears, having made a deal with that Napoleon of crime, Professor James Moriarty, at Reichenbach Falls (this Moriarty is a brother of the original). Like Holmes, Moriarty resurfaces in London after three years of wandering and immediately begins to reestablish control of his criminal empire, with an eye to international expansion. Narrator Robin Sachs is tolerable but not compelling as he wades through the tale, underplaying throughout; Moriarty has little character development except for being presented as evil. Not a bad performance, but uninspiring.
VERDICT Holmes fundamentalists and those who enjoy Victorian mysteries are this audiobook's best bet.
Reviewed by Don Wismer, Cary Memorial Lib., Wayne, ME , Dec 01, 2012
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