Published 27th October 2026 by Simon Stream.
Audio book narrated by Heather Long.
From the cover of the book:
Welcome to Moriarty & Co: who would have thought that solving crimes is more fun than committing them?
Investigative journalist Abigail Wren has spent her career chasing cases no one else cares about. But everything changes when Abbie learns she's the last living heir to the Moriarty criminal empire (yes, that Moriarty). Now, not only has she inherited a crumbling country house, she’s also acquired a cellar full of ageing operatives who've spent their lives on the wrong side of the law. She wants none of it.
Her new “employees” aren’t too thrilled either. They want a Moriarty in charge – not someone who's only ever solved crimes, not committed them. But when Maurice Finch, one of the old guard, is found dead in circumstances nobody believes were accidental, the team wants revenge.
Abbie sees an opportunity: she decides they’re switching sides and going straight to find Finch’s killer. But pulling at the threads of Finch's death turns up a second body, and a name that keeps surfacing where it shouldn't. Because someone else thinks the Moriarty inheritance should have been theirs, and he's only just getting started...
With time running out to catch the killer, can they solve the case before another body turns up? Or is the world’s most unconventional detective agency also going to be its most short-lived?
***********
Investigative journalist Abigail (Abbie) Wren has made a career out of getting to the bottom of cases that go nowhere, for local newspapers. Her latest investigation into shady business Gordon Vennett has joust gone spectacularly sideways, and she has lost her job as a result.
Having to rely on part-time bar work to pay the bills is less than ideal, but she really does not know what to make of the opportunity that comes her way when mild-mannered solicitor Arthur Pemberton informs she has inherited a legacy that will change her life - namely that she the last living member of the Moriarty criminal empire (yes, that Moriarty).
The legacy comes with a crumbling manor house, and a cellar that contains that aging operatives of what remains of the Moriarty operation, who are not thrilled about her arrival. However, they are in need of someone with her skills to help them get to the bottom of the murder of one of their own. Abbie is not at all sure about suddenly being on the wrong side of the law, but this just might be a profitable working partnership for them all, if they can avoid the attentions of another contender for the Moriarty legacy...
This first instalment of a brand new cosy crime series, Moriarty & Co. is an absolute delight from start to finish!
Abbie has never known her parentage, so the discovery that she is the last remaining legitimate heir of the infamous James Moriarty, arch-nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, is a big surprise. Finding her legacy somewhat diminished, Abbie meets the gang of a handful of (mostly) aging ' Old Guard' operatives who are now her 'employees' - Graves (sizeable chap in-charge of the armoury), Patch (IT expert), Sable (the one youngster, and an androgenous chameleon), Evie (disavowed coroner), and Arthur Pemberton (solicitor, aka Pembers).
The Old Guard have been keeping the dwindling fires burning, and are smarting from the loss of Finch, who was auditing the books of the 'new age' Worshipful Company of Mercantile Venturers (dodgy financial types), and apparently fell off a roof. Convinced he was murdered, they want revenge, and the brand new Moriarty leader's investigative savvy could be helpful. The gang head of to the hall here the Worshipful Company are gathering for a swanky dinner, and set about ferreting out the truth under the guise of a real historical department of the Home Office. Along the way, they get to know each others strengths and secrets, and Abbie discovers a part of herself she did not even know existed.
This is equal parts super-slick murder mystery, quirky crime caper, and gangland thriller with a twist, that thrums with cosy Richard Osman-type vibes. The Moriarty gang are a riot, and work beautifully as a team to solve Finch's murder, and reach satisfying conclusions in other areas of the story in a way that will make you punch the air with glee. There is extra frisson from a potential love interest for Abbie in the form of (clearly smitten) DCI Hale, and the element of a dangerous pretender to the Moriarty crown adds an edge to the whole proceedings which provides a cracking twist at the end - and a fabulous hook into the next book in the Moriarty & Co series.
I ended up listening to the audio book of this gem, narrated with aplomb by Heather Long, and loved every glorious moment. I cannot wait for book two!
The Moriarty Murders is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Simon Stream for providing me with a review copy of this book.
About the author:
Jack Gatland is the crime-writing pen name of Tony Lee, a British #1 New York Times bestselling writer, novelist, screenwriter, audio dramatist and comics writer. As Jack Gatland, he is best known for his fast-paced crime fiction, including the DI Declan Walsh series, and has built a strong indie readership through prolific series publishing.
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