Literature & Fiction · Mystery
Becoming Sherlock – The Red Circle: Becoming Sherlock, Book 1
Editorial direction by Kevin CravediFounder, Recommended Audiobooks
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Recommendation DNA i
Early Evidence Profile
Set 40 years in the future, Becoming Sherlock reimagines London as a city in decay and follows John Watson after his return from medical service in Afghanistan. Living alone in a run-down part of town, Watson discovers a naked, badly beaten man who is barely alive. That same evening, a passenger plane crashes in Richmond Park, leaving hundreds dead and Watson and the mysterious stranger to fend for themselves. When the man awakens, he has no memory of his identity or origins—but he possesses remarkable powers of deduction. Their investigation begins with a question that shadows the entire trilogy: who is Sherlock Holmes, and can he solve the mystery of himself?
A baffling murder draws Lestrade to his new consulting detective and leads back to India, a secretive group of children, and the question of Holmes’s origins. As rival criminal organizations battle for control of London, Irene Adler seeks Holmes’s help when members of her underground club are murdered. Behind these cases lie the connected mysteries of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty.
Evidence Confidence
Why this matters →- The book itself is well identified and supported across independent sources.
- We still have limited information tied to this exact recording or edition.
- We don’t yet have enough narrator-specific commentary to characterize the performance.
There is useful independent information about the book itself, though some story details are still supported more clearly than others. The Limited label reflects what we still don’t know about this particular audiobook recording—not a lack of information about the book.
Evidence Snapshot i
These cards measure different things in the same evidence pool, so they are not meant to add together. Retained Evidence counts unique saved records; discussions and networks count independent groups; narration and edition cards count only records qualified for those specific jobs.
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Supporting sources 12
What this means
Unique evidence records that remain after filtering and deduplication. The larger evidence-signal total shown below can be higher because one retained record may support several separate facts or observations.
Source groups 6
What this means
Separate reviews, forums, interviews, or conversations, with duplicates kept from inflating the total.
Networks 14
What this means
Different platforms and publications represented in the research behind this page.
What this means
Performance evidence that can actually describe how this narrator sounds or performs this recording. Identity records, narrator biographies, sample links, and awards are useful context but do not count here on their own.
Supporting sources 1
What this means
Sources tied to the audiobook recording itself, such as verified product or catalog records that help resolve narrator, runtime, format, release information, or stable recording identifiers.
What this means
The most recent date this page’s saved evidence picture was refreshed and checked.
A larger evidence pool gives us more to work with, but volume alone does not make a conclusion stronger. Relevance and independence still matter.
What the Evidence Adds
Useful context the synopsis doesn’t cover — patterns that may help you decide whether this book is your kind of read or listen.
Series context
This sits inside a continuing series. Returning readers may pick up more of the ongoing relationships and stakes, while new listeners may want a little earlier-series context before jumping in.
Built from 149 retained source records.
Narrator Experience
What we can responsibly verify about the narrator and this recording.
How we build this section
The narrator credit can be shown, but a performance description waits for qualified recording-specific commentary or a verified analyzable excerpt.
Verified against the exact title, author, and narrator. Opens the Audiobooks.com sample page; the commercial audio is not copied or rehosted here.
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Evidence behind this section
Counts describe support for this narrator/recording, not a quality score.Why we describe the performance this way
We use evidence tied specifically to this recording. Repeated observations across independent sources carry more weight than isolated comments. Narrator background and career recognition can add useful context, but they do not determine how this performance is described.
View source groups 2 groups · 8 records
Is This Right for You?
Story and reader-fit guidance remains useful here. Recording-specific claims are limited to evidence matched to this exact edition.
You’ll probably enjoy this if…
- Readers who enjoy modern or futuristic reimaginings of classic detectives.
- Listeners looking for a mystery driven by amnesia, identity, and hidden origins.
- Fans of conspiracy plots involving rival criminal groups and connected cases.
- Readers comfortable with violence and a darker urban setting.
It might not be the best fit if…
- Listeners seeking a traditional Victorian Sherlock Holmes setting.
- Readers who prefer a firmly standalone mystery with no larger series mythology.
- Anyone avoiding stories that include assault, murder, mass casualties, or criminal violence.
- Listeners choosing primarily on the basis of narrator-performance reputation; that aspect is not assessed here.
- If narration style is important to you, use the verified sample above alongside the edition-matched performance evidence.
Our Take
This is a strong premise for readers who like reinventions of classic detectives, dystopian cityscapes, conspiracies, and mysteries built around personal identity. The story appears to combine case-solving with a larger Holmes-and-Moriarty origin mystery, alongside a lighter romantic thread and explicit violence. The edition is identified, but there is not enough recording-specific material to assess Alfred Enoch’s performance beyond his confirmed role.
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Runtime & Edition Details
- Runtime
- 9 hours 17 minutes
- Format
- Unabridged audiobook
- Audiobook release date
- December 7, 2023
Why You Can Trust This Recommendation
- Identity and edition signals are checked separately
- Independent discussions and source networks are counted distinctly
- Narration claims require edition- or narrator-specific support
- Unsupported information is withheld instead of displayed as a zero score
149 evidence records remain in the research set behind this page after filtering and deduplication.
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FAQ
Is this a good choice for listeners who want a modern Sherlock Holmes story?
It may appeal to listeners who enjoy Holmes-inspired mysteries that place familiar figures in a darker future setting, especially when identity and origins are as important as the cases themselves. The story also introduces its own mythology rather than simply recreating the original Victorian world.
Are there content cautions to keep in mind?
Yes. The premise includes a badly beaten, naked man, a plane crash with mass casualties, murder, and criminal organizations competing for control of London. Violence is part of the story’s setup and mystery framework.
Is this a standalone mystery?
It is identified as Book 1 of the Becoming Sherlock trilogy, so the central questions surrounding Holmes, Moriarty, and their origins may extend beyond this installment.
Ready to experience Becoming Sherlock – The Red Circle: Becoming Sherlock, Book 1?
Continue to this audiobook’s current verified edition and availability.