Who are Professor James Moriarty's allies and rivals?

• Sherlock Holmes: Despite the fact that Professor James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes are mortal enemies, the detective and the criminal mastermind have a deep respect for each other. Both Holmes and Moriarty recognize and admire the other's intelligence and cunning, both seek the other's undoing, and both understand that they hold the power to destroy one another.

• Dr. John Watson: Dr. John Watson never meets Moriarty in person and only hears of his actions and words through Holmes's telling of events. It's unclear how much the doctor knows about Professor Moriarty. When Holmes first mentions Moriarty in "The Final Problem," Watson seems clueless about the criminal mastermind. However, in The Valley of Fear, which was published later but predates "The Final Problem" in the Sherlock Holmes timeline, Watson seems to know of Moriarty and his nefarious activities.

• Sebastian Moran: Sebastian Moran is one of the criminals in Moriarty's employ. According to Sherlock Holmes, Moran is "the second most dangerous man in London." second only to (of course) Moriarty himself. An army veteran, Moran is skilled with rifles and mostly works for Moriarty as an assassin.

• Colonel James Moriarty: Does Moriarty have one sibling or two? And what are their names? Depending on what story you read, you might find differing information about Moriarty and his family. Before Moriarty was given a first name, his brother was called James Moriarty. It is said James Moriarty is a colonel. But in another story, Holmes claims Moriarty has a brother who worked as a station master. But in 1903's "The Adventure of the Empty House," Holmes refers to Moriarty as "Professor James Moriarty." Does Moriarty share the same name with his brother? Does he have two brothers or one with the same job? All of this just adds to the mystery of Moriarty.

Quotes About Professor James Moriarty

“He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city, He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans.” —Sherlock Holmes in "The Final Problem"

"[Moriarty] sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans. But his agents are numerous and splendidly organized. Is there a crime to be done, a paper to be abstracted, we will say, a house to be rifled, a man to be removed—the word is passed to the Professor, the matter is organized and carried out. The agent may be caught. In that case money is found for his bail or his defense. But the central power which uses the agent is never caught—never so much as suspected. This was the organization which I deduced, Watson, and which I devoted my whole energy to exposing and breaking up." —Sherlock Homes in "The Final Problem"

"You stand in the way not merely of an individual, but of a mighty organization, the full extent of which you, with all your cleverness, have been unable to realize. You must stand clear, Mr. Holmes, or be trodden underfoot." —Professor Moriarty in "The Final Problem"

"If I were assured of your eventual destruction I would, in the interests of the public, cheerfully accept my own." —Sherlock Holmes to Moriarty in "The Final Problem"

"In calling Moriarty a criminal you are uttering libel in the eyes of the law—and there lies the glory and the wonder of it! The greatest schemer of all time, the organizer of every devilry, the controlling brain of the underworld, a brain which might have made or marred the destiny of nations—that’s the man! But so aloof is he from general suspicion, so immune from criticism, so admirable in his management and self-effacement, that for those very words that you have uttered he could haul you to a court and emerge with your year’s pension as a solatium for his wounded character … That’s the genius, Watson. But if I am spared by lesser men, our day will surely come." —Sherlock Holmes in The Valley of Fear

How was Moriarty reinvented and reimagined for the Audible Originals Moriarty: The Devil’s Game and Moriarty: The Silent Order? 

The truth behind Moriarty remains a mystery in many ways. Who is Professor James Moriarty? Where did he come from? What are his true motives? These questions and more are explored in the Audible Originals Moriarty: The Devil's Game and Moriarty: The Silent Order, which reimagine Moriarty as a misunderstood but ultimately innocent man.

Moriarty: The Devils Game stars Dominic Monaghan as Professor James Moriarty, a fugitive framed for murder. He was at the brink of a mathematical breakthrough so powerful it could predict the future when his fiancée, Rose Winslow, was brutally murdered, thrusting the professor into the middle of a murder investigation. Now Moriarty must use his intelligence to solve the murder and prove his own innocence. Hot on his tail are Sherlock Holmes (Phil LaMarr) and Dr. John Watson (Adam Godley). With the help of his cellmate Colonel Sebastian Moran (Billy Boyd), Moriarty will fight to evade his pursuers and solve the crime. But what will it cost him?

Moriarty: The Silent Order finds Monaghan and LaMarr returning as Moriarty and Holmes in a blockbuster new adventure as they face the villainous Lady Milverton, brilliantly portrayed by the incomparable Dame Helen Mirren. The all-star cast’s performances, paired with a meticulously crafted sound design, make for a truly electrifying audio experience. The game is once again afoot when Moriarty: The Silent Order premieres on November 9, 2023.