The Red Circle

Becoming Sherlock #1

by Anthony Horowitz, Sarah J. Naughton

Who is Sherlock Holmes?

We are 40 years into the future, and London is a city in decay. John Watson has returned from medical service in the war in Afghanistan and lives by himself in a run-down part of ​town. On his way home from work, he stumbles upon a beaten man in the street – unconscious and completely naked. His chances of survival are minimal.

The same evening, a passenger plane crashes in Richmond Park. There are several hundred victims, and Watson and the mysterious man are left to their own devices.

When the man wakes up the following day, he has no memory of who he is or where he came from but reveals excellent detection skills. This is the start of a mystery that unravels rapidly with one burning question at its core.

Can he solve the mystery of himself?

The Red Circle, the first instalment in the upcoming trilogy Becoming Sherlock by international bestseller Anthony Horowitz (known for Midsomer murders, Foyle’s war, Alex Rider, and Hawthorne) and Sarah J. Naughton. Story development by Søren Vestergaard.

Genres: Audiobook, Crime, Mystery, Detective, Fiction, Science Fiction, Mystery Thriller

Audiobook

First published December 7, 2023

About the author

Anthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.

On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened as an audiobook and the narration was fantastic! I thought the story was solid enough, not earth shattering but a good Holmes mystery and I'm very intrigued to see where the other two books in the trilogy go. Admittedly I was a little disappointed in one of the changes to the character relationship on this one but am still interested to see where it goes! Finally, I'd read somewhere that if you like BBC Sherlock you'd like this and I have to agree!

[Miglė · Rating 5 out of 5]

KODĖL man niekas nesakė, kad yra dar viena (slapta??), tik audio formatu išleista Anthony Horowitz knyga apie Holmsą?? Ir kad tai – visai kita serija negu The House of Silk ir Moriartis (kurios, beje, man mažiausiai patiko iš visų skaitytų Horowitz knygų)?? Kad šios knygos settingas yra ATEITIES Londonas, bet tiek nuskurdęs, kad praktiškai grįžo į Viktorijos laikus? Bet yra ir technologijos, o personažai ir jų santykiai – labai įdomiai interpretuoti, kartais netgi apversti? Kodėl nuo manęs slėpėte šią puikią audioknygą??

[Inés · Rating 5 out of 5]

El Círculo Rojo es el primer libro de la nueva trilogía (Becoming Sherlock) de Anthony Horowitz y Sarah J. Naughton.
Lo he escuchado en audiolibro con la voz del genialísimo Jordi Boixaderas y me ha encantado.

Podríamos decir que se trata de una especie de historia distópica muy peculiar ya que nos encontramos unos 40 años en el futuro,en un Londres que ha sucumbido a la ecatombe ecológica y económica.

Tratándose de la misma ciudad, es curioso ver cómo la mayoría de la población (muy pobre) vive de nuevo en un Londres Victoriano,alumbrando sus calles de nuevo con lámparas de gas debido al alto precio de la luz, volviendo a circular por las calles en vehículos arrastrados por caballos y viendo como inaccesibles los precarios servicios de metro,tren y avión que aún existen para la los económicamente más afortunados.

Jon Watson ha regresado de Afganistán y apenas sobrevive en un barrio marginal. De camino a casa se topa con un hombre herido de gravedad y al que consigue salvar con una operación clandestina a vida o muerte.
Cuando el hombre despierta no recuerda quién es, pero resulta evidente que se trata de alguien muy especial y con unos dotes de deducción fascinantes.

Al mismo tiempo,un sospechoso accidente de avión, una peligrosa organización de élite y la incógnita de saber quiés es él,harán que la historia te enrede y que estos dos personajes se vuelvan entrañables.

Muy recomendable, una nueva versión de mi adorado Sherlock Holmes que merece mucho la pena.

[ElaF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Gabri · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 star for the premise: a modern/futuristic Sherlock Holmes, whose biggest mystery to solve is the mystery of himself. And precisely that is where it goes wrong: in this first part of a series, the mystery of himself isn’t the centre of the storyline. Heck, it’s not even 10%. And that infuriates me because after suffering through this read, I’ll have to read at least one sequel (or will it be more?) to get what the blurb promised me for this read.

My main issue with this read is the writing style. I’ve read one of Horowitz’s novels before, and I don’t remember its writing style being so insufferable, so I don’t know if it’s because of the cooperation with a second author or because Storytel wanted it to be accessible to a broad audience. Anyhow, the writing seems to be at an intermediate level, with many short descriptive sentences such as “Sherlock looked out of the window. He looked sad.”
There are also some editorial errors. One that particularly annoyed me is the transcript from the black box, in which Runway 26 is transcribed as “Runway twenty-six” instead of “Runway two-six”.
Furthermore, the use of an omniscient narrator doesn’t work in this supposed mystery novel since we’re getting all these thoughts and feelings of each and every person in the story, removing the mysterious air around people and events.

The plot consists of too many elements, supposedly to create a thrilling experience but leaving the reader exhausted instead. And seriously, how is no one giving a shit about Sherlock’s background mystery and his experience at the mill?
On top of that, the true detectives/heroes in this story are the police, and although I'm pleased for Scotland Yard that their honour has been restored after all those years of shade in ACD's stories, I'm disappointed by the lack of detective work from Sherlock.
And in the end, after Sherlock deliberately has killed some people, he and the police are casually sharing a bottle of wine. Sure, they were considered the bad guys, but psychopath much?

I did enjoy the nods to several characters and stories (such as Missy Hudson and George Lestrade), but as soon as the authors went absolutely haywire with Mycroft Holmes (he has long hair, a “gender fluid face”, wears sneakers and utters sentences like “come on guys”) I knew this one wasn't going to be my cup of tea.

[Eti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хареса ми различния прочит на познатия тандем... Идеята е интересна и ми припомни за сериала ШЕРЛОК на BBC. Това, което НЕ харесах беше леко отвлеченото поведение на Холмс... Искаше ми се процесът на дедукция да беше по-подробно представен, а не като сигурен и категоричен факт. Иначе - чакам следващата част 😏

[Петър Керкелов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Много добър образ на Шерлок.
Всички друго в книгата е по-скоро слабо - безумата постановка на постепенен технологичен регрес, разочароващо постната кулминация на историята, нереалистичните отношения между героите, твърде многото сюжетни линии, които остават отворени, нищо не е на ниво, но силата на един образ спасява всичко и човек остава с впечатлението, че е попаднал на сравнително добра книга. И дори чака продължението.

[Piotr Stasiak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Za historię należą sie 3, ale świat przedstawiony zasłużył na dodatkową.

[Aneta Batakchieva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Интересна е идеята за това, как се е зародил образът на Шерлок, но изпълнението не беше на ниво.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoko koncep, dobrze się słucha (szczególnie, że czyta Kosior) ale serial BBC zrobił to jednak lepiej 🙃

[Aneliya Ivanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know what to say 😩.I thought the author of this novel is somebody quite different to the author Horowitz from the Hawthorne and Horowitz series . Couldn’t connect the image of Sherlock Holmes’s from the classics stories and these one what is in somewhere in future.

[Jooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be so suitable for a tv-series and I don't even like watching tv...

At the beginning I didn't really now what to expect, but almost from the start there was a mystery to solve. What seemed like the "simple task" of finding out "who is Sherlock?" became a much more extended one that connected more people and ploys in the "underground belly" of a dystopian and futuristic London.

I can't wait till the next part will become available on Storytel...

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ascoltata edizione in italiano, ma è veramente divertente ritrovarci nel futuro (piuttosto oscuro e deprimente) in compagnia con i personaggi classici di Sherlock Holmes ma alla presa con nuovi nemici dal vecchio nome.

[Anna Kristín · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storytel á íslensku Rauði hringurinn

[Mariia Kornilova · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked all those little nods to the original story: that's what always gives me joy when I watch Sherlock TV series, for example. The plot was also OK, but so many major things just don't add up! Honestly, I hate when the author doesn't bother to explain the setting of the story: he talks about it a lot all right, but why is all this happening?! I have specifically listened twice the part about the current situation in the world at the beginning of the book, and yes, I got it right: no reason, but this is the world they live in now. That instantly ruined my whole impression from the book. And then it was just one thing after another: how could Missy Hudson not notice the thing about her house earlier? How can John Watson give prescriptions if he doesn't have a doctor's license? What about a bunch of kids that attacked John at the beginning of the book? And so, so many other questions.
In my opinion, the first book of a series should temp you to eagerly wait for the next ones with a mixture of delight and interest for unresolved questions. I got none of these, and it's a bitter feeling.

[A J Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first novel in a murder mystery trilogy set in a dystopian future London. The story centers around a disoriented man with amnesia, named Sherlock Holmes by a stranger who fished him out of the Thames rive, ie Watson.Together they try to solve the mystery of Holmes' identity while also being entangled in another puzzling case which started with an airliner crash over London. Very clever writing, with true to Connor Doyle atmosphere, which works very well in the dystopian future London. The mystery in this novel focuses around Holmes more than any murder and thus creates the setting for the series which will follow.

[Yossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a nice enough story, but not on par with Anthony Horowitz's other works. The premise is interesting (if somewhat forced into the Victorian style), but it seems like more effort has gone into inserting easter eggs that give a nod to the original material than to the actual story. The story starts with a bang and ends with a whimper. The big bad is not so big and the whole thing feels anti-climactic. Still, it's enjoyable, so if you have a few hours to spend, you can do worse.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original version of a Sherlock story. Have to say it feels like there are some plot holes especially because it is set in the future, which is unpredictable, but I think he made some daring assumptions. Overall a great story nonetheless.

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting setting for another Sherlock Holmes version! The story developed nicely, the mystery was mysterious, and it was refreshing that the ultra-bad person was not the most prominent character here.

[Akiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite confused for the first 30 min listening to the audio book but once I knew it was 40 years from now in dystopian London, it was very fun. Liked it and look forward to the next book of this series. I love Anthony Horowitz writing and wonder how much this novel was
actually written by him.

[A Person · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored it. The cringey romance was too much to give it 5 stars.

[Arno Ruusalepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ootamatult hea kuulata. Saab ka tänapäevaselt Sherlockit teha.

[Sharon Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3 1/2 stars but worth reading.

[Colin Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing take on the Sherlock Holmes canon. Set in a future London that is a mix of the modern and pre-technological periods, which provide a backdrop that is familiar and yet in keeping with Doyle's vision. Characterisation is also given a makeover such that we are provided with an alternative meeting of the key characters and rationale for how the central characters are brought together at 221b Baker Street.

The plot provides enough twists to keep the reader interested along with some limited tension. Plot threads are based not only around the central story but also character development. Pacing is good and the chapter structure allows the reader to manage the reading process.

The denouement is a little rushed and not as satisfying as could be hoped from what has gone before. This is clearly the start of a series as questions remain unanswered.

This was a good read and I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series

[Vedat Guven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr John, Thames nehri kenarında bulduğu kişi saldırıya uğramış ve hafızasını kaybetmiştir. Bu kişiyi hastanede tedavi ediyor, kimsesi yok diye bakımını üstleniyor ve hafızasını yerine getirmek için destek oluyor. Bu esnada hastaneden iş arkadaşı Missy bir kaç kere saldırıya uğrayınca Dr. Watson ve Sherlock Holmes sebebini araştırmaya başlıyor. Bu esnada Londra'ya bir uçak düşmüş ve yüzlerce insan ölmüştür. İlginç olan o uçağın rotasının Londra'nın üstü olmaması ve uçak kazasından sonra havayolu şirketinin sahibinin intihar etmesidir. Londra'nın en büyük şirketinin sahibi Mycroft, çok ünlü gece klübünün sahibi Iren Adler ve hafızasını yitiren Sherlock Holmes'un zihnide kalan bir isim: Moriarty ile Sherlock Holmes dünyasındaki yan isimler tamamlanmış oluyor. Olayların gelişimi güzel ve hareketli ancak gizemin dozu üst seviyerler değil. Shelock'un beyin yakan mantıksal çıkarımları bana biraz az geldi.

[Cosovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jako fan dzieł Się Arthura Conan Doyle'a mogę polecić z czystym sumieniem. Wciąga. Pierwsze 15-30 minut moim zdaniem trzeba przetrwać (słuchałem audiobooka), chociaż później myśli się o nich dobrze, po prostu te pierwsze minuty to takie czekanie na Sherlocka i dlatego się dłużą. Nie czytałem opisu więc na początku główkowałem o co chodzi z tymi powozami z końmi jak chwilę wcześniej jest o wojnie w Afganistanie. Później się okazuje, że mowa jest latach odległych nawet dla Nas, czyli wojna w Afganistanie skoro w niej brał udział Watson musiała być kolejna. Fajne realia, dużo nowych i świeżych pomysłów. I ten fakt zmian postaci gdzie Moriarty najprawdopodobniej pomógł Sherlockowi mało go nie zabijając, a Mycroft jest złolem, którego firma stworzyła nadczłowieka - Sherlocka. No i Lestrade w końcu nie jest idiota :D.

[Linn J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den röda cirkeln är första delen i Becoming Sherlock som är en modernare version av Sherlock Holmes. Eller modernare... Horowitz har placerat denna version av Sherlock Holmes i 2040-talet men det är en dystopisk framtid som nu liknar mer en viktoriansk era och det är även i denna form av miljö som Sherlock Holmes kan froda i.

John Watson, en godhkärtad man som försöker rädda en identitetslös man med exceptionell perception och analysförmåga, som senare får namnet Sherlock Holmes. Tillsammans försöker de lösa mysteriet bakom de mordförsök som begåtts mot Missy.

Jag gillar verkligen hur Horowitz skapat en spännande och högpulserande roman. Det är twistar och flera dolda motiv som gömmer sig i skuggorna och vem är egentligen denne Sherlock Holmes?

Jag längtar till att fortsätta i sökandet på svar!

[Heli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Storytel Original published in audiobook format only. Horowitz takes Sherlorck Holmes 40 years into the future. The future is not streamlined with space ships and robots. It's been forced to take a step back as a result of climate change. There's spotty internet, horses often used as transportation and also a great divide between rich and poor. There are cars, trains and airplanes, but fewer people can afford and have access to them.
Enter Sherlock Holmes with memory loss. He does not remember who he is, but his mind still works brilliantly. We meet all the familiar characters with interesting backstories and Holmes gets to solve his very first case of the Red Circle. This was a nice story and I do hope there will be more books so we can find out more about Sherlock's past.

[Toukun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this in merely 2 days which shows how much fun I was having listening to it.
It's very different, it's intriguing, entertaining, and keeps you guessing until the very end.

3 things I love a lot about this.

- The futuristic yet Victorian setting, super interesting.

- Sherlock character. This is Def Sherlock but in many ways he is different. More childlike than the version I'm used to. And not to mention his mystery which is really cool. (I think I already figured it out)

- The hints and information given to you is JUST enough so you can figure out some of the mystery beforehand urself, which I enjoy quite a lot.

Onto the next book my dear Watson!

[Nilesh Jasani · Rating 2 out of 5]

A futuristic Holmes in a dystopic London makes for a fascinating premise. Add the likable Watson, Missy, and Lestrade, and the book has the ingredients to be a cracker. The plot development is solid, adding to the potential. And then the resolution and the climax more than undoes everything, including the wit, the charm, and the sprinkling of Holmesian deductive magic that came before. The authors failed in conjuring villains capable of the fears they seemed to evoke or the crimes they supposedly committed.