Becoming Sherlock - The Magician 3

Becoming Sherlock #3

by Sarah J. Naughton, Alfred Enoch (Narrator)

The London Borough of Hackney is run by the crime syndicate Bai Ze. One night an expensive horse carriage arrives at their headquarters. Behind the carriage is the leader of the Bai Ze, Mr.

Quin, hanging at the end of a bloody rope. The journey here has stripped him of his clothes and shredded most of his skin off him. He rasps one final word to his second in 'Mogwai'.

It's the Cantonese word for the devil. In London the normal order of the criminal syndicates has been broken and a new dangerous villain is playing to win the entire game. It is also ruining the business of the Bohemia—the secret underworld club. The members are being killed and club owner, Irene Adler, must seek the help of the only person who can solve these mysterious murders—Sherlock Holmes.

Somewhere at the other end of all these murders lies the truth about Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty.

Follow the third instalment of the Becoming Sherlock series.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, British Literature, Detective, Crime

Audible Audio

First published March 3, 2025

About the author

See also Sarah Naughton

Sarah worked as an advertising copywriter for ten years before her first book was published in 2013. A supernatural thriller for teens, The Hanged Man Rises (Simon and Schuster) was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. A second thriller for teens, The Blood List (Simon and Schuster) came out in 2014. Her first adult thriller, Tattletale (Trapeze) is due out in March 2017.
Sarah lives in London with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Chantelle Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟 (Audible)
The theories of Sherlock's + Moriarty's origins in this series are fascinating. Each story in this series gets better!

[Raija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kuuntelin suomenkielisen version, jota ei GR:stä löydy, koska se on kuuntelupalvelun tuote.

[Eti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Мисля, че беше най-слабата част от поредицата... уж финал, но доста въпроси останаха без отговор, за сметка на отворения край... Всъщност съм разочарована.

[ElaF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wciągnęła mnie ta część na maxa, aż się nie spodziewałam. Dałabym więcej gwiazdek gdyby nie brak rozwiązania głównej tajemnicy. Myślałam, że to trylogia ale wygląda na to, że będzie kolejny tom. Musi być. Nie mogę się doczekać!

[Mercy Sakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t figure out where Eileen or Ilene fits in. The rest of it was good and kept me on the edge of my seat

[Aneta Batakchieva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мислех, че това ще е последната част, все пак стана ясно кой е Мориарти и каква е връзката му с Шерлок, но въпросителните в края станаха много повече, отколкото отговорите. Така че, вероятно ще чакаме още части.

[Toukun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where's the ending? Where's the ending??? Where's the ending????

Did they just forget to write the last 10 pages or what?!!!
the WHOLE point of this trilogy, the WHOLE mystery, is Sherlock's & Moriarty's identity, and you just don't tell us what it is?

I'm angry cause this series is supposed to be ONLY a trilogy, and they didn't announce any upcoming books, and they simply don't write the ending?!
The only way this makes sense is if you're making a 4th book secretly and even then I DON'T CARE.
3 books in and you don't give us a single answer? The answer you give us (which pissed me off cause it's obviously wrong) turns out to be a lie 15mins later.

I KNOW the answer. I figured it out at the start of book 1 and it became clearer at the start of book 2. Sherlock and Moriarty are some sort of Lab bred beings, made to be perfect, probably to be vessels for Mycroft or something of the sort. So the books letting me hang doesn't matter, it's just bad writing, and not delivering what's promised.

Also the book was overall mid, and You don't get Watson in anyway. That love triangle was disgusting, both of em were. And Sherlock isn't this much of an emotionless brat, unless ur adapting BBC sherlock.

Anyway, mid book, don't read this goddamn trilogy

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in the "Becoming Sherlock" series. The first two were written by Sarah j. Naughton and Anthony Horowitz; this third by Naughton alone. As one would expect from Horowitz, these are well written and very exciting. These are the first I have read by Naughton and she is Horowitz's equal which I consider high praise. I have loved and hated the Sherlock Holmes knock offs. Some have been extremely good, others not so much. This series takes place in London in the near future when the world has changes dramatically and not for the good. It is somewhat dystopian, but not hopelessly so. The main Holmes characters are there, although some have changed somewhat, Holmes and Watson remain true. The mystery and excitement is intense. I highly recommend that you start with the first in the series: Becoming Sherlock -The Red Circle, followed by Becoming Sherlock - The Irregulars (this version of the Irregulars will knock your socks off), and then Becoming Sherlock-The Magician AND there is apparently a 4th coming out. This is a really great series. Don't miss it.

[Biana]

This finale delivers a dark, inventive take on Sherlock’s beginnings, full of atmosphere and tension. What stood out most to me was the way the characters were drawn:

Sherlock is maddeningly secretive—brilliant but withholding, letting truths slip only when it suits him. His opacity makes every reveal land harder.

Watson is the perfect counterbalance, equal parts patient companion and impatient challenger. His frustration at Sherlock’s evasions makes their loyalty feel earned rather than easy.

And then there’s the twisted triangle of Moriarty, Mycroft, and Sherlock—a knot of family, rivalry, and mirrors. They’re not just adversaries; they’re reflections of what Holmes might become, each pushing him toward or away from his own darker potential.

The mystery itself is grim and gripping, but it’s these relationships that give the book its weight. A fitting close to the trilogy—brooding, cinematic, and a fresh reimagining of Holmes’s origin.

[Floor Visser · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

I really like this futuristic Sherlock series and how things slot together. I liked this installment a little less than the previous one because it mostly revolves around the existing characters and not really any case. We've come closer to finding out who Sherlock and Moriarty are in relation to Mycroft and I thought it an excellent choice to make them brothers. I feared a little for Irene at the end but was very glad to read Sherlock has her back.
My guess is that Mary is pregnant by John, just when it seems Missy and him could be together.
Curious that Mycroft places something in the dirty Thames and it (ofcourse) picked up by some people. Also curious to find out why Olly is growing so fast now he is cured with Sherlocks bone marrow..
Very excited for the next installment, I hope we meet Moriarty again and in full.

[Monika]

Myślę, że będzie z tego dłuższa seria, a nie trylogia, bo wciąż najważniejsze pytanie pozostaje w mocy. Nie mam nic przeciwko, historia jest wciągająca, więc chętnie przesłucham kolejne. Uwielbiam klimat tych książek: brudny, mroczny, ubogi Londyn, gdzie zwykli ludzie używają dorożek z końmi zamiast samochodów, w kontraście z bogatym, szklanym Londynem, gdzie gangsterzy i milionerzy korzystają z cudów techniki, o jakich jeszcze nie słyszeliśmy. To jest ekstra.

Poprzednie części były dłuższe, a przez to mam wrażenie - lepiej dopracowane. Zagadki były bardziej wyrafinowane. Ta część jest krótka i wydaje mi się... niepełna, trochę potraktowana po macoszemu, jakby autorka jak najszybciej chciała ją skończyć. Szkoda.

Liczę na kolejne.

[Sahil Aery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so much better than the second book!

A string of murders, Moriarty on the rise, and Sherlock finally facing his past—it all blends into a compelling mix of mystery and momentum. The plot is tighter, the stakes feel higher, and the intrigue kept me hooked throughout.

I still don’t quite get why Londoners suddenly behave like they’re in Victorian times, but at least Watson has dialed down the weirdly formal gentleman act from book two, and that’s a big plus.

Alfred Enoch continues to be a brilliant narrator—he really carries the story. I’m definitely looking forward to the next one!

[Vedat Guven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serinin üçüncü ve (muhtemelen şimdilik) son kitabı. Bazı olaylarda ilk iki kitaba refere de ediliyor. Bu sebeple sırayla okunması iyi olur. Sherlock geçmişini öğrenmeye çalışmaktadır. John ile arkadaşlığı, Missy'nin evinde kalması gibi durumlar Sherlock'ta azıcık da olsa duygu ouşturmaktadır. Artık sadece ve sadece beyin çalışan değil az miktarda da olsa kalbi de çalışan bir insandır. Ve bu kitapta Moriarty ile yolları çakışıyor. Karşılıklı girdikleri mücadelede amaçları birbirleerini yok etmek ama öldürerek değil kurdukları tuzaklara düşürerek. Olaylar hızlı akıyor ama kitabın "işte dedektiflik budur" dedirtecek tarafları pek yeterli değil.

[Maryn ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so sad I'm caught up with this series :( It doesn't fully feel like a final installment and I had hoped that there would be more books! The world, characters, plot - everything is very well written and engaging.

I thought that especially the beginning chapters were very strong (moreso compared to the second book). I love the tarot themes and how Sherlock learns more and more about his past. The subplots here also felt like they actually added to the story and weren't just filler.

7/10 - Recommended to anyone who likes mysteries and (modern) Sherlock. Very underrated!

[Йорданка Илиева · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Хареса ми,наблюдавах Шерлок и развитието му,а Уотсън ми е много любим,не само защото е добрият доктор,ами и заради чувствата ,които той има в изобилие(за разлика от Холмс)Развръзката ми хареса.Препоръчвам

[Cosovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

W polskiej wersji - "Magik", czyli trzecia odsłona Becoming Sherlock. Dla mnie dużo lepsza niż dwie wcześniejsze, choć pierwsza też mi się podobała, druga już mniej. Dla fanów wysoko intelektualnych postaci, w tym oczywiście Sherlocka. Inna niż oryginał.

[Bulent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yine benzersiz derecede keyifli bir macera. Sherlock bir yandan geçmişini araştırırken, diğer yandan Moriarty'nin kurduğu engelleri aşmaya, Irene Adler'in kendisinden isteklerini yerine getirmeye ve tabi bir çok modern sorunu çözmeye çalışıyor.

[#seslikitap]

[Frimann Gudmundsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sú þriðja í röðinni frá Söru. Gerist í óskýrri framtíðar-distópíu af London. Sherlock er að jafna sig eftir slys, hefur gleymt öllu frá fortíð sinni, sem er svo sem ágætis útskýring á þessum aðstæðum. Stórt og mikið mál sem þeir kljást við og M birtist.

[Kris Morley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending provides some answers to the question of "who is Sherlock Holmes", but I just wasn't engaged with the story. It's fine. If there's a fourth book in the series, I'll probably read it (note lack of enthusiasm in that statement.)

[Петър Керкелов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Аз ще продължавам да слушам и следващите книги за Шерлок, защото съм фен, но нямам против да са малко по-интересни.

[Christel Willemaerts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in English, the magician. English version not on good reads

[Bogumila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oby były dalsze części.

[Carla Leemans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastische reeks, kijk uit naar het volgende deel.

[Barni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ciut słabsza część od dwóch poprzednich, ale połączenie Sherlocka Holmesa z nutą SF wciąż wypada niespodziewanie dobrze.

[Megan Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have SUCH a book hangover from this awesome series. The epilogue leaves it open for another book, and I hope the authors continue. This was FANTASTIC.

[Jon Kolbeinsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still seeing Cumberbatch in my head, even if the backstory is different…

[Raegina Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. Alfred Enoch

[adelaidealum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the series, although as other readers have suggested, it does end with a question, if not a cliffhanger. I hope they continue the series.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

so fun!