Scan barcode
timinbc's review
4.0
It does what it set out to do, and we can't ask more than that.
In a heavily-plowed field, Westerson has found an acceptably new angle, perhaps by having a character (I won't say who) whose, ahem, shortcomings might for decades have been Something About Which One Does Not Write because no gentleman would EVER ...
The boys are a good choice too - and if you agree, you'll probably like Terry Pratchett's Dodger. They are clever but their inexperience shows.
The plot is well worked out, but overall it just feels SO familiar, with the servants and the police desk sergeant and the inspector and the lawyer. And especially the Plucky Female Journalist, who here is as cardboard a character as you'll see anywhere. When do we get one who's dumpy, lacks social skills, and is a damn fine journalist who DOESN'T chase headlines?
Can't we have a still-a-bit-like-Holmes set in 1750 or 1925? Maybe now, because the Cosy Mystery genre has been churning out village murders for many decades and its readers just want more of the same.
I picked up this book because if it's good enough for Hockensmith, it's good enough for me, and once again that strategy has paid off.
A good light read.
In a heavily-plowed field, Westerson has found an acceptably new angle, perhaps by having a character (I won't say who) whose, ahem, shortcomings might for decades have been Something About Which One Does Not Write because no gentleman would EVER ...
The boys are a good choice too - and if you agree, you'll probably like Terry Pratchett's Dodger. They are clever but their inexperience shows.
The plot is well worked out, but overall it just feels SO familiar, with the servants and the police desk sergeant and the inspector and the lawyer. And especially the Plucky Female Journalist, who here is as cardboard a character as you'll see anywhere. When do we get one who's dumpy, lacks social skills, and is a damn fine journalist who DOESN'T chase headlines?
Can't we have a still-a-bit-like-Holmes set in 1750 or 1925? Maybe now, because the Cosy Mystery genre has been churning out village murders for many decades and its readers just want more of the same.
I picked up this book because if it's good enough for Hockensmith, it's good enough for me, and once again that strategy has paid off.
A good light read.
stephanieridiculous's review against another edition
DNFing at ~10%. The dialogue is awkward and stilted and hard to get through, and the Medium has been referred to as the G-slur at least three times by this point. I am hopeful that the use of that word would have eventually been addressed, since "Romani" is in the glossary, but it was too much of a slog to get to. I also felt a bit cringe about a white woman writing about the perils of being a Black man in the setting, but how white women were prone to swooning for Watson when he put on the charm - it just felt off!
There are lots of great and good reviews for this from diehard Sherlock fans, so if that's your cup of tea you may find this to your liking. It's not for me, though.
confessions_of_a_bookaholic's review
3.0
Tim Badger and Ben Watson have their first case as private detectives. Their mentor Sherlock Holmes has recommended them to Thomas Brent, a man on the run from the police because he is wanted for the murder of his employer Mr Quinn. Brent is claiming innocence, and hires Badger and Watson to find the true murderer and clear his name. With everyone in the house having reasons to want Quinn dead, the investigation isn't an easy one for the detectives.
Written in the style of the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries, this book is based around the Baker Street Irregulars. Tim Badger is one of Holmes' protegees, but is struggling to get his detective business started. This first case is his chance to prove himself.
In terms of the plot and the mystery itself, it is cleverly written and has plenty of substance to it. There are several suspects, and many of them are hiding things. As well as the murder, there is a side investigation involving finding the victim's long lost heir, which adds an extra level to things.
I thought Badger and Watson were interesting characters. Badger appears to be someone who rushes in to things, and doesn't always make the best decisions. It is a work in progress for him to become a great investigator like Holmes himself. I actually liked this portrayal, it helped to stop the book from being too similar to the Holmes mysteries. I found Miss Littelton to be incredibly frustrating though, and Badger's obsession with her seemed misplaced and a bit unrealistic.
The main drawback I had with the book was that the dialogue and writing style wasn't consistent. Although Westerson has attempted to keep the Victorian style, often word or phrases that didn't seem to fit with that time period were used. Badger and Watson often used words like me instead of my to help give the impression that they hadn't had a lot of education, however the rest of their dialogue didn't reflect this, so it felt out of place.
I like the concept and think this has the potential to become a great series, but this one isn't quite there yet. I think the characters need a little more development, and hopefully future books will feel more like a Victorian mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Written in the style of the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries, this book is based around the Baker Street Irregulars. Tim Badger is one of Holmes' protegees, but is struggling to get his detective business started. This first case is his chance to prove himself.
In terms of the plot and the mystery itself, it is cleverly written and has plenty of substance to it. There are several suspects, and many of them are hiding things. As well as the murder, there is a side investigation involving finding the victim's long lost heir, which adds an extra level to things.
I thought Badger and Watson were interesting characters. Badger appears to be someone who rushes in to things, and doesn't always make the best decisions. It is a work in progress for him to become a great investigator like Holmes himself. I actually liked this portrayal, it helped to stop the book from being too similar to the Holmes mysteries. I found Miss Littelton to be incredibly frustrating though, and Badger's obsession with her seemed misplaced and a bit unrealistic.
The main drawback I had with the book was that the dialogue and writing style wasn't consistent. Although Westerson has attempted to keep the Victorian style, often word or phrases that didn't seem to fit with that time period were used. Badger and Watson often used words like me instead of my to help give the impression that they hadn't had a lot of education, however the rest of their dialogue didn't reflect this, so it felt out of place.
I like the concept and think this has the potential to become a great series, but this one isn't quite there yet. I think the characters need a little more development, and hopefully future books will feel more like a Victorian mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
vesper1931's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
London 1895. Timothy Badger, ex Baker Street Irregular, and Benjamin Watson are employed by valet Thomas Brent to prove him innocent of the murder of his employer Horace Quinn. The death occurred at a séance at Quinn's home. Their investigations and life are helped by Sherlock Holmes. Can they find the motive and therefore the guilty party before any more deaths.
An entertaining and well-written Victorian mystery. A good start to this new series with its interesting and likeable characters.
An entertaining and well-written Victorian mystery. A good start to this new series with its interesting and likeable characters.
lastblossom's review
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
tl;dr
A well-paced Victorian mystery that pays faithful homage to the Sherlock Holmes canon while introducing new characters. The young leads still have a lot to learn, leaving some of the solutions to feel more like luck than skill.
Thoughts
The author's notes briefly touch on the myriad Sherlock Holmes spinoffs that introduce new family members, include robot dinosaurs, or have him wake up in the 22nd century. To my pride/shame, I have seen all of those adaptations. And I am as surprised as the author that so few of them touch on the beloved Baker Street Irregulars (For completeness' sake, I will note I've seen the short-lived Netflix series "The Irregulars," but that one leaned very hard into supernatural elements and less into crime solving). And so I was delighted to see the start of a new series featuring Timothy Badger, a former irregular who was inspired to follow in Holmes' footsteps and become a private detective. His partner in crime solving is Benjamin Watson (no relation), a brilliant young man with a varied work history and the skills to show for it. Holmes believes in them enough that he's decided to sponsor them, and he's even sent them their first case - a complicated problem involving a man murdered in the dark of a seance.
This first book reads a lot like a pilot episode. The mystery is a tight one with a clean solution. Clues and reveals lead to more clues and reveals, with each piece fitting into the others very nicely. Our two leads still have the proverbial training wheels on, though. Holmes has to give them a hint more than once, and more reveals come from listening at the right time rather than the art of deduction. A few brief discussions about the racism, classism, and sexism common to this era don't come to any particular conclusion. The inclusion of a somewhat grating reporter (who's set up to maybe become a friend eventually) is also a point of frustration. The pilot-like feel of this book makes it a hard one to review on its own. There's a very purposeful "more to come" ending (despite it not being a cliffhanger), that makes this reader feel very dissatisfied. But it seems to be working, since I will definitely be tuning in for the next installment.
EDIT: I've read the second book now, and I like it. Check out my full review here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
A well-paced Victorian mystery that pays faithful homage to the Sherlock Holmes canon while introducing new characters. The young leads still have a lot to learn, leaving some of the solutions to feel more like luck than skill.
Thoughts
The author's notes briefly touch on the myriad Sherlock Holmes spinoffs that introduce new family members, include robot dinosaurs, or have him wake up in the 22nd century. To my pride/shame, I have seen all of those adaptations. And I am as surprised as the author that so few of them touch on the beloved Baker Street Irregulars (For completeness' sake, I will note I've seen the short-lived Netflix series "The Irregulars," but that one leaned very hard into supernatural elements and less into crime solving). And so I was delighted to see the start of a new series featuring Timothy Badger, a former irregular who was inspired to follow in Holmes' footsteps and become a private detective. His partner in crime solving is Benjamin Watson (no relation), a brilliant young man with a varied work history and the skills to show for it. Holmes believes in them enough that he's decided to sponsor them, and he's even sent them their first case - a complicated problem involving a man murdered in the dark of a seance.
This first book reads a lot like a pilot episode. The mystery is a tight one with a clean solution. Clues and reveals lead to more clues and reveals, with each piece fitting into the others very nicely. Our two leads still have the proverbial training wheels on, though. Holmes has to give them a hint more than once, and more reveals come from listening at the right time rather than the art of deduction. A few brief discussions about the racism, classism, and sexism common to this era don't come to any particular conclusion. The inclusion of a somewhat grating reporter (who's set up to maybe become a friend eventually) is also a point of frustration. The pilot-like feel of this book makes it a hard one to review on its own. There's a very purposeful "more to come" ending (despite it not being a cliffhanger), that makes this reader feel very dissatisfied. But it seems to be working, since I will definitely be tuning in for the next installment.
EDIT: I've read the second book now, and I like it. Check out my full review here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Racism, and Sexual assault
More...