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The Vampyre Client
Jeri Westerson presents Book 4 in the Irregular Detective series.
Audible Audio
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
Jeri Westerson
54 books435 followersLos Angeles native JERI WESTERSON currently writes two new series: a Tudor mystery series, the King’s Fool Mysteries, with Henry VIII’s real court jester Will Somers as the sleuth and a Sherlockian pastiche series called An Irregular Detective Mystery, with one of Holmes’ former Baker Street Irregulars opening his own detective agency. She’s also written fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mysteries, a series nominated for thirteen awards from the Agatha, to the Macavity, to the Shamus. She’s written several paranormal series (including a gaslamp-steampunk fantasy series), standalone historical novels, and had stories in several anthologies, the latest of which was included in SOUTH CENTRAL NOIR, an Akashic Noir anthology. She has served as president of the SoCal Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, president and vice president for two chapters of Sisters in Crime (Orange County and Los Angeles), and is also a founding member of the SoCal chapter of the Historical Novel Society. See JeriWesterson.com for discussion guides, book trailers, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 9, 2026
Unlike his mentor, the Great Detective himself, former Baker Street Irregular and now grown-up detective Timothy Badger reads WAY too many ‘penny dreadfuls’ and believes a bit too much in everything he reads. Or is just a bit too gullible when it comes to ghosts and ghoulies and things that go “Boo!” in the night.
Which is a HUGE problem in his latest case, as someone is doing their damndest to make people believe that their new client is a vampire. An actual, bloodsucking, coffin-sleeping, vampire. Upon meeting the client, Badger is a bit too willing to believe.
Admittedly, Jonathan Wicker’s looks ARE against him. He’s tall, sallow, skinny and pale as a ghost. Or at least as a man who shuns sunlight at all costs – to the point where he wears dark glasses even indoors.
If there was ever a man to fit the popular image of vampires, Jonathan Wicker is definitely it. That he claims to be a scientist who studies BATS of all creepy creatures seems to be the bloody icing on a very dark, winged cake. Or cape, as the case might very well be.
Nevertheless, Wicker was recommended to Badger and Watson by their mentor and benefactor, Sherlock Holmes, and the still fledgling detectives need the work AND the money. And Wicker makes a cash deposit on their fee that neither can afford to resist.
In spite of Badger’s strong misgivings. Ben Watson is considerably more scientifically inclined. He KNOWS there’s no such thing as vampires. Or ghosts. Or any of the other bloodthirsty creatures that his partner can’t seem to help himself from reading about.
The case takes them to the tiny village in Gloucestershire where Wicker has been in uncomfortable residence for several months. Caurdal Hall is perfect for his studies, and he’s more than wealthy enough to afford it. But he can’t keep a staff and he can’t make repairs. He’s shunned in the village and NO ONE is willing to work for him or on the estate because of those vampire rumors – in spite of the high wages he is willing to pay.
Not that the locals like outsiders coming in and buying up property to begin with, but combined with the vampire malarky, Wicker has no friends, no support and no help maintaining the property. His only assistant is a man he hired in London and brought with him.
Badger, Watson, and their chronicler, reporter Ellsie Littleton arrive in the village to get the lay of the land before Wicker returns from London. The next morning, they find Wicker laying ON the land, by his estate’s front gate, dead as a doornail with a long wooden spear – or stake – through his heart.
They may not have a client, but they still have an obligation to determine who murdered the man who hired them to shut down the rumor mill around Caurdal Hall. Because whoever did Wicker’s reputation in hasn’t stopped with killing the man himself. After all, there’s still a reputation left to blacken to keep anyone from investigating his death.
And the game is afoot! Or possibly a-wing, as there are clearly too many bats in Caurdal Hall and/or someone’s belfry.
Escape Rating A-: This series has been oodles of Sherlock-adjacent fun from the very beginning in An Isolated Seance, and this fourth book absolutely continues that delightful streak. If you enjoy historical mystery or Sherlock Holmes stories or both this series is a winner.
What makes this series both fun AND new is that Badger and Watson as detectives push the stories into new ground. The series takes place in the mid-1890s, so after Holmes’ and HIS Watson’s heyday but they are still around and active. (Although Dr. Watson was almost permanently misplaced in the previous book, The Misplaced Physician.) In some ways, they are even more active, as Holmes has had the opportunity to mellow just a bit AND to get much too busy to take more mundane cases even if he wanted to. Which he manifestly does not.
Badger and Watson cover a different ‘beat’ with a different perspective as a)they are both still learning the ropes although getting more experienced all the time, and b) they operate at one hell of a disadvantage. Holmes and Watson were broke when they started out – but broke is temporary. Badger and Watson were poor, and poor is likely to be a lifelong condition without intervention.
Holmes and Watson saw the upper class world they operated in as a normal they were returning to. Badger and Watson see the middle class world they’ve only just reached with Holmes’ financial backing as a gift they never expected to earn. Holmes was always at home in any room he entered. Badger always has imposter syndrome because he knows he doesn’t belong. BEN Watson is a black man who knows that no one will EVER think he belongs no matter how much he has earned or deserves it.
This case is interesting because it’s all about the power of gossip and superstition to make a man miserable. It’s about a community shunning and its devastating effects. Wicker was doomed at Caurdal Hall long before he was murdered for reasons that he had no knowledge of and no honorable ways to fight.
The investigation is fun because it forces Badger to confront his fears and superstitions and yet doesn’t beat him over the head with the logic of it. He still loves penny dreadfuls at the end. It’s not certain whether he still believes that there might be vampires, only that their client was not one.
And that following Sherlock Holmes’ methods is the key to Badger and Watson’s success, but running off half-cocked in pursuit of wild rumors is the road to failure and a return to poverty.
As always, I had a marvelously fun time with Badger and Watson on their latest case. The whole ‘vampire rumor’ was especially fun as the portrait of vampires in the story JUST predates Bram Stoker’s iconic Dracula. Wicker was unfortunately creepy – also extremely nerdy – but no one would ever have mistaken him for the Count.
The next adventure in this series – according to the Author’s Afterward – will be The Magician’s Misadventure, featuring a magic trick gone wrong, whether by human means or something more nefarious or otherworldly. I can’t wait to find out, hopefully this time next year!
Originally published at Reading Reality
Which is a HUGE problem in his latest case, as someone is doing their damndest to make people believe that their new client is a vampire. An actual, bloodsucking, coffin-sleeping, vampire. Upon meeting the client, Badger is a bit too willing to believe.
Admittedly, Jonathan Wicker’s looks ARE against him. He’s tall, sallow, skinny and pale as a ghost. Or at least as a man who shuns sunlight at all costs – to the point where he wears dark glasses even indoors.
If there was ever a man to fit the popular image of vampires, Jonathan Wicker is definitely it. That he claims to be a scientist who studies BATS of all creepy creatures seems to be the bloody icing on a very dark, winged cake. Or cape, as the case might very well be.
Nevertheless, Wicker was recommended to Badger and Watson by their mentor and benefactor, Sherlock Holmes, and the still fledgling detectives need the work AND the money. And Wicker makes a cash deposit on their fee that neither can afford to resist.
In spite of Badger’s strong misgivings. Ben Watson is considerably more scientifically inclined. He KNOWS there’s no such thing as vampires. Or ghosts. Or any of the other bloodthirsty creatures that his partner can’t seem to help himself from reading about.
The case takes them to the tiny village in Gloucestershire where Wicker has been in uncomfortable residence for several months. Caurdal Hall is perfect for his studies, and he’s more than wealthy enough to afford it. But he can’t keep a staff and he can’t make repairs. He’s shunned in the village and NO ONE is willing to work for him or on the estate because of those vampire rumors – in spite of the high wages he is willing to pay.
Not that the locals like outsiders coming in and buying up property to begin with, but combined with the vampire malarky, Wicker has no friends, no support and no help maintaining the property. His only assistant is a man he hired in London and brought with him.
Badger, Watson, and their chronicler, reporter Ellsie Littleton arrive in the village to get the lay of the land before Wicker returns from London. The next morning, they find Wicker laying ON the land, by his estate’s front gate, dead as a doornail with a long wooden spear – or stake – through his heart.
They may not have a client, but they still have an obligation to determine who murdered the man who hired them to shut down the rumor mill around Caurdal Hall. Because whoever did Wicker’s reputation in hasn’t stopped with killing the man himself. After all, there’s still a reputation left to blacken to keep anyone from investigating his death.
And the game is afoot! Or possibly a-wing, as there are clearly too many bats in Caurdal Hall and/or someone’s belfry.
Escape Rating A-: This series has been oodles of Sherlock-adjacent fun from the very beginning in An Isolated Seance, and this fourth book absolutely continues that delightful streak. If you enjoy historical mystery or Sherlock Holmes stories or both this series is a winner.
What makes this series both fun AND new is that Badger and Watson as detectives push the stories into new ground. The series takes place in the mid-1890s, so after Holmes’ and HIS Watson’s heyday but they are still around and active. (Although Dr. Watson was almost permanently misplaced in the previous book, The Misplaced Physician.) In some ways, they are even more active, as Holmes has had the opportunity to mellow just a bit AND to get much too busy to take more mundane cases even if he wanted to. Which he manifestly does not.
Badger and Watson cover a different ‘beat’ with a different perspective as a)they are both still learning the ropes although getting more experienced all the time, and b) they operate at one hell of a disadvantage. Holmes and Watson were broke when they started out – but broke is temporary. Badger and Watson were poor, and poor is likely to be a lifelong condition without intervention.
Holmes and Watson saw the upper class world they operated in as a normal they were returning to. Badger and Watson see the middle class world they’ve only just reached with Holmes’ financial backing as a gift they never expected to earn. Holmes was always at home in any room he entered. Badger always has imposter syndrome because he knows he doesn’t belong. BEN Watson is a black man who knows that no one will EVER think he belongs no matter how much he has earned or deserves it.
This case is interesting because it’s all about the power of gossip and superstition to make a man miserable. It’s about a community shunning and its devastating effects. Wicker was doomed at Caurdal Hall long before he was murdered for reasons that he had no knowledge of and no honorable ways to fight.
The investigation is fun because it forces Badger to confront his fears and superstitions and yet doesn’t beat him over the head with the logic of it. He still loves penny dreadfuls at the end. It’s not certain whether he still believes that there might be vampires, only that their client was not one.
And that following Sherlock Holmes’ methods is the key to Badger and Watson’s success, but running off half-cocked in pursuit of wild rumors is the road to failure and a return to poverty.
As always, I had a marvelously fun time with Badger and Watson on their latest case. The whole ‘vampire rumor’ was especially fun as the portrait of vampires in the story JUST predates Bram Stoker’s iconic Dracula. Wicker was unfortunately creepy – also extremely nerdy – but no one would ever have mistaken him for the Count.
The next adventure in this series – according to the Author’s Afterward – will be The Magician’s Misadventure, featuring a magic trick gone wrong, whether by human means or something more nefarious or otherworldly. I can’t wait to find out, hopefully this time next year!
Originally published at Reading Reality
May 2, 2026
Irregulars strike again!
Baker irregulars Timothy Badger and Benjamin Watson (and of course reporter Miss Littleton) turn to new case
Their client is a Jonathan Wicker who has newly moved to an estate, Caurdal Hall, in Hertfordshire.
The locals are convinced he’s a vampyre (ok he does wrap himself in a cloak and a wide brimmed hat and studies bats!) But since his arrival animals have mysteriously been found with their throats mauled.
Wicker wants Badger and Watson to help persuade the locals of Ashwell Village that he’s not a vampyre. The local workers had all downed tools and walked off. Wicker needs parts of the Hall to be repaired.
When Badger and Watson reach their destination (along with Miss Littleton) they find a suspicious community, a somewhat prejudiced vicar, a hostile police inspector, and an angry local lord.
All becomes even more fraught when there employer is found dead.
After some false starts they follow their mentor, Mr. Holmes advice to use the Method.
An enjoyable read with some great characters.
An Old London Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Baker irregulars Timothy Badger and Benjamin Watson (and of course reporter Miss Littleton) turn to new case
Their client is a Jonathan Wicker who has newly moved to an estate, Caurdal Hall, in Hertfordshire.
The locals are convinced he’s a vampyre (ok he does wrap himself in a cloak and a wide brimmed hat and studies bats!) But since his arrival animals have mysteriously been found with their throats mauled.
Wicker wants Badger and Watson to help persuade the locals of Ashwell Village that he’s not a vampyre. The local workers had all downed tools and walked off. Wicker needs parts of the Hall to be repaired.
When Badger and Watson reach their destination (along with Miss Littleton) they find a suspicious community, a somewhat prejudiced vicar, a hostile police inspector, and an angry local lord.
All becomes even more fraught when there employer is found dead.
After some false starts they follow their mentor, Mr. Holmes advice to use the Method.
An enjoyable read with some great characters.
An Old London Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
May 3, 2026
I have always loved Sherlock Holmes, having grown up watching with my dad, who was very fond of Basil Rathbone's portrayal. And, of course, all the trips to our library for me to read the books. I've continued to be a fan over the years, and so when I picked up the first book in this series, I was not let down.
Badger and Watson are a dynamic team, letting us into their world, as investigating detectives. They come alive on the pages, thanks to the descriptive writing of Westerson. She lets words and actions tell the story, and it connects me to the characters, and makes me feel as if I know them, in a way that books that rely on heavy narration to tell a story cannot. It brings the reader on a journey of discovery, not only for the plot, but for the characters themselves. Characters are ever evolving, not static, keeping them engaging and entertaining.
The plot in this was fantastic. As a fan of paranormal and horror fiction, this was a happy blend of mystery and the lurid rumors of a vampyre. It was a fun story, told in rich detail, that makes this a hard book to put down.
Badger and Watson are a dynamic team, letting us into their world, as investigating detectives. They come alive on the pages, thanks to the descriptive writing of Westerson. She lets words and actions tell the story, and it connects me to the characters, and makes me feel as if I know them, in a way that books that rely on heavy narration to tell a story cannot. It brings the reader on a journey of discovery, not only for the plot, but for the characters themselves. Characters are ever evolving, not static, keeping them engaging and entertaining.
The plot in this was fantastic. As a fan of paranormal and horror fiction, this was a happy blend of mystery and the lurid rumors of a vampyre. It was a fun story, told in rich detail, that makes this a hard book to put down.
May 18, 2026
2026 Summer Reading [FLP] Challenge: #2
Well, I never saw T H A T coming...
Another great read in this series [that I am SO glad I took a chance on; if you love Sherlock Holmes, you will love these mysteries]! This time Tim Badger, Ben Watson, and Elsie Littleton are swept up in a mystery involving a gothic country home, a townful of suspicious villagers, LOTS of hijinks, and of course, VAMPYRES!!!!!!!! ;-)
This was a very good mystery, a really great [and NON-rushed] reveal, and a really fantastic author's note at the very end [I LOVE the extras the author always gives us]. I was so glad to find out that there will be another book as well!
What a really great series!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jeri Westerson, and Old London Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I never saw T H A T coming...
Another great read in this series [that I am SO glad I took a chance on; if you love Sherlock Holmes, you will love these mysteries]! This time Tim Badger, Ben Watson, and Elsie Littleton are swept up in a mystery involving a gothic country home, a townful of suspicious villagers, LOTS of hijinks, and of course, VAMPYRES!!!!!!!! ;-)
This was a very good mystery, a really great [and NON-rushed] reveal, and a really fantastic author's note at the very end [I LOVE the extras the author always gives us]. I was so glad to find out that there will be another book as well!
What a really great series!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jeri Westerson, and Old London Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2026
Easy to read, lighthearted Mystery/Thriller. If you are looking for a thriller that doesn’t contain “heavy” subjects or gore, this is the book for you. The Sherlock Holmes spinoff kind of story is entertaining (you get to see, actually, Sherlock intervening in the story, and it is very sweet). Tim and Ben are not perfect detectives AT ALL, which makes it hilarious; their human mistakes make them more relatable. I have to point out that I haven’t read the other books in the series, but this one works fine as a standalone. There’s a little bit of a love story that I guess is a slow burn from the other books, but even when I didn’t know the previous context, it worked fine here. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for an easy read or “palate cleanser”. The ending is satisfying, no plot holes. “The Vampyre Client” Book 4 will be available on May 1st.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Old London Press and NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I loved this mystery novel! It is different from my typical high stakes thriller reads. This is a cozy mystery following Tim Badger and his partner, Ben Watson who are hired by their neighbor, Jonathan Wicker who they suspect are a vampire and he needs their help to show people that he isn't. I liked following the main characters working their case and interacting with the townspeople. This is one of the few times I appreciated the fun and goofiness of a novel. This is book four of The Irregular Detectives Series. Despite it being part of a series I was able to read this just as a standalone and it was fine, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. This will be a fun reread for the fall.
I loved this mystery novel! It is different from my typical high stakes thriller reads. This is a cozy mystery following Tim Badger and his partner, Ben Watson who are hired by their neighbor, Jonathan Wicker who they suspect are a vampire and he needs their help to show people that he isn't. I liked following the main characters working their case and interacting with the townspeople. This is one of the few times I appreciated the fun and goofiness of a novel. This is book four of The Irregular Detectives Series. Despite it being part of a series I was able to read this just as a standalone and it was fine, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. This will be a fun reread for the fall.
May 22, 2026
I want to nominate this for Audiobook of the Year! @Goodreads This is a fabulous story and so beautifully narrated by Noah James Butler - with terrific and unique voices for each character. He has lots of energy and expresses wonderful chemistry between all the characters. The mystery is a fun one that has small town villagers thinking there’s a vampire on the loose. But Badger and Watson and Miss Littleton solve the mystery through their step-by-step deduction using what Sherlock Holmes taught them, which they call “the method.”
This is my favorite book of the series but I have loved each one! I can’t wait for the next one even though this just came out.
This is my favorite book of the series but I have loved each one! I can’t wait for the next one even though this just came out.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Other authors have tried to follow Doyle, either writing 'in the style of' or borrowing the characters. Jeri Westerson makes a real success of the Sherlockian pastiche by doing her thorough research. Now, with the fourth book in her series, the plots from book to book are quite varied. This time, the duo, Badger and Watson travel outside London, of course, from Paddington station. The story has a couple of twists and turns and ends with a surprise culprit and motive despite an early hint from Sherlock Holmes!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jeri Westerson for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Vampyre Client coming out May 1, 2026. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I really love historical mysteries. This book was really cozy to me. I’m obsessed with historical murder mysteries. I definitely love vampyre novels. I love the time period and the intrigue. The characters were really interesting and I loved the royalty involved in the plot.
I really love historical mysteries. This book was really cozy to me. I’m obsessed with historical murder mysteries. I definitely love vampyre novels. I love the time period and the intrigue. The characters were really interesting and I loved the royalty involved in the plot.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews