Baker Street Four

by Penny Chrimes, Bill Nighy (Narrator), Paterson Joseph (Narrator)

Based on the graphic novel series written by Olivier Legrand, J.B. Djian and illustrated by David Etien, Baker Street Four follows Billy (Charlie Brand), Charlie (Kiki May), and Tom (Nathan Moses), three young apprentices of Sherlock Holmes (Paterson Joseph) who assist the famous detective in London’s dodgy East End. With the help of their faithful cat, Watson (Bill Nighy) and Sherlock’s beloved housekeeper Mrs. Hudson (Celia Imrie), this foursome takes local crimes into their own hands while Holmes is off solving mysteries abroad. Follow the Baker Street Irregulars as they pursue different cases, growing by the day as young detectives and as friends. An Audible Original produced by Paradiso Media.

Starring: Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, Charlie Brand, Chipo Chung, Claudia Jolly, Connie Sweet, David Holt, David Robb, Finlay Paul, Harry Myers, Hazel Ellerby, Imogen Front, Joanna David, Jon Glover, Katja Quist, Luke , Michael Abayomi, Nikesh Patel, Paterson Joseph, Preeya Kalidas , Robert Glenister, Roger Watkins and Sam Dale.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Crime

Audible Audio

Published January 19, 2023

Reviews

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really an enjoyable listen, perfectly suited to its target age range.

[Annie Huizinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love a wee gang of scoundrels getting up to no good. British shenanigans at its finest. Also cat Watson is superior. Cliffhanger with no sequel for what tho???

[Stephanie Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up from 2.5 stars. This was so-so, downloaded the free listen from audible because I had finished my last listen and it sounded like it might be cute. Story of 3 kids who assist sherlock holmes to solve 3 cases. Eh.

[Becki Dawson-Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a mashup of Sherlock and Oliver Twist. Amazing audiobook.

[R.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's about the time of year where I start looking for Sherlock Holmes retellings, so when Baker Street Four popped up on my "recommended for you" page on Audible, I was thrilled to start it.

In true Sherlock fashion, The Baker Street Four is a collection of 3 short cases that model after the classic stories and give welcome nods to the originals. The audio production reminded me of the radio theater I used to get up early on Saturday mornings for, so that was a nostalgic experience. It was very fun to have some new characters alongside the beloved old ones, plus having the story narrated by Watson the cat was a delight (I have a dog named Watson haha)!

The target audience is for middle graders, so analyzing this story for kids does make me slightly more critical of the content, which is why I'm rating 4 stars instead of 5. There are heavy themes of fear and some action that might be intense for younger readers, though I found the action topics to be mostly age-appropriate. I do have a few red flags that aren't necessarily "don't read because of this", but parents/guardians/teachers might want to be prepared to generate some conversations to discuss these topics (I'll wrap them in spoiler tags below).

Overall, I think The Baker Street Four is a well-produced audiobook and would make for an interesting episodic car-ride companion with your middle graders!

Content Warnings: There was one use of the word "h*ll". Romantic themes, but nothing on page. No gore, but a few scenes involving kidnapping, forced child labor, forced institutionalization, child loss, parent loss, and mental illness.

[Mandy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this. I’ve been working my way through some audible originals in the plus program but it seems they leave some of these series on a cliff hanger and then never get back to it. This one has a lot of great reviews so I’m not sure why. It’s been 3 yrs so I doubt they will make anymore which is too bad as this was a really fun one for sure.
Even though the main characters were teens and a cat, which is not my normal cup of tea, ai really liked this. It kept me entertained and had suspense with fun characters, especially the cat. The last mystery with the villain having been a hunter of tigers and the cat going after him for it, is a brilliant scene. Hopefully, Audible will think about adding more to this and make it a series!

[Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up this as a free listen with my Audible membership, mostly due to seeing Celia Imrie in the cast. There are several stories within the 9 chapters, all featuring 3 Baker Street Irregulars and narrated by Watson the ginger cat, with Holmes and Mrs Hudson making occasional cameos.

It's definitely aimed at a middle grade audience and the cat makes a great narrator. The kids were a bit stilted - possibly the fault of the sometimes clunky Edwardian dialogue - but improved over time.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this audiobook because it was a short, free option and I was intrigued by its retelling aspect. However, it didn't live up to my expectations. It revolved around a group of children solving mysteries, with Sherlock Holmes playing a minor role. Compared to other books I've experienced, this one didn't excite me much; the plot and characters lacked the depth and excitement I was hoping for.

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[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the first of the three stories in this collection, 'The Orphans of Hope Street.' It was a well written and produced full-cast production, with a standout performance by Bill Nighy as the cat, Watson, but the story itself is intended for a younger audience and didn't do much to keep my attention. I may continue to listen to the remaining two stories if I have my kids in the car with me for a trip, but otherwise I'm moving on to listen to other stuff.

[Robert Norok · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as it was free for Audible members and I saw Bill Nighy was involved.
This is a radio drama and includes three stories about three Baker Street irregulars, narrated by the fourth member, a ginger cat. Other characters from Sherlock Holmes stories make appearances.
Considering the setting, I was expecting more deducing, but it's mostly action driven.

[Heather C Gibbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downloaded as free on Audible this is a series of fun stories about the Baker Street Four, a gang of children that help Sherlock Holmes and Watson the car. Narrated by Celia Imrie and Bill Nighy, and with full sound effects to accompany the tales, it makes for a fun listen 🎧 a good 3.5 stars to start the year of books ⭐️

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, dramatized books are not for me. The background noises are too distracting. I think I read somewhere that this was originally a graphic novel, and I would have enjoyed it more in that format. I think the story itself was fun and a great way to include kids in Sherlock and Watson's adventures. The format just wasn't my cup of tea.

[laurafee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 kids and a cat “help” Sherlock Holmes. The story is told from the cat’s perspective. That was the main draw back for me. Sometimes voices were muffled or we missed things because, well, cat. Otherwise quite fun! Well paced, good suspense, humor here and there. A fun adventure for a younger audience.

[Emma Dargue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun. This audio book was based on a series of graphic novels set around a group of Sherlock Holmes Baker Street Irregulars. This features two stories that interlink and the cliffhanger made me want to read /listen more

[Alena Pecková · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oi this was such a cute book. Well I give it 3 stars as it was good but not woah. But I think that might be since it’s targeted for younger audience. Still I enjoyed it and was surprised when I reached the end. I listened to the audiobook and THE PERFORMANCE WAS MARVELOUS! (Performance is 10/10)

[Munaya Al salhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked it!

Its about 3 kids in old London with a cat who lives in Sherlock Holmes home who have interesting adventures and trying to solves the mysteries that pass them.

The pacing, the tune and all is fun and enjoyable and quick.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from the POV of the cat, huh?

Imagine being recruited by THE Sherlock Holmes to help him solve cries and get insider details because you are small, unimportant and easily ignored. Despite the insults, BEST. JOB. EVER!!!

4 stars

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this because of Bill Nighy.
Overall quite enjoyable. Exciting adventures of two boys, a girl and a cat related to the typical problems of the Victorian era's poverty as affecting children.

[Katie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on Audible. Really enjoyed it, 3 different stories with the same characters and enjoyed there being different voices for all the characters, really brought the stories to life.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Audio performance. A fun, short listen

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*

[Jeremy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good children's book, for sure.

[Curt Didrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love how it was from the point of view of some of the baker street irregulars

[Saykrid Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave me BIG Enola Holmes vibes. But I really liked this story.

[Sundria (Sundi) McCormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute YA story. Loved Bill Nye!

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute story

[Ann Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute but ultimately kind of forgettable. Meh

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the audio; a little triggering re: infant loss/kidnapping

[Rich Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super fun Audible Original. I wish they did more like this one. A great one for the entire family.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full cast. Music and sound effects.