Overall a fun Sherlock Holmes spin off, the first in a new series with Tim Badger and Ben Watson becoming private detectives after their mentor Sherlock Holmes recommended them to Thomas Brent, who is accused of murdering his employer Quinn but Brent claims he's innocent. He hires Badger and Watson to find the real murderer so that he can clear his name.

I adore the Sherlock Holmes stories so when I had the opportunity to read a spin-off story featuring former Baker Street Irregular Tim Badger and his friend Benjamin Watson, how could I possibly resist?

Badger and Watson are struggling to get their detection business off the ground. The fact that they are both from the lower classes does not help matters. When they’re approached by Thomas Brent and asked to find proof that Thomas didn’t murder his master Horace Quinn during a séance is an opportunity too good to reject.

Initially, their investigation is riddled with obstacles and even puts Badger in jail. But, not to worry because Holmes comes to the rescue. He gets Badger out of prison and sets the two youngsters up in more respectable quarters and a small budget. Their improved circumstances provide them with a better opportunity to conduct their investigation into what turns out to be a baffling mystery.

As for the actual crime, it is a classic case of a small and closed circle of suspects, none of whom appear to have an obvious motive at first sight. The investigation goes back and forth, the focus shifting as they move along until, eventually, they reach the surprising yet satisfying conclusion.

This story is filled with well-portrayed and interesting characters. Badger and Watson are great fun. Their friendship runs deep, and their interactions are at times laugh-out-loud funny. I loved Watson’s struggle with his improved circumstances and how to conduct himself in this new situation. I appreciate that he is black. It’s not a main thread in the plot but it does, of course, play a role in how he moves around London.

Sherlock Holmes appears in the story enough to maintain his connection with the story and its protagonists while never really imposing himself on the investigation. I love the idea of Holmes as a mentor to two ambitious young men. And enjoyed his appearances on the page whenever they happened.

I had my reservations about Ellsie Littleton, newspaper reporter, but once she stopped being insufferable and thoughtless about what she reported, I warmed to her a little. Having said that, I agree with Benjamin Watson when he has his reservations both about Badger’s infatuation with the young, upper-class woman. I also agree with him that allowing her a role in future investigations may cause issues. Let’s just say the jury is still out when it comes to Ellsie.

To summarize The Isolated Séance is a delightful mystery! Badger and Watson are adorable in their ambition to emulate Sherlock Holmes and his methods of detection and great fun in their interactions with each other and the rest of the world. The actual mystery was baffling enough to keep me on my toes and the solution was both satisfying and fair.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “The Isolated Seance.” All opinions and comments are my own.

The author of the well-received Crispin Guest series has decided that it’s time for a Sherlock Holmes pastiche, and Jeri Westerson has accomplished that with “The Isolated Séance,” in which a former Baker Street Irregular and his partner have Mr. Holmes as a mentor (and financial benefactor) for their private detective agency. Good thing, too, as this case involves missing information from a dead man (need a séance for that, doncha know) and then a “locked room” murder. All of which will be satisfactorily explained away by the end of the book. But not before you get a lot of investigating, a lot of introspection from our detectives, Tim Badger and Benjamin Watson, and a lot of interesting information about Victorian London. There’s even a glossary at the beginning of the book, to help out.

Benjamin Watson is almost the more interesting of the two; a black man in a time when it was still an anomaly, obviously. He has faced discrimination, and relates it in the course of the book. But author Westerson has both him and Tim Badger (who has also not had an easy time) facing life and coming out on top, so far. (The chapters go back and forth between the two men.) They are both three dimensional, interesting characters who readers will want to continue to follow. Oh, and did I mention the young, female reporter who’s trying to make a name for herself? Maybe I should. The story line also includes mentions of women’s rights, the rights of the poor, and as noted, the treatment of people of color while providing a fast-paced murder investigation with plenty of twists and turns.

The end is tied up very neatly, with Tim and Ben working everything out. Hopefully Mr. Holmes will consider his investment money well spent, beginning with “The isolated Séance.”

A delightful read set in Sherlockian London featuring a former Baker Street Irregular, Tim Badger and his friend, Ben Watson. He is not related to Dr. Watson, but every detective needs a Watson. I liked the fully developed characters and the obvious care taken in getting the setting just right. Well done!

Jeri Westerson has done something new and fresh with the Sherlock Holmes' canon. She has taken a former Baker Street Irregular who has now aged out of the group of street urchins Holmes uses for running errands and following people and created a man who wishes to use his expertise gained from observing the great man. Tim Badger and his good friend, Benjamin Watson, are subsidized by Holmes himself as they set up their own private inquiry agency. Their first client is a young man on the run from the police, accused of a murder he swears he did not commit. During a seance, Horace Quinn is stabbed. Tim Brent was Quinn's valet and general dogsbody. Also present at the seance were the medium, a gypsy, and the two maids of the household. As Badger and Watson begin to investigate, it becomes clear that Brent was not the culprit, but finding the evidence will take all of their skills. It seems a lot of people wanted Horace Quinn dead, beginning with the housemaid he impregnated 20 years ago. A fun romp through Victorian London.

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.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

badger and watson two of sherlock holmes's baker street irregulars are set on a case after a man is stabbed at a seance by none other than the man himself sherlock holmes

its a tricky case but with everything they have learnt from holmes and with sherlocks help they get to grips with the case

it was a fun read and within keeping with what we know about sherlock and his many disguises

will be interesting in the next book in this series

A nice start to a new series! Sherlock Holmes doesn't take the case of Brent, accused of killing his employer, but instead sends him to young Timothy Badger and Watson, who are living together in a dreadful part of London while they get their detective agency on its feet. They won't make a lot of money from Brent (he has 4 ha'penny) but it's a beginning, This isn't too twisty and fans of the Holmes mysteries might quibble about various things but it's fun and it's fresh. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was an enjoyable entry in the long line of pastiches built on Sherlock Holmes. What makes this fun is that Holmes is just a side character and the main focus is on a former Baker Street Irregular, Tim Badger, and his friend, Ben Watson, a black man. They’ve opened up a detective agency and are barely scraping by. With the help of Holmes, both with finances and some key clues, the two try to solve a somewhat closed-door murder mystery. While the mystery wasn’t that great, it was fun seeing the scene through the eyes of Tim and Ben as they face class and racial prejudice in trying to figure out their first big case. Add in some incipient romantic interests and this made a fun start to what I hope will be a continuing series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of The Isolated Seance, the first novel to feature Sherlock Holmes’ protégé and former Baker Street Irregular, Tim Badger, and his friend Ben Watson.

Tim and Ben have set up as private detectives, but they don’t have any clients. This changes when Sherlock Holmes sends Thomas Brent to them. He is under suspicion of murdering his employer Horace Quinn during a séance, but swears he didn’t do it. Tim and Ben soon find that the victim was not a nice man and had plenty of secrets.

The Isolated Séance is a pleasant read with a well conceived and executed plot. Unfortunately I found it difficult to connect with the characters, who seem a little cartoonish to me and I was unimpressed with the author’s attempts at the vernacular. It’s a petty point, but I was ready to scream at the constant use of drapes instead of curtains.

The novel follows Tim and Ben as they ineptly follow the clues, have several brushes with death and get several nudges in the right direction from the great man himself. I know that they are on a learning curve and their missteps are regarded by the author as humour, but I didn’t get it. It didn’t make me laugh, it made me long for the resolution and the accompanying answers, which, when they come, are clever but not overly convincing.

The novel, however, is not just about a murder as it has certain social overtones and a couple of diatribes. Ben Watson is black, so he encounters racism, but not nearly as much as I would have expected for the times and Tim Badger lived for years on the street, so he is an expert on poverty and the crimes committed to stay alive. It is an interesting construct to elevate them to a better social status and watch what they make of it. I don’t think the author totally gets the idea of the English class system and is more egalitarian in her outlook than the system would ever have been.

The Isolated Séance is not for me.

I read this on a short break and found it perfect. Not too taxing for the brain, different but familiar enough because of the characters/ setting and a super storyline. Will be looking out for the next in the series.

Thanks to Severn House and Net Galley for this ARC. What a great new series! Well paced, with a great twist and characters you can really get on with and want to know more. Really hoping there will be many more in this this very promising series!

A Sherlock Holmes pastiche with an original twist; one of the Baker Street Irregulars is all grown up and setting himself up as a private detective, along with the aptly named Watson as his partner. Victorian London is marvelously recreated with all its flaws, faults, and dangers. Timothy Badger and Benjamin Watson receive help from Holmes, who sets them up in better lodgings and watches them while in disguise, nudging them in the right direction as needed. It is great fun following the mystery as well as the development of these intriguing characters. Waiting for the next one!

Jeri Westerson's THE ISOLATED SEANCE is a fun Holmesian romp through Victorian London. I liked Badger and Watson (although I never understood why this Watson had the same name as Dr. Watson - perhaps I missed the explanation?), but I didn't really connect with them. Still, the story was fun and fast paced, and I enjoyed my time reading it.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. While intrigued by a series focusing on Sherlock Holmes’ legendary Baker Street Irregulars as adult consulting detectives, Tim Badger and Benjamin Watson just weren’t interesting protagonists to me. In the author’s defense and recognition of the late Victorian era, the two men were handicapped by lack of status and, in Benjamin’s case, race discrimination. The author writes well and the story is tightly conceived, I wish I could have been emotionally invested in the two main characters.

The Isolated Séance explores themes of power, deception, and the line between belief and scepticism. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of Victorian spiritualism and the ways in which it was exploited for personal gain. It is a well-crafted and engaging historical mystery novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. It is highly recommended for fans of the genre, as well as anyone looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking read.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is a generally light-hearted romp through the Victorian streets of Sherlock Holmes’ London. Badger and Watson (not that one, confusingly) are protégés of the great man and are trying to solve their first murder case before an innocent man gets hanged.

The story tells of their emerging partnership and their coming to the attention of the press, all the while coming under the gaze of Mr H to help them in their way.

I loved this mystery! I highly enjoyed the the two different "proteges" of Sherlock Holmes and their mystery solving abilities! It was a great classic and cozy mystery and I will be recommending it to all mystery readers!

The first book in this new series it is a good mystery, solve he crime read involving Sherlock Holmes (to a point).

Set in 1895 London, Tim Badger is on the case and the story is easy to read and keeps to the theme and involves Ben Watson. Together they do what you would expect and solve the crime. This story flows well and brings these two characters to the fore which I enjoyed.

A good first book, not too long and has everything you want and need from a book of this style and genre. I look forward to seeing what comes next. Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

While this is a good mystery and full of interesting plot points, I had a hard time liking the characters as written.

Badger is a Street smart, wise cracking individual and I enjoy that he was a Baker Street Irregular but he just felt... lackluster and a little silly.

Ben Watson is strong, steady, and Badger's perfect counterpoint and by far the most interesting character but we didn't get enough of his brilliance.

Now onto my least favorite character, Ellsie. I understand her motives and why she does what she does, but to then do a complete turn around in 1 day? A little hard to believe. And Badger just follows along like a dumb puppy. 🙄 it annoyed me quite a bit.


Like I said though, very cleverly written mystery. I enjoyed the Holmes cameos, as well.