Contact Name/Author – Jeri Westerson
Contact Email – westerson@gmail.com
Phone Number – 951-570-3719
Book Title – THE VAMPYRE CLIENT
Series – An Irregular Detective Mystery
Publisher – Old London Press
Release Date – May 1, 2026 ebook and print. May 12, 2026 audiobook
Book Categories –Mystery: Historical/Traditional/Private Detectives, Sherlockian Pastiche
Tagline: “Without Holmes…They’re Clueless”
Talking points:
- A unique take on a pastiche series
- Sherlock Adjacent
- Doyle Canon
- Vivid Victorian Setting
- A Cozy Victorian Mystery
- Buddy Book
Blurbs:
“Perfectly at home in Victorian London, Westerson is a commanding author, who handles plot, setting, character and humour with equal polish, making it a thoroughly engaging read for the casual mystery buff and dedicated Sherlockian alike. Recommended!” — Bestselling author Bonnie MacBird of the Sherlock Holmes Adventures on THE MISPLACED PHYSICIAN
“Light-hearted Mystery/Thriller. Tim and Ben are not perfect detectives AT ALL, which makes it hilarious; their human mistakes make them more relatable. Definitely recommend this book.” — Maria Azmon, Netgalley Reviewer on THE VAMPYRE CLIENT
“Has everything a reader could want in a Victorian mystery: dastardly deeds on dark London streets, cockney squalor, upper-crust skullduggery, a hint of the supernatural, even a stalwart sidekick named Watson. That he’s not the Watson — and the sleuth on the case is named “Badger” rather than Holmes — only adds to the sly Sherlockian fun.” — Steve Hockensmith, author of the Holmes on the Range mystery series on THE ISOLATED SEANCE
“Jeri Westerson’s series graces readers with novels set in the Sherlock Holmes universe but with an original, unique, and inventive twist in these vibrant tales. The Baker Street Irregulars are now young men, and one is a private detective under the distant and critical eye of Holmes himself. It’s a new generation, but the game is still afoot—and dangerous. A smashing premise and pitch-perfect!” — James R Benn, bestselling author of the Billy Boyle World War II mysteries on THE MUMMY OF MAYFAIR
“Filled with vivid period details, this is a charming, witty, heartwarming, enthralling read that will appeal to a wide range of mystery fans.” — Booklist on THE MISPLACED PHYSICIAN
Website – https://www.jeriwesterson.com/
Bio: Los Angeles native and irrepressible Anglophile, JERI WESTERSON has published over 45 novels, including her current Sherlockian Pastiche series and her Tudor mystery series. Earlier in life, she had been a graphic designer/art director and newspaper reporter, but found herself suddenly working towards a writing career as an historical novelist cum mystery writer.
Book Description – London, October, 1895. Former Baker Street Irregular Tim Badger and his colleague in crime-solving Ben Watson, are hired by a man whose neighbours are convinced he is a vampyre and have threatened him and his home. The strange Mister Jonathan Wicker needs the detectives to prove to the villagers that he is just an ordinary scientist. But once there, tragedy strikes, and Badger and Watson find they have a case they can truly sink their teeth into.
The Story Behind the Story – I am infatuated with history, and my current addiction is the Victorian period. What better way to explore 1895 London than to write my own Sherlockian pastiche series! I just adore walking the misty streets of a long-ago London lit in dusky lamplight, following my two young detectives, trying to whisper in their ears about clues they may not have noticed, and just getting to live – if only temporarily – alongside these bosom friends throughout their adventures.
Paperback ISBN – 9798998776700
Ebook ISBN – 9798998776717
Audiobook ISBN – 9798228934399
Keyword search terms – Sherlockian pastiche, Baker Street Irregulars, Sherlock adjacent, Buddy Book, Cozy Victorian Mystery
MYSTERY AUTHOR EXPLORES THE WORLD OF SHERLOCK HOLMES:
A Brief Interview for Media Use
Jeri Westerson has written a fifteen-book “Medieval Noir” series nominated thirteen times for several national mystery awards, a three-book gaslamp-steampunk series, a four-book romantasy series, many other series and standalone historicals and is currently writing a Tudor mystery series and has entered the world of Sherlock Holmes with her fourth novel in An Irregular Detective Mystery series THE VAMPYRE CLIENT.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO TAKE ON SOMETHING AS ICONIC AS SHERLOCK HOLMES?
Everyone knows Sherlock Holmes. He is a most beloved character. But I didn’t want to tread on the canon to tell stories about him necessarily. I was more interested in telling Sherlock adjacent stories. To my way of thinking, telling stories about one of his former Baker Street Irregulars was going to be far more interesting to explore. Who was this Tim Badger who had the chutzpah to open his own detecting agency, this man from the slums of London? How would he do it? Will he make mistakes? Is he in over his head? Yes to all of it! But he also has his own Watson to help him. A man actually named Watson…no relation to Doctor Watson.
DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO CREATE A SHERLOCKIAN STORY?
I didn’t take it lightly. I studied the Doyle series, reading all the tales over and over again. I still read them from time to time to get the flavor of the language. I delved into researching the era. I knew it would be a push. People are very protective of the Holmes character and oeuvre. On the other hand, when you have a good hook and don’t interfere with the canon, there’s no reason why you can’t write your take and inspire readers. Holmes is not the main focus of the series, but he does show up from time to time. You can’t have a Sherlockian story with no Sherlock.
YOUR CHARACTER OF BEN WATSON, THE PARTNER WITH TIM BADGER, IS A BLACK MAN IN VICTORIAN LONDON. WHY MAKE THAT CHOICE?
I needed to show that there was already diversity in London, which the canon does not quite touch on and was much needed. It’s also a way to comment on today’s problems through events of the past. Ben Watson is no relation to Doctor John Watson, though Holmes finds endless amusement that Badger also found himself a “Watson” to work with. Ben has had extensive experience through many past jobs: a blacksmith, chimney sweep, chemist’s assistant, fun fair (carnival) performer…and many more, completely suitable for detecting, besides a quick and clever mind.
IT SEEMS THAT YOU GO FOR A LOT OF HUMOR IN THE SERIES, BUT ALSO A LOT OF HEART.
I felt the series would benefit from a lighter touch, and that the reader would settle in and feel more part of the adventure with that humorous tone and gladly go along for the ride with Tim Badger and Ben Watson. At the same time, one of my favorite things to write are those scenes that get you right in the heart. It can always hit the right note to add a bit of pathos. It was a reminder that these were real people trudging through real problems that would affect them…even though they’re all fictional. And so yes, I do inject it with a lot of heart in just the right places. After all, they are “buddy books” with two friends who will do anything for the other.
HOLMES BECOMES THE DUO’S BENEFACTOR. WHY DID YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE?
Well, like Holmes, I realized that these two fellows will never get ahead unless they have better clothes and a better setting in which to meet with clients. It made sense, it helped the narrative to move along, and it kept Holmes in the picture. Badger and Watson were well aware that they’d never climb the social ladder unless they could look the part. It’s a little bit of social commentary about then as well as now. You have to dress for success.
SOME OF THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS WERE MENTIONED BY NAME IN THE CONAN DOYLE STORIES. WHY DIDN’T YOU USE ONE OF THEM?
Good catch. No, I purposely didn’t, wanting my own characters to flourish on their own. I didn’t think readers would mind. Especially as one of the old Irregulars made an appearance in the series already.
ARE YOU PLANNING A LONG SERIES?
After writing fifteen books in the Crispin Guest series, I didn’t think I wanted to go that long anymore. But I really love these chaps! The series is very charming in that they speak and live like Victorians in literature of the era, without the bad language and sex. You could definitely consider them cozy Victorian mysteries.
IN THE VAMPYRE CLIENT, THERE’S MORE THAN A BIT OF THE SUPERNATURAL. WILL YOU CONTINUE THIS THEME?
The books and short stories of the era used a lot of the supernatural in their adventures. Just look at the penny dreadfuls and penny fiction of the time. Even Conan Doyle did that, though, like any Scooby-Doo adventure, there’s really a logical explanation behind it.
DO YOU THINK READERS WILL EVER TIRE OF PASTICHES ABOUT SHERLOCK HOLMES?
I hope not! That’s rather what I’m banking on right now. I think this is a fun series. It’s fun to write and it’s fun to read. That’s all you really want out of a mystery besides an interesting puzzle and characters you want to follow from book to book. As well as allowing you to see things through the eyes of people from another era. That’s what my readers have always liked; taking a time machine to other eras and exploring—through the safety of their novel pages—a world that is no more.
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