“The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries” - Emily Brightwell


(Mrs. Jeffries book 1)

☠️ I am all about prolific mystery writers who give their detectives many cases to puzzle out; there are at least 36 books in this series! I guess I’m always looking to fill the Poirot/Marple void.


☠️ TIMJ is a quintessential cozy period mystery. Brightwell provides a great deal of Victorian-era dressing to the story, and I think that’s what’s drawn me to this series. Brightwell establishes a quirky set-up: Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is a bumbling detective, but is much loved by his household staff, who come together to covertly assist him in solving cases. There is an interesting upstairs/downstairs aspect to the story; I enjoyed the peek into Victorian social rules governing servant and employer interactions.


☠️ Although this is book 1, there is a bit of backstory that is glossed over, giving the impression that there was another book prior to this one. Witherspoon earned a promotion to inspector based on a success in a prior case that we are not told about, except to say that it was his housekeeper, Mrs. Hepzibah Jeffries, and her ragtag team of servants who actually solved that case and pointed Witherspoon toward the solution. 


☠️ This was an easy, diverting read, but it’s no Christie. The mystery is simplistic, but it was fun to see Mrs. Jeffries employ her wits and her colleagues to tackle roles well beyond their normal obligations.

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