Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter

In this mystery set in Victorian England, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is in charge of the investigation of the murder of Sir Edmund Leggett, who was killed on his way home from his engagement party. Witherspoon has plenty of suspects, beginning with a young woman who has been stalking him. But there's plenty of other people that wanted him dead, including his fiancée who hates him (he was marrying her for her money, her parents agreed because they wanted his title), his mistress who is furious at the upcoming wedding, his cousin who inherits everything, and the numerous people he owes money to. But Witherspoon will have no problem solving this case, not while his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his household staff are working behind the scenes to help him!

I really enjoy this series. The mysteries are always well written and well plotted. Brightwell switches back and forth between Witherspoon's investigation and the servants which I like, because it gives insight into all the characters. What I like the most is that, even after nineteen books in the series, the characters continue to grow and in each book we learn more and more about them. In this particular book, it was a little tidbit about Hatchet that made him come even more alive to me as a character. And Witherspoon's detecting abilities develop more and more each book, which is a nice touch as it would have been easy for him to become a caricature.

I highly recommend these books for fans of cozy mysteries. ( )

This series centers around the household of Gerald Witherspoon, an extremely kind, but not terribly bright individual who has a great reputation for his amazing (if not downright unlikely) success at solving murders. Inspector Witherspoon doesn't realize it, but his good deeds and kindly nature have created great loyalty on the part of his household staff. Led by the housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, a policeman's widow, they successfully (and competitively) investigate every case, and tactfully pass the information along to Witherspoon. A few friends and neighbors eventually join in to help.

I like having a largish band of appealing, repeating characters who are distinct from one another and continue to develop throughout the series. The stories are somewhat formulaic, which the reader may like or dislike. Personally, I wish that the continuing subplots would develop and change a little faster. The books are best read in order, although it isn't entirely crucial. With such a long series, it is often hard to get all the books.

A friend recommended this series to me when I was extremely depressed, and it was perfect! ( )