I really enjoy the Jane Jeffry novels by Jill Churchill. I haven't been able to read them in order. This is the first in the series and it was really nice to be able to see how some of the themes that are in every subsequent novel came to be. All of the books in this series are nice, easy, cozy mysteries but this one was a bit weaker than the rest. As a first novel, it was to be expected, but reading some of Churchill's later works first really made it all the more obvious. It couldn't stand up against her newer novels. ( )

This is the beginning of the Jane Jeffrey series. Jane is a widow whose husband died a few months ago in an auto accident. While she tries to keep things on an even keel for her three children, Jane handles carpools, PTA meetings but has to replace her cleaning lady. She and her next door neighbor, Shelly, contact the Happy Helper, and hire Edith, who is highly recommended by other neighbors.
Edith calls in sick when she is due at Shelly's house on a day that Shelly is hosting a meeting, so a replacement is sent. When she comes home from doing her errands, Shelly frantically calls Jane over to her house because she has found Edith's replacement strangled with a vacuum cleaner cord.
Jane and Shelly work to figure out why the maid was dispatched.
It was entertaining, wouldn't say that it was the greatest. ( )

http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/20... ( )

Very nice cozy mystery. I really liked the main character(s) and the mystery itself held up nicely. Looking forward to reading more books in this series. ( )

Book 1 in the Jane Jeffrey series.
Jane Jeffrey is a single mother raising 3 kids. Her husband died in a car wreck a few months earlier. She does the best she can do with raising the kids and keeping the house going. When her housekeeper quits, Jane and Shelly, hire Edith. She comes highly recommended by alot of their friends. Although some people say she can't clean worth a darn.
On the day Shelly is hosting a dinner party Edith calls in sick and the company she works for, Happy Helper, sends out a replacement. Half way through the day Shelly calls Jane telling her to come over to her house right now! When Jane gets there Shelly tells Jane someone has killed the housekeeper by strangling her with a vacuum cord.
So in between all the carpools and meetings she has to find a killer who just might strike again. ( )