Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock

A body is pulled from the Thames, but as he had been shot the case must be investigated as a murder. Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is happy to discover that Inspector Nevins should be assigned to it, but alas it turns out that Nevins knew the victim and so cannot investigate, and solving the crime therefore falls to Witherspoon yet again. Although it takes little time to identify the corpse and to discover that he had been running a con on some wealthy investors, it takes all of the powers of the Inspector and his household staff to learn anything at all about the man himself - aside from the fact that he had many, many enemies…. The fourth book in this cozy Victorian series, like the others, relies on the charm of its main characters, show more including the housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries, the kind-hearted Inspector himself, and the household maid, footman, cook and groom who combine their talents to surreptitiously aid the rather incompetent Inspector in his quest for truth. One nice thing about this series is that the Inspector really is kind-hearted and really does have a strong sense of justice, it’s just that he doesn’t always (or even often) know how to go about investigating crime. Slight reading, but quite amusing; recommended. show less

It may be Inspector Witherspoon's life, but it is Mrs. Jeffries who really runs things. Not only is she the housekeeper who keeps life at home smooth running, she is also the one who seems to guide the Inspector in solving the mysteries that come his way.

In this book, the Inspector has put the household on a tight budget. To keep in line with this new ruling, Cook has dusted off an old cookbook with recipes that are as tasty as the dust but very economical. Not only is the Inspector suffering through these frugal meals, he is also working through a new murder of a business man who has a long list of possible suspects. Seems this business man has cheated his investors our of a nice chunk of money. The Inspector is trying to focus on show more finding clues and interviewing witnesses, while trying to ignore hunger pains from his diet at home.

Behind the scenes, Mrs. Jeffries has organized the household staff into its' efficient sleuthing team mode. Cook may be feeding pauper meals to the Inspector, but she still is sure to have tea and sweet buns for when other household staff members drop by to chat in the kitchen. Meanwhile Wiggins, Betsy and Smythe utilize their network of other household staffs for information; uncovering some unsavoury secrets that point to who the guilty party is and why.

This is a cozy series set in Victorian times and is a fun and fast read. show less

From the book jacket - (Mrs Jeffries) is keeping the household on a tight budget – and the Inspector is suffering for it. Even worse, he’s got a new murder case on his hands. The victim, a businessman, may have cheated his stockholders out of a princely sum. The housekeeper’s interest is piqued … and when it comes to catching killers, the smart money’s on Mrs Jeffries!

My reactions
I like this cozy mystery series featuring Mrs Jeffries and other servants in the Inspector’s Victorian household, who work together to lead their boss to the solution of the mystery. However, I think I’ve read too many recently and the plots are getting formulaic and thin. Also, I’m noticing more repetition in the books. How often does the show more reader need to be told that the team must get together over one more cup of tea? Or that Smythe or Wiggins (or any of the others) actually provides valuable information?

Still, it’s a fast read, and an occasional cozy never hurt anyone. show less

Squeezed one more book in before the end of the month. Do enjoy this mystery series set in Victorian England, where the hapless Inspector Witherspoon has his murder cases solved by his servants, led by the inimitable Mrs Jeffries (his house keeper). A good cozy mystery series, where an interesting group of characters have been brought together. I look forward to reading further on in this series.