Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake

There has once again been a murder in London; an elderly man has been shot in his own home at a time when the rest of the household is out of town. Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of Scotland Yard is initially baffled by the case because there seems to be no end to the number of people who heartily hated this very unpleasant man, but with the help of his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his household staff, he will surely find a way through all the distractions to reach the correct conclusion….I will admit that the Mrs. Jeffries series, of which this is the 13th, is rather formulaic in the sense that someone is killed, all of the investigators are initially in quite a muddle about the complex situation and eventually the show more solution is found after one key piece of evidence emerges. (Of course, one could say that about many mystery novels, one way or another.) The strength of this series lies in the relationships between the main characters, and this volume focuses on the tentative romance possibly emerging between Inspector Witherspoon and Lady Cannonberry, a relationship that is not without its thorny moments as happens here. If the formulaic nature overwhelms the relationships at some point, I will probably stop reading, but until then - recommended! show less