The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries
Written by Emily Brightwell
Narrated by Lindy Nettleton
3.5/5
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Titles in the series (41)
Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Stage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ghost and Mrs. Jeffries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Questions the Answer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the Missing Alibi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries On The Ball Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mrs. Jeffries Plays the Cook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Sweeps the Chimney Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries on the Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Stands Corrected Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Reveals Her Art Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Rocks the Boat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Pinches the Post Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries & the Mistletoe Mix-Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Pleads Her Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the Best Laid Plans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Appeals the Verdict Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the Silent Knight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries Holds the Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentlemen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries
42 ratings16 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Although set in Victorian times, the book read and felt more like a contemporary cozy mystery to me. So if you're looking for a book that feels like it's set in the past, this may not be the book for you. Having said that, it's a fun, light read; and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I definitely plan to read some more in the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mrs. Jeffries loved helping her husband solve crimes. Now she is widowed and working as a housekeeper. Her new employer, Gerald Witherspoon, has recently been promoted to Police Inspector. Unfortunately, he is not very good at crime solving.However, he’s a very kind man and his entire staff under Mrs. Jeffries’ directions are willing to step in and help him out. The challenge is to do this without letting him know.In this first volume of this Victorian era series, a doctor has been poisoned. It seems to be an open and shut case, as a few deadly mushrooms are found in his soup bowl. But Mrs. Jeffries believes there is more to the crime than this. Under her direction, the other servants roll into action, sleuthing out the truth.For me, the first in the series is often a bit underwhelming, especially when, as in this case, there are quite a few characters to be established. It’s a good romp, although I wish there was a bit more story in this character driven mystery. Since my copy is an omnibus of the first three in the series, I’ll continue onward.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A nice little British cozy. The Inspector of the title definitely needs the aid of Mrs. Jeffries, his housekeeper, as well as the rest of his staff, to solve the cases he gets - even as a police inspector, he hardly 'has a clue' about what is going on. But he is a gentle soul, as are the main characters of the book/series. After seeing so much violence & lack of caring in the news, it is refreshing to at least read about gentle people helping each other [while solving a good mystery.]
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5September 22, 1999The Inspector and Mrs. JeffriesEmily BrightwellA Victorian mystery. I’d never heard of the series, but came across it in Waldenbooks. Inspector Witherspoon Jeffries works for Scotland Yard. He’s wealthy because he inherited a small fortune, along with Mrs. Jeffries, his housekeeper. The Inspector isn’t very bright and is hopeless at solving cases, but nobody knows this – including the Inspector. Mrs. Jeffries is the secret weapon. She solves the mystery with the help of others on the household staff, and somehow manages to give him clues that leads him to the resolution….so all the while, he thinks HE solved it. Very cute. Of course that would never fly with me, since I couldn’t bring myself to let someone else take credit for something I did! Too egotistical, I guess. In this story, a doctor has been poisoned, and the Inspector is (as usual, apparently) stumped. Mrs. Jeffries, with gentle prodding and nudging, naturally figures it out and once again everyone at the Yard is flabbergasted by the Inspector’s uncanny sleuthing skills. He’s pretty flabbergasted himself, actually….
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This 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!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A simple little murder mystery, first in the series, starring the clueless Inspector Witherspoon and his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, who solves his cases for him. A local doctor, hated by everyone, turns up poisoned, and Mrs. Jeffries has to figure out who and how. A bit silly, but harmless.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I have been proof reading so much lately and consequently reading style manuals and professional books to the extent that I needed to dial up another rather mindless read. This series got high marks, both from LT readers and on Amazon, so I decided to give it a go.This is the first book in the series. As such, Brightwell introduced many characters I suspect will appear again and again. In fact, the most two dimensional character is the Inspector. I am afraid that if he doesn't wise up a bit I will lose all patience. The series definitively deserves a few more reads before I give up on it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I am pleased that I finally started this series. There is not a single amateur sleuth, but rather A very interesting and capable Mrs. Jeffries and a team of fellow house servants, all trying to solve a murder in order to help the head of house, the nit so capable Inspector Witherspoon. Events take place in historical England. The setting, characters, and writing style are not only enjoyable, but charming as well.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mrs Jeffries both entertained and annoyed. Yes, many clever women would have to hide behind men and possibly manipulate the men to use the intelligence and information that they had but sometimes she was too overt about it.Mrs Jeffries is the housekeeper for Inspector Witherspoon who is helped in his investigations by her, sometimes almost too well, his co-worker Nivens is suspicious of her and wants to catch her out. Sometimes she's almost too clever and sometimes Witherspoon is too stupid, but I still enjoyed the read.It wasn't bad and I do want to read more in this series but somehow it left me wanting more
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fun, fast paced cozy mystery that reminds me a lot of Agatha Christies Miss Marple series. It has a lot suspects to choose from, good characters and twists to keep you reading.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was an enjoyable and different 'light' read. Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard is quite a different detective, he doesn't like the sight of dead bodies and hopes they won't make him be sick or pass out, he doesn't like asking personal questions of witnesses and suspects and doesn't like it when he can't solve clues. Thankfully the hapless detective is helped in solving his murders by his house keeper, Mrs Jeffries, and his household of servants - although she does this without him knowing she is doing it. This is quite a unique selling point and makes the book feel fresh and different.I look forward to becoming reacquainted with this series and hope it keeps up this quirky nature.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was a fun "whodunnit." A quick read. The lovely, but inept police inspector is helped with his investigations by his elderly housekeeper. The characters were likeable and I didn't guess the baddie too quickly.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries is the first in a long-running series by American author Emily Brightwell, which currently contains more than thirty titles and is set in the Victorian Era. Mrs Jeffries is the housekeeper for Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard. The Inspector is a good boss and a nice man but not very smart so it is up to Mrs Jeffries, the widow of a policeman, to help him as much as she can, to solve his cases. The other household staff realize what she is up to and pitch in by taking up adding in some additional surveillance or interrogation duties.
Inspector Witherspoon is called in to investigate the suspicious death of a doctor in Knightsbridge who appears to have been poisoned. The suspicion falls on some poisonous mushrooms which most people knew had been growing in the communal garden. When the Inspector appears to be close to arresting an innocent person, Mrs Jeffries and team step in to investigate thoroughly, and unveil the real murderer.
The author makes Inspector Witherspoon stupid, almost to the point of parody, and I found that to be a little too much for me. Surely his staff can't be planning to solve every case he's going to be involved in? Nevertheless, it's a cute mystery that might appeal to readers who want a fairly easy to solve, cozy mystery with some humorous characters. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5First book in a series.
By the time I got to book 2, I was hooked.
And I'll be checking to see if they've done a TV series on this.
If not - they should.
Read in 2009.h - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Mrs. Jeffries and the household staff run around behind their master's back helping him solve his case without him knowing anything about it. Once I got past the farce aspect of the plotline, I was able to truly enjoy the story. The characters were a lot of fun and I enjoyed reading about them. Overall, this was a truly entertaining little cozy mystery and I will definitely continue the series.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/52.5**
In Victorian London, Mrs Hepzibah Jeffries is the housekeeper for Inspector Witherspoon … and his secret weapon. He may have the Scotland Yard credentials, but she, and the other household staff, keep the Inspector on his toes and subtly provide the brains behind the man’s success. When Dr Bartholomew Slocum is found dead in his home, Inspector Witherspoon – and Mrs Jeffries – begins to investigate an apparent murder.
I like cozy mysteries … they are my “comfort food” of reading. This is a decent example, though I found the Inspector a bit TOO clueless and bumbling. Still it’s a decent opening gambit in a series that has had much success over the years. Brightwell gives us plenty of clues and red herrings; I did not figure it out much ahead of the Inspector. I previously read another in this series and enjoyed it, which led me to begin with the first book in the series.
Not great literature, but a fairly satisfying cozy.