Everyone should want Mrs Jeffries as their housekeeper and guard! These characters will always stay in your heart.

It's a solid cozy. I enjoyed and will look for the others in the series.

I know that I came across a description of this series a while back, and I found it – the idea of a detective's housekeeper doing the lion's share of the work to help him achieve arrests – off-putting. Perhaps because of the covers I've seen for the series I thought it was all played for laughs; the artwork on most of the books makes Inspector Witherspoon look completely oblivious, with Mrs. Jeffries peering in from the side. I was never interested. So it's odd that I requested this book from Netgalley.

But I did, and in the end it was much better than I expected it to be. It wasn't great – I can't imagine reading 35 more along the same lines, and I was startled to read a description of a couple of earlier books in the series that sounded a whole lot like this one; there was one in which it was important that a case be solved by Christmas, and at least one other in which a case was given to inferior Inspector Nivens and, of course, botched.

I did like the characters – Inspector Witherspoon is <i>not</i> a nincompoop, thank goodness, and that makes all the difference. And the author did a nice job at keeping a fairly large cast of characters distinct from each other and pretty consistently interesting … though I really wish the one American character wasn't written in the dreadful manner of Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie writing an American. Goldarnit. There are a few things the Golden Agers did <I>not</i> do perfectly, and in which they should <i>not</i> be emulated.

There was a bit too much repetition of the basic ideas of "we'll never solve this old mystery" and "I goofed off today and I'm ashamed but I'll probably do it again tomorrow because we'll never solve this old mystery", and <i>much</i> too much whining about having their holiday plans disrupted. In that they reminded me of my coworkers, who spend half the day talking about the news and the weather and their love lives and tv and a hundred other inane things, and then complain that they don't have time to do their work. Shut up and buckle down, and maybe you'll manage.

All in all, I'm not sorry I read it – but I'm in no rush to go read the rest of the (astonishingly long) series.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

Mrs. Jeffries and crew are at it again but without their usual motivation. Will they be able to solve the murder before it interferes with their Christmas plans? Will Mrs. Goodge, Lady Ruth, and Luty be able to motivate the others to be their usual effective selves? Will they be able to solve the 6 week old murder? Great series and love the characters. I look forward to many more. I received an advanced copy from Netgalley for an honest review

The Mrs. Jeffries series follows the household staff of Homicide inspector Witherspoon. The staff help investigate the murders on the downlow and drop hints to the inspector and his constable about what they find out. Over the course of the series, Witherspoon has grown into quite the talented investigator on his own. His staff is now in a race to figure out the culprit before he does. Witherspoon is a very nice man and his staff are devoted to him. Watching the characters develop and grow through the many books in the series has been a pleasure. This is one of my favorite mystery authors.

I really enjoyed this book and had little trouble jumping into the series without having read all the previous books. Set during Victoria Era England, Inspector Witherspoon has a perfect record for solving murder cases. It is a poorly kept secret that his household and friends are the secret to his success. Lead by his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries, they are able to chat with people that refuse to speak with the police and then feed him any pertinent information they have gathered without his knowing that they are snooping. I love this concept and think it's pretty original, at least from the many cozy's I've read.

In this installment, it's Christmastime and Inspector Witherspoon lands a cold case that threatens to ruin everyone's Christmas plans. The readers watch the frustration of everyone and how that affects the effort they put into sleuthing. Luckily, a couple of the women are determined not to let this one slip by and guilt the others into trying harder to solve the murder before Christmas arrives.

I really like the characters, but wish there were more descriptions of them. Yes, I admit that after 26 books in this series, it could be tiresome to describe the same characters over and over, but I've known other authors to a least include some snippets of information about the main characters. I also felt that the descriptions of non-recurring characters also could be a little stronger, as it was hard to picture most of them as I read. I was also hoping for more of a "Christmas" theme, other than just the characters thinking of their Christmas plans. Even just description of any decorations, or more of a Christmastime vibe would have been nice. This is just a personal preference and doesn't deter from the book.

As for the mystery itself, I was definitely throw off course by some of the red-herrings and was slightly surprised by the ending. The author did a great job of dropping tiny hints and the over-abundance of possible suspects definitely helped muddle the process.

I definitely recommend this book and series to cozy mystery lovers, especially those who enjoy a historical mystery as I do. I will be returning to this series to catch up on the previous books.

It was a fun mystery. Kept me guessing till the end. I enjoyed the cozy aspect of the book and the Victorian theme. It felt very Agatha Christie to me.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women by Emily Brightwell
Christopher Gilhaney comes to a dinner party and insults everyone there. He's having fun getting even. But on his way home, someone shoots him and he dies on the path...

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It has been published, so you can grab a copy now.

There's a rivalry between the cops in that area and one claims the death for himself, saying it was just a robbery gone bad. After six weeks go by and he's no closer to the truth than when he started, he says it's murder and it goes to a different inspector. Inspector Witherspoon is assigned. It's as bad as a cold case. Memories fade, clues disappear, the body was moved and trying to piece things together is murder. Especially since everyone who was at the dinner didn't like him.

No one is happy to take on this case. They all had plans for Christmas and now it looks like they will have to cancel them all. Consequently, it's hard to get folks put their heart into the effort to find justice.

The part I like best is how his household staff finds most of his facts for him. They share it with the constable who tells the inspector about it, acting like he heard it from informants. Of course, the inspector talks to his head housekeeper about the case, too, so they know what he's found. But without the women coordinating staff activities and directing them in what to find out, the case might not ever have been solved.

There were lots of men involved but the three wise women were the ones that solved the case. I applaud them.

I love Mrs. Jeffries books. They represent good clean mysteries with nice twists and turns and some humor thrown in. In this book, the below stairs employees along with their friends are in danger of having their holiday plans disrupted when the inspector receives what is almost a col d case. And there is a mutant by some. Then three of the ladies step in and things change.
I really like the fact that the characters are from all walks of life and yet they all like each other in the books. Some are colorful, some are grumpy and some have money. And a little competition is not a bad thing. It tends to bring results.
My only disappointment with this book was it the very end. I wanted it to have a “Christmas” ending but I suppose you just have to assume there is a party somewhere.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review which is my very own.

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

Christopher Gilhaney takes a shortcut to the railway station on his way home from a Guy Fawkes Night celebration, but is killed before he reaches his train. The mediocre and unlikeable Scotland Yard inspector Nigel Nivens labels the death a robbery gone wrong and fights to have the case assigned to him instead of renowned Inspector Gerald Witherspoon. Nivens gets his way, but when weeks go by and the case remains unsolved, he passes the bungled investigation off to his rival, Witherspoon. Witherspoon is handed a cold case with expectations by the Home Office of immediate results, so it’s a good thing he has a secret weapon – Mrs. Jeffries. Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his household staff and close friends must put their doubts aside and their holiday plans on hold to help the Inspector close the case before Christmas.

The premise of this series set in Victorian England may sound far-fetched to new readers. Inspector Witherspoon’s household staff and a few close friends gather evidence and make deductions to help him solve his cases, without his knowledge. However, in Emily Brightwell’s capable hands, what could come off as silly is very charming and engaging. Although this is a long-running series, the author is able to keep it fresh by changing up the set-up from book to book. This time the household and special friends, who are usually eager to help the Inspector, are disappointed the investigation may interfere with their holiday plans. Even Mrs. Jeffries is pessimistic and off her game and it looks like this could be one murder that remains unsolved. Then “three wise women” find a way to get the others motivated and back on track to solving the difficult case.

The complex plots, Victorian setting, and likeable characters that care about and support each other make this one of my favorite mystery series. This book in particular is one of my favorites of the recent installments. The holiday timeframe makes it especially interesting and I really like that each character in the Inspector’s circle of friends takes equal part in solving the murder. The Inspector and his partner Constable Barnes are a great team as well, and also work hard to uncover the true character of the murder victim and find a motive for the murder. Some of the past few books have focused on a few characters forcing others into the background, but everyone is involved in this case. It’s great to see the cook, Mrs. Goodge, playing an especially important role in this case, and it’s even better that all the characters come together by the end. New and returning readers will be able to equally enjoy this delightful Victorian mystery.

~ Christine