THE INSPECTOR AND MRS JEFFRIES by EMILY BRIGHTWELL.SOURCE: Received for review from publishers Constable & Robinson whose catalogue can be found HERE.
When a doctor is discovered dead in his own office, Mrs Jeffries' diagnosis is murder .....
Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard may not be the most dynamic detective on the force but, whether he realises it or not, he has the help of his housekeeper, Mrs Jeffries, when it comes to cracking cases.
The death of Dr Bartholomew Slocum, found slumped across his desk as though he had simply fallen asleep, at first seems like it might be a tragic accident, but Mrs Jeffries senses something more sinister and is determined to discover the doctors' murderer.
..... Outer back cover
FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter One}: Dr Bartholomew Slocum was definitely dead.
MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 57}: She hoarded her tidbits of gossip like an old miser with a pot of gold.
MY THOUGHTS: Just as Holmes has his Watson so Inspector Witherspoon, albeit unknowingly, has Mrs Jeffries
The first in a series (now running to more than 30 books) of Victorian crime novels featuring the mild mannered (some would say inept) Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard, his housekeeper, policeman's widow, Hepzibah Jeffries and, to a lesser extent, his other servants who amongst others number Smythe the coachman, housemaid Betsy, and arthritic cook, Mrs Goodge.
OK, so The Inspector And Mrs Jeffries is somewhat plodding and simplistic (rather like the good Inspector himself), has a plot that doesn't necessarily hold up to close scrutiny and is littered with Americanisms but in its favour its a charming, fun read full of the most deliciously eccentric characters.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper. All original content on http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk/ is created by the website owner, including but not limited to text, design, code, images, photographs and videos are considered to be the Intellectual Property of the website owner, whether copyrighted or not, and are protected by DMCA Protection Services using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 Chapter 512 (c)(3). Reproduction or re-publication of this content is prohibited without permission. In addition I would also urge that if you are reading this on any other page you contact the original blog owner/reviewer.
Disclaimer: Read and reviewed on behalf of publishers, Constable & Robinson, I was merely asked for my honest opinion, no financial compensation was asked for nor given.
15 comments:
Sounds simple yet interesting, I am glad that the book did hold your interest with its charm, Tracy. Thank you for yet another wonderful review as always, I enjoyed reading it.
Interesting book, but, I'm really afraid of this kind of story (with people died...). I prefer to read lovely books :b
Man, so sad to hear that the plot didn't stand up to scrutiny
This sounds like a series I would probably enjoy, at least for awhile..... but more than 30 of them? No, I think I'll pass considering how many series I'm already involved in.
It does sound charming, even with its flaws.
Thanks for the review, Tracy!
Love the cute cover for it, and that memorable line is great! Sounds like a fun read.
Like like a sweet read, but not for me as I'm not big on mysteries of any kind. Lovely review, as always! :)
I like the sound of these eccentric characters! Thanks for a terrific and concise review.
How fun. Sounds like a classic mystery. I'm curious about the Americanisms!
Though I think that I would be OK with some of the flaws, I think that the Americanisms in the language would probably become unbearable for me in a book like this.
hi tracy, i think i'd enjoy this book. thanks for sharing.
your great reviews are always appreciated. have a great rest of your day
xx
I love the memorable moment you've picked out! I think this sounds like an enjoyable read with some fun characters.
I haven't heard of this series before- but it does sound fun. Cute cover and the opening line definitely caught my attention. :) Thanks for sharing!
This sounds like a good Victorian crime novel series, I like the cover!
Love mysteries, especially those set in Victorian times. (And this one has a nice cover.) Just noticed that the publisher is called 'Constable.' Very clever, indeed.
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