annieb123's Review of Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders (Victorian Mystery, #40)

by Emily Brightwell

Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon should be checking off their Christmas present lists but instead they’re listing murder suspects in this latest entry of the beloved Victorian Mystery series.

TIS THE SEASON FOR MURDER

Harriet Andover was a smart businesswoman who did not suffer fools gladly, yet somehow her house was full of them. With a husband who has no head for money and two grown stepchildren who would rather do anything than an honest day’s work, Harriet had every intention of righting the ship and putting her family back on the path to respectability. But she soon discovers that the best intentions can lead to murder when she is strangled inside her mansion with a house full of holiday guests.

It would seem that everyone present had a motive to kill the rich woman, and no one is being quite honest regarding their whereabouts at the time of the murder. And to put the icing on the Christmas cookies, the room where Harriet’s body was found was locked from the inside and she had the key in her pocket. But Mrs. Jeffries and the household have no intention of letting Inspector Witherspoon down and soon mine valuable evidence from the depths of Harriet’s past. As the clues mount, this dedicated band of merry sleuths will not rest until they’ve delivered a stocking full of coal to a crafty killer.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders is the 40th historical cozy mystery in this series by Emily Brightwell. Released 16th Nov 2021 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a whimsical and easy to read locked room Victorian cozy mystery featuring Inspector Witherspoon and his intrepid ensemble of domestic servants. These books are consistent and enjoyable - mystery "comfort food" and especially in uncertain and fraught times, being able to unplug and escape the real world for a few hours is a blessing. Despite being the 40th (!!) book in the series, it works well as a standalone and the plot is self contained and resolved in this book. There are some very light spoilers contained in this book for character developments which happened in previous books, but there's nothing egregious if the books are read out of order.

Four stars. The language is squeaky clean, there's no gore, and the violence occurs off-page. This is one for readers who enjoy very light cozy mysteries. It's not realistic but it is full of whimsy and fun.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders (Victorian Mystery, #40)

by Emily Brightwell

Reviewed by annieb123 on Mar 12, 2022

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