Victorian Mystery
26 primary works • 33 total works
Book 36
Book 37
On a cold night in February, the popular Lighterman’s ball festivities are cut short when a guest of honor, Stephen Bremmer, goes into spasms and abruptly collapses. Once again Inspector Witherspoon returns to the Wrexley Hotel to investigate a murder.
The victim was considered a boorish snob who felt entitled to anything and anyone he wanted. Yet despite his Oxford education, he was barely literate, lazy, and prone to make stupid mistakes – his last mistake turned out to be crossing a killer.
The owners and management of the Wrexley Hotel clearly don’t welcome the return of Inspector Witherspoon but he has his job to do, and Mrs. Jeffries, and the rest of the household must do their best to catch a murderer who shows no signs of slowing down…
Book 38
Margaret Starling wasn’t the sort of woman anyone expected to be murdered. She was on the advisory board of the London Angel Alms Society, she was an active member of St. Peter’s Church, and, best of all, she was always willing to lend a hand to a friend or a neighbor in need of advice. She was also a wealthy upper-class widow. But money alone won’t protect you when someone decides it’s high time you met your maker.
Margaret’s next-door neighbor considered her an odious busybody, the Reverend Reginald Pontefract wished she’d never set foot in St. Andrew’s, and half the advisory board of the London Angel Alms Society heartily hoped she’d come down with a case of the gout before the next quarterly meeting.
All in all, Margaret wasn’t as well regarded as she’d always thought she was. But Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon know that justice isn’t a popularity contest, and they won’t rest until they sift through the suspects to catch a sinister scrooge.
Book 39
Inspector Nigel Nivens is not a nice man or a good investigator. In fact, he’s terrible at his job and has always done everything he can to make life difficult for Inspector Witherspoon. But even his powerful family can’t help him after he maliciously tried to hobble Witherspoon’s last homicide investigation. He’s been sent to a particularly difficult precinct in the East End of London as penance.
When a paid informant is found shot in an alley, Nivens thinks that if he can crack the case, he’ll redeem himself and have a much-needed chance at impressing his superiors. But there’s one big problem with his plan—Niven’s distinct antique pistol is found at the scene of the crime and even more evidence is uncovered that links the Inspector to the murder.
Despite their mutual dislike for Nivens, Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon know the man isn’t a cold-blooded killer. Now they’ll just have to prove it. . . .
Book 40
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.
Book 41
Successful businessman Jeremy Marks wasn’t highly regarded by any of the members of the West London Archery Club. Most of them considered him a buffoon and a bore. But everyone was stunned when the fellow was murdered during a lull in the club’s annual archery competition. He’d been shot with arrows from a longbow during a raging thunderstorm.
But those who knew Marks well understood that the unkempt "court jester" persona adopted by the late, unlamented man was as fake as the smile he wore. As Inspector Witherspoon investigates the murder, he discovers the victim had real enemies among the assembled archery contestants. Marks was notorious for not paying his bills, cheating vendors, bad-mouthing business rivals, and worst of all, betraying his business partners. The dead man had built a whole career and amassed quite a substantial fortune by harming those who trusted him. It will take Mrs. Jeffries and the inspector’s household as well as their friends to sort out fact from fiction and target a killer.
This charming series of Victorian murder mysteries features mild-mannered Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard and, more importantly, Mrs Jeffries, his housekeeper. A policeman's widow herself, her quick wits allow her to nudge the Inspector in the right direction to solve the crime.
A priceless brooch and a parlour maid go missing at the same time, and Inspector Witherspoon is called in to investigate. He finds the brooch, on a corpse, but draws a blank on the missing girl. Her employer, Luty Belle Crookshank, has more faith in Mrs Jeffries than the police, and rightly so...
"...the body was only found today." Witherspoon paused and took a deep breath. "And the murder was committed several months ago."
"Several months ago!" Mrs Jeffries was scandalized. The trail would be colder than a February frost.'
When a magistrate rules Harlan Westover's death a suicide, something smells fishy. Amidst a sea of unanswered questions, the clever Mrs. Jeffries wants to get to the bottom of it - and make sure someone doesn't stage another "suicide" . . .
Praise for the Mrs Jeffries Mysteries:
'It's murder most English all the way!' The Literary Times
'Fascinating murder mystery . . . wit and style . . . a winning series. Mrs. Jeffries is the Miss Marple of Victorian Mystery' The Paperback Forum
A DETECTIVE IN THE HOUSE
Everyone’s awed by Inspector Witherspoon’s Scotland Yard successes, but they don’t know about his secret weapon. Her name is Mrs. Jeffries, and she keeps house for the Inspector—and keeps him on his toes. No matter how messy the murder or how dirty the deed, her polished detection skills are up to the task. Because as she knows all too well, a crimesolver’s work is never done…
Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake
The evidence was all there: a dead body, two dessert plates, and a gun. As if Mr. Ashbury had been sharing cake with his own killer. Now Mrs. Jeffries will have to do some snooping around to dish up clues...
Mrs. Jeffries Rocks the Boat
Mirabelle had traveled by boat all the way from Australia to visit her sister—only to wind up murdered. Now Mrs. Jeffries must solve the case—and it’s sink or swim…
Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot
Three attempts have been made on Annabeth Gentry’s life. Is it due to her recent inheritance, or was it because her bloodhound dug up the body of a murdered thief? Mrs. Jeffries will have to sniff out some clues before the plot thickens…
A DETECTIVE IN THE HOUSE
Everyone’s awed by Inspector Witherspoon’s Scotland Yard successes, but they don’t know about his secret weapon. Her name is Mrs. Jeffries, and she keeps house for the Inspector—and keeps him on his toes. No matter how messy the murder or how dirty the deed, her polished detection skills are up to the task. Because as she knows all too well, a crimesolver’s work is never done…
Mrs. Jeffries Plays the Cook
When a dead body turns up, Mrs. Jeffries winds up doing double-duty: cooking for the household—and trying to cook a killer’s goose…
Mrs. Jeffries and the Missing Alibi
It’s one of the most brazen murders anyone can remember—and Inspector Witherspoon has become the main suspect. Now it’s up to Mrs. Jeffries to clear her boss’s good name…
Mrs. Jeffries Stands Corrected
When a local publican is murdered, Inspector Witherspoon finally takes Mrs. Jeffries’s advice to trust his own instincts. But as he narrows down the suspects, Mrs. Jeffries and her staff must solve the case before he ruins his career—and theirs…