Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong
Mrs. Jeffries, Book #35
By Emily Brightwell
ISBN13: 9780399584206
Author website: http://www.emilybrightwell.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
Mrs. Jeffries is back in the “New York Times” bestselling Victorian series, perfect for fans of “Downton Abbey.”
Thomas Mundy checked into London’s Wrexley Hotel but he never checked out. The maid found him on the floor of his room, bludgeoned to death by his own walking stick. Inspector Witherspoon is soon on the case and learns Mundy had a reputation for being polite, charming, and diligent an unlikely victim for such a violent crime.
But Mrs. Jeffries and the household staff uncover that Mundy was less of an amiable businessman and more of a duplicitous con man with enemies on both side of the Atlantic. Now Witherspoon and his staff must determine who on their lengthy list of suspects had the motive to put Mundy in the red.
A Mrs. Jeffries Mystery
She keeps house for Inspector Witherspoon . . . and keeps him on his toes. Everyone’s awed by his Scotland Yard successes but they don’t know about his secret weapon. No matter how messy the murder or how dirty the deed, Mrs. Jeffries polished detection skills are up to the task . . . proving that behind every great man there’s a woman and that a crime solver’s work is never done.
Review:
Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong is about the 4th or 5th I have read in the Mrs. Jeffries series. I came late to the Mrs. Jeffries mysteries, but have not had any problems coming to love all the characters that populate these entertaining Victorian mysteries. And boy is there a cast of characters. Now normally having a lot of main and mildly minor characters can be a problem for me. Somehow though author Emily Brightwell is able to make each of them stand out in their own special way and be a pertinent part of the storyline. All without confusing me. While Mrs. Jeffries is the main driving force behind her band of detecting house staff, it takes a village to help keep Inspector Witherspoon’s reputation as the best detective for Scotland Yard alive and well. And the inspector’s home staff and friends are a wonderful village.
Thomas Mundy is dead, found in his room at London’s Wrexley Hotel. Inspector Witherspoon and his dedicated Constable Barnes are called to the scene and it is going to be a tough one. Mundy is well liked by all of the occupants of the hotel, there is no break in and things just do not add up. Why was he killed in such a violent manner. Luckily for the Inspector, Mrs. Jeffries and her crew are on the case. With Mrs. Jeffries feeding her information to Constable Barnes, things will be revealed and the murderer eventually found. Especially when they find out Mundy is much more than he seems. The con man has a history of making enemies. And those enemies begin to come out of the woodwork.
I enjoy historical mysteries and Victorians are my favorites. Author Emily Brightwell writes in a voice that is the perfect example of the great Victorians. I enjoy her delicate touch with certain things while plunging head first into others, just as I would expect it would be during that era. Her characters are intelligent and well developed. As I said I did come late to this series, but have found that they are all still fresh and continue to grow in depth and relationship. While the inspector seems to have no clue how much help he is actually receiving from his household staff and friends, he still is on top of things and is not a bumbling, stumbling detective.
It is hard to imagine that after writing 35 books in this one series they would still read fresh and entertaining. One would think Brightwell would have run out steam and stories. It is not the case. If you are a fan of historical mysteries and cozies, you will love this one and all of hers. If you are coming to the series late like I did, I believe you will still be able to thoroughly enjoy each book. I think they can all be read as standalones. The story and flow of Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong easy to follow, yet intriguing and entertaining. I look forward to Brightwell’s next installment in the great series and the next and the next and so on.
