The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries

February 1, 1993
Though completely inept, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon has gained a reputation as Victorian-era Scotland Yard's shining star, thanks to his household staff, headed by Mrs. Jeffries, a policeman's widow. Mrs. Jeffries solves Witherspoon's mysteries without ever letting anyone, Witherspoon included, know she and the staff are involved. In this, romance writer Brightwell's ( Kindred Spirits ) first mystery, Mrs. Jeffries leads the dim-witted Witherspoon to the obvious solution to the poisoning of the thoroughly despicable Dr. Bartholomew Slocum. Displaying his Victorian class prejudice, despite a lack of motive or evidence, Witherspoon decides the murderer is Slocum's cook, who for unknown reasons left the employ of the Duke of Bedford to work for the doctor.It's up to Mrs. Jeffries to discover the true identity of the murderer. Unconvincing red herrings and cliches abound, and sharp readers will spot the murderer early on--he proves to be the least likely person. Brightwell makes Witherspoon almost overbearingly dumb and puts insufficient effort into the mystery itself, which quickly becomes tedious.

April 28, 2014
Narrator Nettleton proves a delightful choice to narrate this whimsical tale of Victorian murder most foul, the first in this long-running series from Brightwell. A policeman’s widow, Mrs. Jeffries is head housekeeper for Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of Scotland Yard. Witherspoon is an officer of the law with a solid reputation for solving his cases. In reality, however, the shrewdly incisive Mrs. Jeffries, through a strategically placed word here or an offhand observation there, has lead the rather dim Witherspoon to his successes. When a much-disliked doctor is found dead, Witherspoon is convinced that the physician’s cook is the culprit, but Mrs. Jeffries is just as positive that the cook is innocent. Soon, she and the rest of the staff of the Witherspoon household are pulling together to stop a wrongful prosecution and to bring the real murderer to justice. Nettleton sounds as if she’s having a great time narrating this little cozy. She deftly brings to life Jeffries and Witherspoon, as well as a multitude of supporting characters, giving them all clear and distinct voices. Nettleton keeps the story moving along at a lively pace with just the right lightness of tone to her storytelling. A Constable Crime paperback.