Book Review: The Inspector & Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell

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's polished detection skills are up to the task...proving that behind every great man there's a great woman—and that a crime-solver's work is never done.[summary via Amazon]

The Inspector & Mrs Jeffries is the first book in the long running Victorian Murder Mystery series by Emily Brightwell. Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is relatively new to the Scotland Yard. With a few successful cases under his belt, he feels like he's up to the task of solving the murder of Dr Slocum. What Inspector Witherspoon doesn't know is that his housekeeper, Mrs Jeffries, along with his other household staff, help him find clues and lead him to the answers.

I love British mysteries. I first discovered cozy mysteries with Agatha Christie's novels, as a teen, and I've always enjoyed the British mysteries just a little bit more. On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up the first book in the Victorian Murder Mysteries series and I'm so glad I did.

Mrs Hepzibah Jeffries and her the household staff at Upper Edmonton Gardens are skilled at keeping a house in top shape, but also at finding clues and solving mysteries. I loved watching Mrs Jeffries achieve the subtle art of putting clues under Inspector Witherspoon's nose, without him actually knowing he was doing it. Inspector Witherspoon is such a dear person, but not very bright, and without the help of Mrs Jeffries I'm sure there would still be a murderer at large!!

The Victorian Murder Mysteries is a long-running series (30+ books) to date, but it is definitely worth the time to start the series from the first book, The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries. I instantly felt a connection with all the characters. The household is made up of such interesting characters, and I'm sure, alike to me, other readers are going to enjoy them immensely. 

If you like British mysteries, this is a series you don't want to miss. I'm glad that I discovered the series relatively late in its shelf life, as I now have 30+ books to catch up on and enjoy.