Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen

by: Emily Brightwell

Published by: Berkley Prime Crime

Reviewed by Kathy Johnson

Yuletide preparations abound in Victorian London. One celebration is the party Stephen Whitfield is hosting for a few select guests. How rude–the host didn’t make it through dinner. He fell forward into his soup, dead. Now six guests are suspects, including a sister-in-law, boyhood friends, and a romantic interest, but who would want to kill Stephen?

Each with their own special connections, Mrs. Jeffries and her below-stairs friends and fellow workers secretly help their employer, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon, solve his latest murder. He can use the help. Christmas is just around the corner and his superiors want the murder of wealthy Stephen Whitfield solved before December 25.

With Witherspoon’s nemesis Inspector Nevins waiting in the wings to see him fail and each lead exonerating a suspect, everyone must work harder at pursuing leads and solving the murder.

Emily Brightwell uses slight of hand to build intrigue from the beginning of the story. She skillfully weaves leads throughout the book. The challenge is laid down before you, but are you capable of solving the mystery before Mrs. Jeffries or Inspector Witherspoon?

Humor and romance aren’t forgotten during the course of the book. In-depth descriptions of the people and places of the Victorian Era set you firmly in each scene. A pleasant surprise was the spacing used to introduce characters and their traits.

Armchair Interviews says: This is the 23rd book in a delightful series of cozy mysteries. Come, join the search and solve the mystery before the feast of St. Stephen.

Author’s Web site: http://www.EmilyBrightwell.com