I've had this on my shelf since 2005. A Victorian holiday mystery: when Sir George Braxton is found face down in a frozen pond with his head bashed in, Inspector Witherspoon is called in to solve the case. Only the help of his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, and her staff will allow the inspector to have a peaceful Christmas. A fast and fun read along the lines of a Christie mystery. I may now have to read all of them. ( )

2.5**

Number 20 in the Mrs Jeffries mystery series has the team venturing a bit outside London proper to investigate the murder of a baronet, who was found outdoors on the coldest night of the year. As the victim was a friend of the monarch, the pressure is on Inspector Witherspoon to solve the case before Christmas.

In general, I like this cozy series set in Victorian London and featuring the somewhat clueless Inspector Witherspoon and his house staff, who do much of the investigative work, while giving him the credit. However, I’m noticing how repetitious it is – not only from book to book, but within one book. I figured out the culprit far ahead of Mrs Jeffries, and there were still pages of clandestine meetings and cups of tea to drink before the end. Well, at least they did sometimes talk about Christmas decorations and shopping for presents. And it was a Christmas carol that gave Mrs Jeffries the “clue” she needed to solve the case!

This is a series that is probably best enjoyed if read in order, as the list of supporting characters grow, and their relationships develop over time. ( )

When Sir George Braxton is found lying face down in a fountain with the back of his skull smashed in, no one mourns the murder victim. His three daughters certainly don't: Lucinda, the oldest, is free now to marry the man she loves; Nina had lost a lot of money in bad investments and fears her father's wrath; and Charlotte, the youngest, was trying to hide a serious gambling problem. There are plenty of other suspects, including two houseguests; a cousin who lives permanently at the house; the gardener, who has a criminal past; and the servants, whom Sir George has been less than kind to. Home Security calls in Inspector Gerald Witherspoon to solve the case with one catch - they want the murder solved by Christmas, which is a week away! Good thing the Inspector has Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his household staff working behind the scenes to help him!

This is another excellent entry in a wonderful series. Emily Brightwell equally shows Witherspoon's investigation and the servant's efforts, which gives insight into all the characters. I like the fact that, while the servants to help Witherspoon, he does turn up important evidence and grows more confident in every book. These books give a good insight into what life was like for servants in the Victorian Age, comparing Witherspoon's treatment of his servants to the way Braxton treated his. As much as I enjoy the series, I can't help but wonder how the dynamic of the books will change when Smythe and Betsy finally do marry.

The mystery itself is well written and well plotted. Seemingly innocent conversations about things like missing chicken livers turn out to be important clues. And the revelation of what the murder weapon was is a surprise and well done.

This series keeps getting better and better. I've read the entire series and there's not a bad book among them. Highly recommended! ( )

http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2008/12/murder-for-christmas-part-three.html ( )

Inspector Witherspoon is a well-respected London police detective, but in actuality his household staff, led by Mrs. Jeffries, is doing much of the investigating for him. As the household staff gathers clues, Mrs. Jeffries slips them into her conversations with Witherspoon and helps him to formulate conclusions, all the while making the inspector think that he has come up with the solutions on his own. This particular entry in the series deals with the death of a baronet, who was disliked by one and all, including his three daughters. Mrs. Jeffries and her staff sort through the various clues and suspects and come up with the perfect way to help the investigator solve the case. The text was somewhat marred by several instances of missing words, such as prepositions, but not enough to take away from enjoying the story. ( )