Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Stage

Mrs. Jeffries #10

by Emily Brightwell

Investigating the murder of London's most savage theatre critic, Miss Jeffries interviews a full cast of enemies, and uncovers the critic's secret past--a real-life drama more compelling than any stage play.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Historical Mystery

259 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

Cheryl Lanham was born on 11 October 1948 in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, USA. Her family moved to Southern California in 1959 and she grew up in Pasadena. After graduating from California State University, she decided to work her way around the world and took off for England. She didn’t get much further because she met Richard James Arguile, the Englishman who became her husband, got married on May 1976, and had two children, Matthew and Amanda. While working in international shipping, she decided to pursue her dream and become a writer – which, of course, is the best job ever. She has written romance novels as Sarah Temple, and Young Adult novels as Cheryl Lanham. As Emily Brightwell, she is the author of the “Mrs. Jeffries” mysteries.

Cheryl Lanham Arguile returned to California, where she lives with her husband and a cranky old cat named Kiwi.

Reviews

[Lovely Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Another fun mystery solving effort from the staff at inspector Witherspoon’s home.

In the aftermath of the last book where the inspector was determined to solve the crime in his head, the staff all begin to doubt their own crime solving abilities. When a major player in the local theatre scene winds up murdered, the case is on!

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Witherspoon is Scotland Yard's top detective when it comes to solving messy or strange murders. No one really understands how the quiet, unassuming man of inherited wealth went from records file clerk to the leading murder detective with no unsolved crimes in his career. They don't realize that unbeknownst to him, that he has an entire crew working behind the scenes to help him find the answers! Meet Mrs. Jeffries, the inspector's housekeeper and the brains behind his astounding success; along with Mrs. Goodge, the cook; Wiggins, the footman; Betsy, the maid; Smythe, the coachman; and Luty Belle Crookshank, a wealthy American and her Butler, Hatchet, who have become close friends with the Inspector's household staff. Murderers in Victorian England don't stand a chance of getting away with their crimes with this crew hunting them down!

Ogden Hinchley was a reviled theater critic whose sharp tongue and sharper pen had ruined many productions and the the people involved in them! His body is found floating in a canal after attending an opening night production of a new show. Luckily for the Inspector, Dr. Bosworth did the postmortem instead of the incompetent Dr. Potter. As Bosworth points out to the Inspector, the victim had lavender soap under his nails and marks on his ankles indicating that he had been held under water in a bathtub instead of drowning in the canal! Who actually did the deed that so many people had dreamed of? Was it the play's director, the leading man, the author or someone else in the cast?

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unpopular theatre critic, recently returned from a spell in America is found dead in a canal but it becomes clear during the post mortem that he was probably drowned in his bath and the body moved. Mrs Jeffries and her fellow employees must try and solve the murder and stop their employer, Inspector Witherspoon arresting the wrong person.

Between them all they soon manage to uncover more about the victim and the people surrounding him, including the cast of a play of which he was going to write a review on the night he was murdered. Mrs Jeffries and her fellow sleuths are suffering a little from a crisis of confidence as in the previous book in the series the Inspector got there ahead of them. Soon they start to get their confidence back as they accumulate more and more information.

This is a light hearted Victorian mystery with some interesting series characters. I love the way the servants all work together to solve the crime together with their friends Luty Belle Crookshank and her butler Hatchet and neighbour, Lady Ruth Cannonbury. If you want something not too taxing to read then I can recommend this book and this series. The books can be read in any order.

[Ruth Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to see the household work together to solve the mystery.

[Karla Mahar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the entire series.Love the characters .

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly predictable and formulaic and just as enjoyable as always. Thoroughly likeable family of characters with sweet burgeoning romances.

[Samantha Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars rounded down to 3. I figured out the murderer half way through but still enjoyed the story. Out of the 10 Mrs. Jeffries books so far I have figured out the murderer in 5 of them, and to be honest it hasn't really dampened the amusement I get from the series. I find the series to be compelling mostly because of the recurring characters and the slow burn character development (and potential romances) that happens in every book. You learn just a little bit more about the characters each book and the drawn-out personal stories really elevate the otherwise kind of silly, preposterous concept behind the series. This is the perfect series for me to read right now. Living in America right now is a nightmare and I cannot handle the hellscape that is current events, so I am glad I found these books to fill my time.

This series is for you if you are looking for low stakes historical mysteries set in Victorian England.

*Note on Diversity/LGBTQ/Classism/Wealth Inequality*
I will say that this series is not diverse...it is super white. The series was first written in the 1990s and the author is still publishing books in this series as of now (2020.) Maybe the author has gotten better about including POC characters and plots that aren't so white centric...I haven't gotten to the more recently written books, but the fact that these early ones are not diverse is still problematic. I do question my own complacency...why is it that this series feels so cozy and pleasant? I didn't really notice how un-diverse the series was until this last book. I think this is something I need to be more aware of the next time I pick up a series.

I am also not super happy about how LGBTQ characters are depicted. They aren't over the top or vilified but a few times when the main characters are dealing with LGBTQ characters there is inner monologue about how "it turns my stomach." I've noticed this twice and it bothered me both times. In this book the victim is gay and besides the inner monologue of a few characters it doesn't come off as anti-LGBTQ or anything. If anything the scorn toward the victim's behavioral is directed at the fact that he uses a brothel. The sex workers are not looked down upon, at least not by the main character group, and there is this really good quote I liked that went along the lines of:

"For the working class we either have to sell our labor or sell our body to put food on the table."

So the victim is disparaged not so much for being with a man but for paying for it from someone who probably didn't want to and was forced to due to circumstance. This is a good transition to the aspects of classism and wealth inequality dealt within the series.

I think the series does a great job of showing how birth and not merit often shape our circumstances in life. Most of the main characters are the servants so they belong to the working class and are used to highlight the vast inequality and classism in the society...we see most of the story from their perspective. They are still way better off than most and are insanely loyal to their employer, who is over the top nice to his staff...this is one of the fantastical elements to the story and its believability. One of the (upper class/rich) characters who becomes more important as the series progresses has more radical (for the time) beliefs and influences the others so it is not just the lower class we see advocating for progress.

So while the series has problematic elements and unlikely/far-fetched components, it still has a backbone that at its core seeks to highlight the flaws of Victorian England culture and the need for societal change...all while telling murder mysteries with compelling characters.

[The Hobbit · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the least satisfying entries in the series. Ogden Hinchley was the most feared theater critic in London. Many a playwright, director, actor, and actress had a career ruined by one of Hinchley's savage reviews. Opening night for a new play at the Hayden Theater and all involved quaked when they saw Hinchley sitting in the third row. They steeled themselves for what he might say in tomorrow's paper. Oddly, his review never appeared. Two days later his body was found in the Regents Street Canal, still dressed as it had been when he attended the play. An accidental drowning was the assumed cause of death, until young Dr Barrow, the new medical examiner noticed several anomalies. Both Hinckley's shirt and coat were not buttoned properly, each one button off. The shoes he was wearing were not evening shoes, and definitely not the shoes Hinchley wore to the theater. Most importantly, their were bruises around his ankles as if someone pulled up his legs to make his head go underwater - in his bathtub! That premise should make for an exciting mystery, but it doesn't. The suspects, all from the theater, are most unlikable. Inspector Witherspoon is smitten with the lead actress and seems unable to move forward, most undignified for a 50-something detective. His housekeeper, Mrs Jeffries, and her crime-solving crew of servants are still smarting from the last mystery the Inspector had to solve on his own, when they got it all wrong. Mrs Jeffries, the cook, maid, footman, and coachman don't trust themselves, making for dull characters to spend 168 pages with!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 19th century London, the naive and kind Inspector Witherspoon has no idea that his household staff actually solves murders for him, with his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, feeding him information in such a way that he never suspects. This time, a theater critic has been murdered, and so many people wanted him dead for so many reasons that Mrs. Jeffries can hardly keep up. Was he murdered by the investors in a terrible play because they'd lose money if he wrote a review? Was it someone else he had ruined in another way? Was it related to his former love affair with one of the suspects? The staff run around and interview servants and cabbies and anyone else they can find. This time they're also struggling with feelings of doubt, since Inspector Witherspoon actually solved the last case himself--maybe they've lost their edge? And of course, Smythe and Betsy's turbulent courtship continues...

This is such a fun series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved that it was so honest about the critic's proclivities and the houses of ill-repute he enjoyed, and that even though the Inspector was at first shocked, he wasn't disgusted, and neither was anyone else. Unbelievable? Maybe, but I still appreciated it. Lots of great description, and even though I guessed the murderer right after a significant clue was dropped, there were still parts of it I didn't get until the end, so that's good. Anyway, a fun historical cozy mystery series.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down to 3.

These books are hard to find and it's taken me years of looking in my second hand book stores. I've put off reading them for years hoping I can find more of them, as I'm missing a whole bunch in the early books. So, when I came across stories #10, #11 and#12 in a Goodwill this past weekend, I was almost jumping for joy in the store!

These are cozy murder mysteries and Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Stage is #10 in the Victorian Mysteries series, Mrs Jeffries and the rest of Inspector Witherspoon's Scotland Yard's staff are back at it. Unbeknown to their beloved employer, they help him solve London's murders.

This time around, it's with the theater and a theatre critic is murdered, found downed in the Thames River. It's not long after, it's figured out he was actually murdered in a bath tub and moved to the river. There's a long list of theatre people who don't like him. He was not a well liked man. More times he would write such a terrible review and ruin the career of the actor, actress, director, producer or playwriter, or all of the above. We find out each character has a little bit of dirt and everyone is trying to hide something, including the victim.

Spoiler Alert - Be Aware -

Though I didn't solve the mystery, Boo, I did figure out some of the other bits and pieces before it was disclosed. And I came really close to figuring it out. I got quite the surprised when it turned out it was the other way around. Ugh!

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

On opening night of a new play, several people are surprised to see a noted, and notably hated, theatre critic in the audience; after all, he was supposed to be in America for another three months, not back in London! And when the critic is found dead in a canal, apparently drowned in his bathtub and then hauled to the outside waters, nobody is likely to mourn him. For Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of Scotland Yard, it is yet another baffling case with all too many suspects and too few clues; for his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the household staff, it is a chance to rebuild their confidence in sleuthing after their last bitter failure…. The tenth book in this series, set in Victorian London, carries on the interesting mix of social classes in that time and place, from the wealthy and titled to the artistic mid-range to the servant class to the inhabitants of brothels and opium dens; I like how the author includes all of these differing milieus without passing judgment, and I like that the servants of the Inspector are themselves a bit of a socioeconomic microcosm as well. I don’t think one needs to read all of these books in order; although each provides a little bit more information about the characters’ backgrounds and their relationships, these tidbits are not essential to the immediate story and can be picked up on later if the reader so chooses; recommended.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ogden Hinchley, an acerbic theater critic, met a grim end one Saturday night when authorities pulled his body from a canal near his home. Initially, the police suspected drowning, but an alert coroner discovered someone had drowned Hinchley in his bathtub. Inspector Witherspoon struggles to uncover the truth while interviewing temperamental actors and actresses, a task as challenging as a blind trucker navigating a narrow road. His infatuation with one actress clouds his judgment, leaving him tongue-tied and forgetful during questioning. Yet, he admirably declines her dinner party invitation, staying loyal to his feelings for Lady Ruth Cannonbury, a widowed neighbor.

Mrs. Jeffries rallies the household staff, and their collaborative efforts to gather intelligence for the inspector remain a highlight. Their work unfolds as Jack the Ripper begins terrorizing London’s East End. Betsy, the spirited housemaid, insists on visiting that perilous area, keeping her reasons secret from Smythe, the coachman who clearly loves her. Smythe’s worry for Betsy’s safety fuels a gripping subplot that hooks readers and keeps them turning pages.

Betsy’s eventual revelation adds another layer of intrigue, making the book hard to put down.

I would have awarded four stars, but I identified the killer early on. Still, it earns three stars for an engaging read.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

#10 in the end of the 19th century London based mystery series in which Scotland Yard Inspector Witherspoon's domestic staff headed by Mrs. Jefferies, without his knowledge, work to help him solve his murder cases. The recurring and well developed helpers” are Barnes (Witherspoon’s detective sergeant), Mrs. Goodge (cook), Smythe (coachman), Betsy (maid and later Smythe’s wife), Wiggins (servant), Phyllis (maid and newest addition), Luty (wealthy American widow), Hatchet (Luty’s butler), and Ruth (next door neighbor and romantic interest for Witherspoon).

Ogden Hinchley London’s most reviled theater critic whose sharp tongue and sharper pen had ruined many productions and careers is murdered. Witherspoon is assigned the case and thus Mrs Jeffires and her team become involved to help the inspector solve the case. Mrs Jeffries and company are a bit hesitatant because the inspector solved his previous case without them, so they hve to regain their confidence.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

A theater critic is murder, found in the Thames. Coroner found his clothes buttoned incorrectly and brown shoes with evening clothes. No river water in his lungs...
It was ascertained that he was killed in his bath, dressed and thrown in the river.
Loads of suspects, he was universally disliked and his current review(always bad) would close the show and bankrupt several people. Lots of diversions.
The diva, Theodora, was engaged to the play wright, Delaney, who was the love of the critic; unrequited as it were. The critic was homosexual So, as usual it is all about sex and money. Delaney was the critic’s heir, but would be disinherited if he married Theodora.
She took matters into her hands, drowned him in the tub and with the help of the butler, dumped him in the river.
Theodora almost got away, but Wiggins tackles her and saves the day!

[Wina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook-reader, Lindy Nettleton, is good but could be better.
These are enjoyable, cozy mysteries in Victorian England. The characters are entertaining, and you become attached to them. Their stories and relationships evolve over time. The mystery itself is good, too. The premise is a little silly--that the servants can solve the mystery without the inspector finding out. He is also not very smart, but smart enough to get the job done. I believe that if I read these in print, it would be easier to swallow. Having the reader doing the characters full blown and sometimes a little over the top in their lines makes it closer to farce than I would like. If I was reading it myself, I could gloss over those parts in a more casual style, especially the character of Mrs. Crookshank. (All books in this series have basically my same review.)

[moxieBK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Stage (Mrs. Jeffries, #10) — Emily Brightwell/Narrator: Lindy Nettleton (10 chapters) October 14-15, 2023

A rude and disrepected theatre critic goes to a play where the actors are angry about his appearance. Shortly afterwards, his body is floating in the river. The coroner doesn’t believe he drowned; instead he believes her was murdered in a bathtub.

Inspector Witherspoon, with Mrs. Jeffries and the crew backstage working their magic, are on the lookout for clues that will help solve the case.

This one read (or in my case listened) to that felt longer than normal. Not sure if it was subject or my own issues (I had a migraine while listening to this book.)

However, it was a very good mystery; the author is coming up wih the solution in very clever ways.

Three stars.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

#10- When savage theater critic, Ogden Hinchley, supposedly in New York, turns up in London at the opening night of a new play, Willard Swindon - owner of the Hayden Theater, Albert Parks - Director, Trevor Remington - leading man, author Edmund Delaney, are all very upset at his presence on their opening night. Leading lady and star Theodora Vaughan declares herself distraught when they all learn that Hinchley has been murdered. His Butler Rather and housemaid Lilly say nothing unusual happened that night, even though he’d just arrived from New York.

It falls to Inspector Witherspoon’s intrepid household staff led by Housekeeper Mrs Jeffries to make sure he learns the pertinent facts, investigates in the right directions, asks the right questions, peels back the lies and secrets.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guessed the culprit pretty early on, though not the reason for the crime itself. I thought I would feel sorry for the murderer but when it was revealed why the person actually did it, my pity went right out of the window.

There were two things that really irked me, though. One, that Mrs. Jeffries once again refused to listen when she should have, just like two books ago. This time, it was Wiggins' report. The way she hand-waved him and sent him to bed when he wanted to tell her something important made me want to shake her. Two, that she intentionally kept things from the inspector and from her people too. Yeah, she ruminated on that, if it was right nor not, but that didn't matter. She did it, period. She put her own pride over solving the case. Not a good look.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, the household staff of Inspector Witherspoon make for an enjoyable read.
It's never going to be and edge of your seat thriller... but then it's not supposed to be.
Usually I can't make much sense of the clues... in that, I often feel like the Inspector... but sometimes
I'm able to piece it together before the grand finale, though it's rare.

This is the 10th novel in a series that I think now numbers close to 30! So if you do decide to read a Mrs Jeffries book, I strong suggest the first one. While the books are mostly self-contained, there are references & character progression that are best understood reading in order

[Candyce Sweet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was mysterious. It was cozy. What a delightful cozy mystery!

I've read around this series a bit, but I have read #1-10 now, and what I like the most is the development of the characters over time. Their experiences have changed them, and so I really like that there is a progression among the various relationships, rather than a reset back to zero at the beginning of the next new novel. There is not a character (except the suspects and murderers, of course) in this series of novels that I don't like. They're all fully fleshed out and interesting. Lovely indeed.

[Patricia Kiyono · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the body of a nasty theater critic is discovered floating in the Thames River the day after he attended the opening of a new show, there’s no shortage of suspects. The inspector has come to value the way his housekeeper always seems to know what he should do next, and members of his household staff, along with eccentric neighbor Mrs. Crookshank and her butler, are clever at getting information. I enjoyed this story, although I did have difficulty keeping track of who some of the characters were. The solution took me by surprise, which is always a plus.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Inspector Witherspoon's household is looking for a killer. This case is fast-paced and the information comes in rapidly. All of Mrs. Jeffries crew come up with vital clues, which was a far different matter than the running around in circles they did in the last book. Set in a theatre where a new play is being staged, a critic renowned for his bad reviews ends up dead on opening night after writing his review. Or did he? It seems to be mysteriously missing.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the more intriguing mysteries in the series thus far. A despised theater critic is found floating in the Thames. Signs point toward murder, and Inspector Witherspoon finds that virtually everyone who knew him was happy to see him dead. Mrs. Jeffries and her friends jump into action to secretly assist their unsuspecting boss in cracking the case.

[Mili Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing: 5 Stars;
Characters: 4 Stars;
Plot: 4 Stars;
Entertaining: 4 Stars;
Read Again? No.
Narrator: 5 Stars;
Cover Art: 4 Stars; I really miss painted covers.

Total: 4 Stars;

Another cosy mystery in the series. It does not blow my mind, but it is an entertaining tale with lovable characters I’ve come to see as old friends.

[Allison Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An improvement on the last book. The first 7-8 books were so enjoyable and charming and I loved the relationships between everyone above and below stairs at Upper Edmonton Gardens. Then they took a turn for the worse and there was competition and pettiness and in-fighting. This book saw the beginning of the return to harmony and gives me hope for the next.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a stage play and actors! Who killed the theater critic? Probably the play itself! ;) Mrs. Jeffries and her staff work diligently to find out who the killer really is and why did they kill the critic. They go the distance and work hard to help their favorite Inspector Witherspoon to solve this case.

[Paul Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read of a Victorian murder mystery - nicely done.

Mrs Jeffries and her staff get involved in solving another murder, this time with a theatrical bent. The usual characters appear, joined by the various suspects, well-developed characters.
The lot moves along a a healthy pace and is quite convoluted. It's an easy and quick entertaining read.

[Margie Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun episode in the fictional lives of the staff of Inspector Witherspoon. This time the murder of a theater critic had Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the staff looking at a playwright, stars, and crew of a play. This had a nice mystery to try to solve, and the narrator is very skilled in the audio edition. Very enjoyable.

[Morticia_is_Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit of a daft title as Mrs Jeffries does not go on stage, but it is concerned with theatrical folk.

The staff are all a bit hesitant after they didn't solve the last murder, but they are happily back on form. Betsy and Smythe are friendly again and Barnes is still wonderfully supportive to the Inspector :)

[Kevin Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery was a good one. I got it about one page after Mrs. Jeffries did. I was not happy with the "oh I might hurt his feelings" bit that seems to prevail in this series. Everyone is so afraid to say something that might hurt someone that it takes away from a good story in my view.