Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings by Emily Brightwell

Mrs. Jeffries #26

by Emily Brightwell

“A charming story with just the right dash of holiday spirit to make it a great seasonal offering.” – Fresh FictionThe week before Christmas, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon's staff prepares for the long-awaited wedding of Betsy and Smythe. But when a middle-aged spinster is killed in what looks like a random crime, the Inspector suspects otherwise.With uncooperative witnesses, sulking relatives, and a second Christmas wedding, a simple investigation seems as unlikely as catching St. Nick at work.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction, Christmas, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery

Hardcover

First published October 13, 2009

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

[Kavita · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was probably a mistake to read this book from the middle of a series. The characters weren't introduced properly and I am still wondering who on earth are Luty and Hatchet and why they act like a couple of modern day roommates rather than mistress and servant. I am also not sure who Ruth is and why she is so close to the servant crowd at the Witherspoon residence. The only characters introduced properly were Smythe and Betsy and her family.

I wish authors would do some research if they are writing mysteries set in a historical time period. In this book, there are a bunch of servants who are very 'modern' and equal, and are extremely progressive. They are also befriended by the cream of society for some strange reason and get all sorts of help with the case. Poor Inspector Witherspoon is apparently a dumb bloke who can't be trusted to sort out his mysteries himself, while his super time-travelling servant team help him and ensure he gets all the credit. And did I mention that some of the servants are richer than their master? And the author also seems unaware that Victorian England did have laws to prosecute aristocratic people if they committed a murder and there was enough evidence. It's not hard to do some simple research considering you are actually writing a story based in the time period.

The writing is mediocre. The author shifts from one viewpoint to the other too quickly for the reader to get invested in the story. There are also uses of phrases that doesn't ring true at all. What on earth does 'Blast a Spaniard' mean? I doubt any Victorian ever used that phrase. And I was close to feeling that if I have to read Wiggins say 'Cor blimey' once again, I shall rip off that page. There were simply too many characters involved in the Mary-Sue servant team.

The plot itself was actually rather good and entertaining and I would have enjoyed it if it were not for the inconsistencies of the depiction of the Victorian period. The author might have done better to set this story in modern-day England or America. As it is, I simply couldn't believe how these people behaved like they were born in 2020, without any kind of repercussions.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of the London police force employs an unusual group of servants. When he catches a murder case, his household and some of their friends leap into action to help investigate the crime. Mrs. Jeffries is the housekeeper that organizes the household and friends who enjoy their hunts for clues to solve the murders. This book is near Christmas and a wedding is planned for the third time for two of the household members, Smythe and Betsy. The London Headquarters Office wants the killer found, in the murder of a high society fellow by poison, before Christmas or a rival inspector will be assigned to the case. Are they up to the task? Read it and find out!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful cozy! This series is my go-to series for a great mystery, wonderful characters and an all around relaxing, fun atmosphere.
I highly recommend this book in general and this series in particular to cozy fans. You won't be sorry.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Mrs Jefferies mystery, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the setting and the household characters, and I had so many suspects that not one stood out to me as the most likely. My library has all her books since she's a local author, and I will try to read them all, in order.
A former governess is stabbed to death in front of the house of her former charge, a few days before the girl, now grown, is to be married. Mrs. Jeffries and the staff of the Inspector's house rush to solve the murder before Christmas, and the wedding of two of the staff.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and a major story development!

[Mylene · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all , I did not have the slightest idea that this was the 26th book in the series. This would explain why the characters seem not introduced enough. Luty and Hatchet definitely looked like a secret couple to me. The setting does not quite meet your expectations when one would envision the Victorian era. But I liked the plot of the story , it held my interest and curiosity enough to finish the novel.

[The Hobbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 26th entry in this series. Maid Betsy and Coachman Smythe will be married within the next week, so Inspector Witherspoon's household staff are very busy. This is no time for a murder investigation even though the staff misses their detective work. But a murder occurs! Agatha Moran is stabbed to death in the front of Jeffrey Evan's house during an engagement party for his daughter. Mr and Mrs Evans claim they have never seen the murdered woman. However, their daughter is distraught; Mrs Moran was her governess whom she has not seen since she was sent away to boarding school. Why was Moran outside the Evans' mansion during the party? Was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Was she targeted? Mrs Jeffries, the Inspector's staff and their friends go to work, asking their questions. They find several suspects, most of whom are lying. Most interesting is Miss Evan's fiancé, Sir Madison Lowery, a penniless aristocrat whose previous wife died of food poisoning. But he is not the only potential murderer. So many facts, so many suspects! Mrs Jeffries just wishes they were not so busy getting ready for the wedding. If she could find some quiet time to mull over the facts they have discovered, she knows she could uncover the motive and the murderer.

[A.A.B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was waiting for this story (with the big wedding) for many books now, but this book was another sad disappointment: too focused on a completely nonsensical mystery — even more convoluted and ridiculous than usual, and full of inconsequential and irrelevant scenes, while the highly anticipated events got plenty of passing mentions, but barely any page space.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Moran collapses with a knife in her chest, stumbling toward a house’s entrance mere days before Christmas. She bleeds out in the darkened yard, her assailant unseen. The timing proves disastrous: inside, revelers celebrate the engagement of Jeffrey Evans’s daughter to a penniless yet titled aristocrat—a match perplexing to those unversed in Britain’s class-obsessed hierarchy.

Agatha’s murder disrupts the festivities, dismaying host Jeffrey Evans and shocking his daughter, whose engagement the party honors. She recognizes the victim: Agatha, once the family’s governess, dismissed by Evans before he sent his daughter to boarding school.

Inspector Witherspoon and his seasoned colleague, Constable Barnes, tackle the case with strict orders from Scotland Yard to resolve it before Christmas. Witherspoon privately questions whether the Yard grasps a killer’s elusive mindset.

Amid Christmas preparations, Witherspoon’s household staff juggles wedding plans for Betsy, the maid, and Smythe, the coachman. After two date changes, the couple resolves to wed before Christmas. Betsy’s sister, recently arrived from Canada after years apart, owes her presence to Smythe’s diligent search, unaware of her whereabouts until he intervened.

Undaunted, the household pursues a trifecta of triumphs: a wedding with Witherspoon escorting Betsy down the aisle, festive Christmas celebrations, and justice for a killer. Series fans will trust their capability to succeed.

I award this book four stars. The moderately long suspect list confused me—a personal quibble, not a flaw in Brightwell’s writing. The mystery’s resolution, hinging on class distinctions, left me underwhelmed, though others may disagree.

Despite this, the book’s cozy, pleasant arc captivates and merits your time. I strongly recommend reading earlier series entries first. Brightwell’s opening explanatory section strives to introduce characters and their backstories, but only prior books convey the subtle nuances that enrich the experience. Watch for Phyllis, a new household addition—she seems poised for greater significance in future installments.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

#26 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).

It is 3 weeks before Christmas as Inspector Witherspoon's staff prepares for the long-awaited wedding of Betsy and Smythe when a Yuletide murder falls in the Inspector's lap.

A middle-aged spinster, Agatha Moran, has been killed in what her murderer hoped would look like a random crime. But the Inspector's investigation reveals a web of lies, intrigue, and long-buried secrets. With uncooperative witnesses, sulking relatives, and a second Christmas wedding, a simple investigation seems unlikely. And the household will have to put aside its holiday spirit to save the Inspector's reputation.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Inspector Witherspoon's Victorian-era household, it's the staff who actually solve the inspector's cases--but he doesn't know that. Now, though, they're rather hoping they don't get a new case, because Betsy and Smythe are trying for the third time to get married--something always keeps coming up to prevent it. This time, though Smythe has paid for Betsy's long-lost sister and her husband to come from Canada (even though he's a coachman, Smythe is fantastically wealthy, long story), and he's been planning their new apartment and their honeymoon as a surprise for the house maid. But of course, then a middle-aged woman gets stabbed to death, and it's off to the races again--but this time the race is to get the murder solved before the wedding.

This is such a delightful, ridiculous, warm-hearted series that doesn't veer into saccharine and doesn't look away from the issues of the era. The characters all have the depth of long-time characters that you follow and root for, and the era details give the series the historical flavor that lovers of historicals are looking for. There's humor as well as heart, and that's always what I love in a book.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I haven't been reading all the books in the Mrs. Jeffries series, they are hard to find, I have probably half of them and reading those in order.

#26 in the series, Mrs. Jeffries & the Yuletide Weddings, yes, you've read the title correct, "weddings", Inspector Witherspoon's downstairs staff, Betsy and Smythe are finally going to tie the knot after two failed attempts in previous books.

And there's another wedding too. On the same day, Mr. & Mrs. Evan's daughter, Rosemary and it's only a week away and so is Christmas Day. Unfortunately, it turns out a murder takes place outside their front doorstep while an afternoon tea for the happy couple to be is taking place. Agatha Moran is the victim and she was stabbed. But who is she and why does it look like she's going to show up at the party uninvited? She's not of their class.

It's up to Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the downstairs staff to help their beloved Scotland Yard's Inspector Witherspoon solve another murder mystery without him knowing they are helping him.

I didn't solve it.

[Judith Shadford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really charmed by the concept of a large Victorian Downstairs staff conducting a murder investigation which the Upstairs detective is assigned to by the Metropolitan police. Fun characters, though a lot to keep track of. However, only the housekeeper, said Mrs Jeffries, has direct conversations with Witherspoon on a daily basis, sly making suggestions over shared sherry, that result from her staff's interviewing the staff from households associated with the murder. But Witherspoon never tumbles to the hundreds of hours his staff spends keeping him on the top of his game. (Some detective!) And Mrs S never reveals her role as his partner.

A cursory glance at the number of books in the Mrs Jeffries series seems to top off at #32, so it is a successful series. Kind of disappointing because I really wanted to see how Brightwell balanced official policemen with amateurs, all folded knowingly together.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The former governess of a bride-to-be is killed in front of the family home, and Inspector Witherspoon is assigned to the case, despite the fact that it’s nearly Christmas and his housemaid and coach driver are getting married in just a few days’ time. The members of his household leap into action as well, but find themselves increasingly distracted by the upcoming nuptials and the arrival of Betsy’s long-lost sister; and Mrs. Jeffries herself begins to worry that this may be the case that they cannot solve….I’ve been reading the Mrs. Jeffries books back-to-back recently, in part as escapism from these fraught times and in part because I just keep wanting to know what happens next. One can jump into this series at any point, I think, as Ms. Brightwell does a good job of bringing the novice reader up to speed with each book, but starting from book 1 is probably the best (this one is the 26th, of 41 so far!); recommended.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Witherspoon has another case...or should I say Mrs. Jeffries and her crew have another case? The gang definitely works together on this one, when the Evans family, celebrating their daughter Rosemary's upcoming nuptials, see Agatha Moran murdered on their doorstep. While they pretend they don't know her at first, it transpires that she was Rosemary's governess (and in reality her birth mother!). But what was she doing back after so many years? And who would want her dead, especially so near the wedding?

Surprisingly, Scotland Yard doesn't seem to care whether the case is solved by Christmas or not, probably due to the Chief being out of the office. Still, with the wedding of Smythe and Betsy approaching, the household members all want it wrapped up like a neat little package under the tree.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINALLY!! Betsy and Smythe marry!! Yay!

Of course, there's a murder to solve, too. And Betsy reconnects with her long-lost sister and her husband. Reforging the familial bonds is rocky, but necessary.

As for the murder, Agatha Moran is the ex-governess of a young woman Rosemary Evans about to marry an aristocratic murderer. In her efforts to stop the marriage, pushed by the Rosemary's mother especially because of the man's title, Agatha is murdered outside the Evans's home during another celebration of Rosemary's engagement. Turns out Agatha is really Rosemary's mother and that's why she cared so much.

I love how close the household of Upper Edmonton Gardens is. Inspector Witherspoon giving Betsy away at the wedding is touching. And now we know Smythe's full name!

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wedding bells are ringing in this installment of the Mrs. Jeffries book series. With Betsy and Smythe's wedding just days away, Inspector Witherspoon and his household staff have a fresh murder to investigate. A former governess is stabbed outside of her former employers' house.

The investigation sends all of our players into lots of directions as they suss out the clues. Solving the crime comes down to the wire. Of course, Mrs. Jeffries and the crew solve the crime. And the wedding bells finally ring.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series that I have read, and I felt kind of lost where the many characters in the Inspector's household were concerned. But the mystery itself was fine without the background information. There were several twists and turns in the solving of the mystery that I didn't see coming, but I was pretty sure about the killer just prior to the reveal. I know that this is a long-running, popular series, and while historical mysteries usually leave me wanting, I did enjoy this book enough to explore more of the series.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are not really what an actual who done it looks like, but each of them are wonderful. A group of servants and a Constable work together every murder to give a bit of a Barney Fife Inspector the privilege of being known as the one who has solved more murders than anyone. The thing that makes these mysteries so special is the big, caring family they've become. Choosing each others needs before their own, and still as a group coming up with the right answer of who done it in the nick of time. Very warm and cozy mysteries.

[Gabi Eagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Jeffries and the great wedding.

You can’t get a better mystery than one solved by the Inspector Witherspoon household. This time they’re running out of time, Betsy and Smythes wedding is looming. There is another household that’s having a wedding on the same day. But someone was murdered on their doorstep and the murderer needs to be found before their wedding and before Betsy and Smythes.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read of this series. A lot happens but is basically low keyed except the initial crime which here is murder. The Chief inspector is assisted by his household staff to solve crimes. Their network of 'below stairs' contacts and service providers offers them lots of little facts and secrets which many would not report to the police. All the clues do not fit as presented but enough open up just a few possible killers. And in the end things come together if a bit haphazardly.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smythe and Betsey are finally to be married. All the wedding plans are in place. Christmas is in just bit. Inspector Witherspoon catches a murder investigation. His superiors want it solved before the holiday. The household wants it solved before the wedding. What does the murder of Agatha Moran have to do with the wedding of Rosemary Evans to Sir Madison Lowery? Lots of twists and turns in this story. The Mrs. Jefferies series is always wonderful.

[Carol Fordahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Mrs. Jeffries mystery. All the help employed at Mr. Witherspoon’s home get in on the act of trying to solve the stabbing of a former governess at the front gate of her former employers. Each sets out to question bartenders, cab drivers, footmen, maids and cooks. What they gather Mrs. Jeffries drops into conversations with Inspector Witherspoon as he drinks his sherry at day’s end. This talking book and other light mysteries help me get to sleep at night.

[Patricia Kiyono · Rating 5 out of 5]

The residents at Upper Edmonton Gardens are busy preparing for the long-awaited wedding of Betsy and Smythe, as well as hosting Betsy’s sister and family from Canada, but with a week to go, a homicide case has them all scrambling. Lady Cannonberry lends a hand, as well as Lutie and Hatchett, and Smythe’s friend Blimpy Groggins unearths some pertinent details, but as usual, Mrs. Jeffries is the one who puts all the seemingly unrelated details together to come up with the solution.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Mrs. Jeffries mysteries by far! Not only did Betsy and Smythe's wedding FINALLY happen, but the murder mystery was fantastic! The identity of the murderer was very unexpected. (Oh, and you find out Smythe's full name.) Enjoyed Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings all the way!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good story in the series. A murder that needs to be solved before Christmas puts pressure not only on the good Inspector but also the members of his household. With the support of outside friends the investigation takes a few twists and turns. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dropped a star for this mystery because the ending was not satisfying. How can you make a man who cries over a dead cat be the killer? This was the least enjoyable book in the series because the killer was the least likely out of the possible suspects and seemed to be written just for the twist factor rather than the clues uncovered.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book but as I am from the USA, it was difficult to understand some things like euphemisms, geographical locations, and culture. However, I have another Mrs. Jeffries book that I am also tackling. When finished with that, I will go to book 1 and start there. I want to know more English culture and history.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly there are flaws in the book. In fact, good portions of the relationships among the main characters just don't seem plausible. But the writing is swift and delightful, and thus a great way to spend a few hours.