Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentlemen

Mrs. Jeffries #32

by Emily Brightwell

The holiday season brings a mix of merriment, mayhem, and murder. And it falls to Inspector Witherspoon—with a significant portion of help from the ever-watchful Mrs. Jeffries—to find the culprit…

THE BUSINESS OF DEATH

Orlando Edison is a stockbroker using London’s infatuation with foreign mining ventures to make a fortune. He has curried favor with the nation’s most respected aristocrats, even inviting three of the most influential investors in England—known as the Merry Gentlemen—to be part of his latest enterprise.

Despite his mysterious past, Edison is now welcomed in the highest circles and moves with ease among the rich and powerful. Yet a few days before Christmas, he is found sprawled across his doorstep, murdered. Charismatic and charming, Edison was kind to his servants and generous with his friends. Why would someone want him dead?

Inspector Witherspoon and his household are all looking forward to the festive season. Witherspoon is eager to spend time with his godchild. Wiggins, the footman, is infatuated with football and would rather cheer goals than chase down clues. And Mrs. Goodge longs to bake recipes from the latest cookbooks. But they all know their duty, and led by the intrepid Mrs. Jeffries, they plan to see justice served for the holidays….

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

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2013

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

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the Mrs. Jeffries mysteries that takes place in London during the Victorian era. It does not really involve Christmas but rather takes places just before Christmas with homes etc decorated for the season. I once again thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Inspector Witherspoon, Constable Barnes, and Witherspoon's downstairs staff headed by the inimitable Mrs. Jeffries. This time one of the ton is found dead on his doorstep just after the holiday Christmas carolers have left. He is a stock promoter among a group called the Merry Gentlemen. Is it one of his partners, one of their wives, or a mysterious girlfriend who has committed the dastardly deed? I have to say I really do enjoy the ambience of this series.

Recommended for those who like Agatha Christie type mysteries where a little more brain power is needed and who enjoy dry British wit.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "But I'm getting to the age where it's important to take care of business while one still recalls precisely the business one needs to take care of." (This certainly hit home!)

"He remembered his mother saying that you could judge the measure of an important person by how he treated the little people who surrounded him."

"Don't be silly, young people need a bit of guilt now and then."

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's one thing better than a Christmas mystery at Christmastime, and that's a Victorian Christmas cozy during the season. And that is what this book is. Mrs. Jeffries and her crew are trying to help their inspector when a man is murdered in his home just before Christmas. Even though the man was well-liked, there doesn't appear to be a shortage of suspects in this killing. This book has probably got the longest list of suspects that I've ever seen in this enjoyable series. There is lots of excitement while the murderer is "sussed out", and lots of Victorian Christmas atmosphere as a backdrop. I really enjoyed this book and it's a great addition to this series.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been way too long since I've immersed myself in a Mrs. Jeffries novel, and it was great pleasure to get back to it. The cast of characters is as endearing as ever, and the story an easy read. I hope not to stay away so long next round, regardless of how huge my tbr is at the moment!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in time for Christmas and with a different twist, this author has once again given a wonderful cozy mystery.
I was saving this for the Christmas season and I am glad I did. I highly recommend this book as well as this series.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series and it was nice to start reading them again. In Merry Gentlemen we have the crew trying to help the Inspector find out who killed Orlando Edison. He had three investors go in on a mine that is now bankrupt but could that be the cause of his death?

With a lot of rumors going around anything is possible so Mrs Jeffries need to weed out and find the truth.

It was nice to read about Betsy and the baby in this one and the rest of the gang seeing what is going on. The author does a great job to details in the story to draw the readers attention. You will be kept guessing until the endow who the real murder is. The characters are all wonderful to read about.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good listen

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoroughly enjoyable mystery with characters who I've come to love. It would be so much fun to join them "on the hunt" and watch how Mrs. Jeffries puts all of the clues together. Phyllis has certainly grown since she appeared on the pages.

[Leia Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Back at it again.

[Dawn Fortenberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've really been enjoying the Mrs. Jeffries books! this one was even more confusing, up until the very end.

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-liked man is murdered, and Inspector Witherspoon is assigned to discover the perpetrator. The formula of the Mrs. Jeffries books is routine, but the novels are enjoyable fluff.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story kept moving. The characters are smart and familial. It has a bit of a Christmas theme but doesn’t feel like a Christmas story at all. Great book and series for cozy mystery and history lovers like me.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orlando Edison's staff is looking forward to a night at the theater as a Christmas treat. They leave their employer listening to a group of Christmas carolers and when they return, they discover their master has been killed. Chief Inspector Barrows discovers Edison lying over the front step of his house with bits of his head dashed everywhere and a golden shovel lying there. He calls in Inspector Witherspoon to solve the case. The staff at Upper Edmonton Gardens are distracted by their own interests and holiday plans. Most of what they learn is that Edison was much beloved by his staff and all the neighbors. There were a few arguments in his recent past. Is one of those people the killer? They also uncover evidence of possible fraud in collusion with The Merry Men, a group of lucky financial investors. If the staff stays focused long enough to figure out the motive, Mrs. Jeffries should be able to crack the case.

I really liked all the period detail in this book. I don't know or care anything about stocks, investments or mines in South Africa, but I know a little bit about what was happening in Africa at that time so I enjoyed seeing the British perspective from London of the period just before the Boer War. There's also a lot about how times have changed for servants and how some people are reluctant to change. That's in just about every book but here it was actually shown through the actions of different characters. There's also a bit about period cooking. There was only one instance where a character's personal comments about something entirely unrelated to the story sounded out of place for the period.

I also liked how Phyllis is coming into her own and an integral part of the story. I actually like her now. Betsy is back on the job and a key investigator. She and Smythe love each other and have stopped bickering. Mrs. Jeffries is a bit too clever to be believable, but the stories are always fun. I couldn't figure this one out on my own. I was completely wrong about who I suspected. The mystery made me stay up too late and wake up too early!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Mrs. Jeffries mystery, and although the mystery element was solid (there were enough suspects to keep things interesting for a good long while), it just fell a little short of three Goodreads stars ("liked it"). Admittedly, I may have been able to forgive this book its shortcomings a little more readily had I already been familiar with the characters - too much time was spent on introducing us to the various members of the household staff and I couldn't get a good idea of who any of them really were. The lack of authenticity was also a problem; I don't know for sure, but Brightwell writes more like an American trying to sound English than an Englishwoman, which yanked me out of the narrative several times. But for a Christmas "cozy," this wasn't bad and made for good airplane reading.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing to think that there are 32 novels in this series!
I found this one in a Little Free Library and I enjoyed it over several sleepless nights in the days of COVID-19. It reads like an episode of Downton Abby. It looks like the author has been reading old newspapers for inspiration- a smart move. No great character studies, but a good thing to reach for during a long night.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in the Mrs. Jeffries cozy historical mystery series set in Victorian England finds Inspector Witherspoon's household preparing for the winter holidays. Their preparations are interrupted by the death of Orlando Edison, a well-connected stockbroker. Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the household must help Witherspoon solve the mystery of Edison's death, without letting the Inspector know they solved it, in time to celebrate. Thirty-second in the series, it's entertaining and you don't have to start with the first one. Put me in the holiday mood.

[C.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently the stock market was equally corrupt in Victorian times. This edition finds Mrs. Jeffries and her crew investigating the Merry Gentlemen, a group of investors that have made a fortune in the past few years in mining. Orlando Edison, President of a recently defunct mining company is set to testify in court, but is found dead before he could do so. Now Mrs. Jeffries are spending the days before Christmas investigating a murder and finding out just how far the Merry Gentlemen will go to keep their secrets.

[C. John Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Don't want to say much lest I spoil the plot. However I will say that I found the situation intriguing. A police inspector who is aided by his household staff is, as far as I know, a novel approach to the genre. It was an interesting case with a somewhat novel approach. I also appreciated the Victorian setting of the book. Definitely one I recommend. In fact I enjoyed it so much I shall definitely search out others in the series.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scotland Yard inspector Witherspoon is called to a murder scene when a mining developer is found killed just before Christmas. As usual, his staff is ready to help find clues, with his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries at the head of their efforts. But some of the loyal servants have their own pre-holiday distractions, so it takes a little while for the facts to come in.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Mrs. Jeffries series of cozies. The mysteries are complex enough to keep my interest but not so difficult that I can't usually solve them before the denouement. Additionally, I never feel cheated by the introduction of a person or motive at the end that hadn't been discussed earlier.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very British who-done-it involving a wealthy man whose head was bashed in by a mining shovel. The house staffers solve the mystery and wrap things up neatly..

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun !

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read any of the Mrs. Jeffries Mysteries you will know what to expect in this book. The household all helps in solving the mystery of the stock promoter (not broker). Fun to read.

[Daryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this 'cozy' mystery and plan to read others...

[Diane Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book in the Mrs Jeffries series... I could guess the murderer in this one..

[Shelly Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little story but if you are like me and haven't read any of the other books in the series you might find that you aren't as well acquainted with, well, anything in the story at all. I think that this would be such a more meaningful and entertaining story if you read the others that are before it first. That said, I didn't and was still able to enjoy the story so I suppose you can read it either way.
In this story, there has been a murder! A murder that most foul at Christmas time of all times. Orlando Edison is a very rich man an as such knows a lot of very rich people. He is so incredibly good at what he does he has invited three highly influential investors to join him. These men are known as known as the Merry Gentlemen. However right before Christmas, he is found dead.
Inspector Witherspoon and those at his house are on the job! They will find that murderer and they will do it before Christmas!
Mrs. Jeffries and her band of behind the sense crime solvers are on the hunt. They are following clues, asking questions, and putting their heads together. In the end, will they find the killer?
This is a good story. If you like that old time murder story with an old time detective type feel to it you should like this book and quite possibly this series. It takes you along the way with each amateur detective as they hunt down the true killer. It's a lot of fun and there is just a little bit of Christmas in there, not nearly enough but a little bit, along the way.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orlando Edison, a stock promoter involved with mining, was kind to his household staff, attractive, charismatic--and a little enigmatic. None of which explains why he was killed at his own door not too long before Christmas. When Inspector Witherspoon investigates, he's interested in Edison's connection to the "Merry Gentlemen"--investors he enticed to be on the board of his company [I could be getting completely confused here--I don't understand business, especially anything involving stockbrokers]--who ended up not looking so good when the mine proved a bust. But they are not the only suspects. And Witherspoon is not the only investigator. Unbeknownst to him, his household staff and their friends have long been investigating all his murders, making sure he and his constable get the information they need. But at Christmastime, it's easy for people to have their minds on other things, and maybe even resent having a murder get in the way. Can they solve this one? [Spoiler-not-spoiler: yes.]

This series continues to be fun, even if the author tends to recycle some situations, like some of the staff not wanting to investigate around Christmas, attraction between two members of the staff, etc. At least Witherspoon's tiresome, nine-lived nemesis Nivens isn't in this one, though! As always, a satisfying read, especially if you're fond of found-family stories in which you're never worried that the inspector or one of the main characters might be a suspect (that's so stressful!).

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Orlando Edison is murdered shortly before Christmas, bashed in the head with an ornamental bronzed mining shovel, Inspector Witherspoon thinks that it might not be too difficult to find the culprit: the man was well-loved by his staff and friends, and only a few business acquaintances owned one of those special trinkets. Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the Inspector’s staff also think the crime will be relatively easy to solve, but they are not counting on the curse of distraction: Phyllis has become enamoured of the theatre, Wiggins is captivated by football and even Mrs. Goodge has a brand-new cookbook to capture her attention. Can Mrs. Jeffries keep everybody on track long enough to catch the killer before he (or she) gets away?.... I think what I liked best about this particular entry in this long-running cozy series, set in Victorian London, is the fact that most of the main characters *do* get distracted this time around; usually they are so focused on the job at hand that they seem almost superhuman at times, so this display of their foibles and failures is a nice reminder that they aren’t perfect after all. As the 32nd book in the series, it’s probably not the best book with which to start, but the author always gives a brief precis about who each character is and how they came to be working for the Inspector, and one can always go back to the beginning if this one suits! Recommended.

[The Hobbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stockbroker Orlando Edison was murdered the week before Christmas and the night before he was scheduled to testify in Court about the bankruptcy of the Granger Gold Mine in South Africa. A stock promoter, Edison had enlisted the "Merry Gentlemen," three well-known stock investors, to serve on the mine's board of directors. Many of Edison's stock recommendations had made several investors wealthy. However, all investments have risks and this gold mine was one of them. In the days before the court hearing, all three of the Merry Gentlemen had come to see Edison, two of whom had argued so loudly with him that his servants overheard. Had one of these arguments been a motive for murder? Or was it a romantic dispute? Or perhaps a need for money? That's what Inspector Witherspoon and Constable Barnes had to discover. Since the murder was in their neighborhood, the Inspector's household staff got an early jump on their sleuthing. Nevertheless, it took all of Mrs Jeffries' crime-solving cleverness and the courage of the Inspector's maid to uncover the identity of the killer. Well-plotted, although initially less interesting than others in the series because the focus was on stocks in mining companies. As more characters not connected to the stock market came into play, the interest level increased for this reader.

[Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one earns two mind-wandering stars. The story stretches about 20 percent longer than necessary, and Brightwell’s prose increasingly mimics a debut novel. Mrs. Jeffries repeatedly grasps at a case-breaking idea, only to let it slip away—over and over. The pattern screams word-count padding, with the author recycling the same amateurish trick. How many near-misses can one sleuth endure? On my most charitable day, I’d tolerate two. Here, the repetition blares like an uncovered zit on a prom queen’s face. These books charmed far more when they stayed 20 percent shorter. This entry feels okay, but utterly forgettable.

Orlando Edison stands days from a fresh start in New York. Friends in London cherish him, and his staff adore him. So who craves him dead?

The killer excels: they bash the back of his head repeatedly with a bronzed miniature mining shovel. The Home Office demands a pre-Christmas resolution, so Inspector Witherspoon takes the case.

Mining stock investments spark the conflict—deals that soured badly. Brightwell spotlights three investors, dubbing them “the merry gentlemen.” The suspect pool balloons inappropriately, yet the ending spikes the heart rate just enough.

Don’t mistake this for a Christmas book; Christmas merely lurks in the background of a standard murder mystery.

2 stars. Ho ho hum.

[Chazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Jeffries is Inspector Witherspoon’s housekeeper. Witherspoon is currently one of the most successful crime solvers at Scotland Yard. Mrs. Jeffries is the secret weapon behind Witherspoon’s success. So secret that even Witherspoon doesn’t know it!

It’s Christmas, but that doesn’t mean murders stop.

Orlando Edison is a stockbroker dealing in mining ventures and is well known among the “upper crust.” Shortly before Christmas, Edison is found murdered and Witherspoon is given the case.

Even though Mrs. Jeffries and the house staff need to get all preparations done in time for Christmas, they also know Witherspoon will need their assistance.

Between the staff’s ability to gather information from the other household staffs, to investigate and gather information from others in a casual way without their contacts being aware, and Mrs. Jeffries’ filtering it to Witherspoon without him realizing it, the case should be solved before Christmas…they hope.

A fun, cozy series that takes place in Victorian England, with a cast of characters that each have their strengths and secrets, and a plot that keeps moving.