Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball

Mrs. Jeffries #5

by Emily Brightwell, Lindy Nettleton (Narrator)

DINNER, DANCING ... AND DEATH
The Jubilee Ball in honor of Queen Victoria was meant to be a festive affair... but for Hannah Greenwood, it was a fatal event. Since the victim belonged to the prestigious Hyde Park Literary Circle, the shadow of suspicion falls on her fellow members. And since Inspector Witherspoon was a guest at the ball, the job of finding the murderer falls to him. Fortunately, Mrs. Jeffries is there to help him read between the lines--and identify the guilty party behind this deadly plot...

IS THERE A DETECTIVE IN THE HOUSE
She keeps house for Inspector Witherspoon...and keeps him on his toes. Everyone's awed by his Scotland Yard successes--but they don't know about his secret weapon. No matter how messy the murder or how dirty the deed, Mrs. Jeffries's polished detection skills are up to the task ... proving that behind every great man there's a woman-and that a crime-solver's work is never done.

Meet the Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries--in a delightful new mystery series set in Victorian England--and featuring the most charming characters ever to crack a case!

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

Audiobook

First published December 1, 1994

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

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably more a three-star read really, but I enjoyed being back with Mrs. Jeffries and her crew so much that I'm bumping up the stars. These books are so fun on audio, and I enjoy the dynamics between all the folks in the house. The narrator is excellent and it's such a fun way to have some fun while I'm chopping cauliflower or putting away laundry. I enjoyed the Hyde Park Literary Circle aspect of this novel, though none of the members seemed all that literary.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the fifth Mrs. Jeffries mystery set in Victorian England, our detective housekeeper and the rest of the servants in the home of Inspector Witherspoon are drawn into another murder when Inspector Witherspoon attends a society ball during Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The ball, hosted by the Hyde Park Literary Circle. was to feature a literary contest with poems focused on the Queen and the awarding of prizes. But the poems never get read. One of the Circle's members, Hannah Greenwood, is stabbed and then shoved off a balcony before the first word is read. Since the inspector was on the spot, the case is given to him and his faithful staff start doing what they do best--tracking down clues among the servant class that will lead to a society arrest.

Hannah Greenwood was not a popular lady. She was judgmental and apt to stir up gossip about those she disliked. She had threatened several of the Literary Circle's members with scandalous revelations...so the suspect list is as long as the membership subscription. The deeper the investigators dig, the more motives they find...but the difficulty is to find a suspect with the opportunity. It isn't until Mrs. Jeffries witnesses an unrelated action that she realizes that they have been looking at the puzzle from the wrong angle and all the pieces begin to fit together.

For those of us who like historical mysteries set in the Victorian period, the Mrs. Jeffries series offers cozy, comfortable bits of fluff with a lovable set of characters. The mysteries aren't terribly complicated and I knew who and why pretty much from the beginning. But I don't really read these books for the puzzles. I read for the setting and for the people who make up Inspector Witherspoon's household. They're a fun bunch with each member bringing certain talents to the table--enabling them all to participate in the investigations without giving the sense that there are "too many cooks" stirring the pot. Given the rather formulaic plots, this isn't a series that I can read one after the other. But they are pleasant to dip into every once in a while--when I'm looking for something soothing and easy to read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.

[Yorky Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! Totally underated. How did I never know about them before! They were written in the 90's so have been around for ages! The household is made up of a great bunch of servants all with their own secrets, little bits of backstory sneak into each book which I love. The story lines are great though sometimes the author has a tendancy to use too many characters so its a little confusing who is who, that said highly recommend and I am starting the next one straightaway!!

[Stacie Haden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little series. Lots of heart ❤

[Lovely Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

After 5 novels in this series, I think it’s safe to say that unless something really ‘off’ happens in the story, I’m not likely to give any of the books lower than 4⭐️. I just really love the characters, the storytelling, the time period, the mysteries….everything but the frequent ‘mild’ language.

👍🏻

[Karla Mahar · Rating 3 out of 5]

series has lovely group of characters, Shall continue.

[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!

This entry in the series has Inspector Witherspoon escorting his widowed neighbor, Lady Ruth Cannonberry, to a ball to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. With the festivities in full swing, a scream is heard as a woman's body plunges from a third floor balcony to the ground. The Inspector knows he has another murder investigation on his hands because of the large carving knife protruding from her back. How many people had reason to kill her? Was it the man who was plagiarizing poems to submit as his own to their literary group? Was it the woman who the victim blamed for the suicide of her only son? Or, was it someone else in their small group?

An entertaining series with lovable and engaging characters that never fails to provide a fun adventure!

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute fun series. I’m looking forward to the next book.

[Kovaxka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kicsit szomorú vagyok, mert szeretni akartam. Viktoriánus korban játszódó krimi, ahol nyomoz a cselédség: így elmondva tényleg Agatha Christie és a Downton Abbey szerelemgyereke lehetne – ha ez nem lenne olyan durva képzavar. Sajnos én nem találtam sem érdekesnek, sem bájosnak. Rég kínlódtam ennyit egy rövid krimivel: kiszámítható volt viszont, sematikus és unalmas. Szegény felügyelő kifejezetten idegesített, és a házvezetőnő sem varázsolt el. Sajnálom.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, fast read. This series is always enjoyable, no matter which book it is.

[Allison Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of crazy murderers in Victorian London. Love the side mysteries. What is up with Smythe? Hope Edwina doesn't stick around. I just love these books.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although these are very formulaic the characters are so lovely they’re always an enjoyable read.

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs Jeffries arranges for her employer, Detective Inspector Gerald Witherspoon to take a neighbour to a ball being held in connection with awards being made by a literary society. Fortunately or unfortunately a member of the society is murdered during the ball and Witherspoon finds himself investigating the crime ably assisted in the background by his domestic staff.

I found this mystery an entertaining read during a stressful few hours and it helped me to relax. I did work out who the murderer was quite early on but it was still interesting to see how it all worked out and the murderer was discovered.

I like the characters in the cosy mystery series and the way the servants work as a team – even Fred the dog playing his part. There is plenty of humour and light hearted dialogue in the book and the mystery is well plotted. The background of Victorian London is well done too. Recommended to any readers who enjoy crime mysteries without too much on the page violence.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread with pleasure.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how I got to see more of the characters as real people, not flat fronts. Good thing for character development!

[Michaela Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this Mrs Jeffries mystery, I found there to be to many names to remember who was who. I found myself going back to remember who they were.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball by Emily Brightwell is the fifth book in the Mrs. Jeffries cozy mystery series. Mrs. Jeffries is the housekeeper for Scotland Yard Inspector Witherspoon, who doesn't have the best investigative skills, so she, along with the rest of the household staff, actually solve each of his cases through careful interviewing without ever letting on to the Inspector or the Yard. When a woman is murdered at a ball honoring the Queen's Jubilee, suspicion falls on her fellow members of a literary circle. The case is tricky when at first it seems that no one would have motive for her murder and then it turns out nearly everyone did! Brightwell continues developing the characters of the household, adding in some detail about Smythe, the coachman, that would shake up the entire staff if they found out, plus Witherspoon's obnoxious cousin is visiting, making investigation ever more difficult. Brightwell does a superb job of writing this cozy series. Each novel focuses on slow development of the characters while giving readers a look at class distinctions of the late 1800s. Brightwell slips up with a mistake in the plot. When Smythe informs the house of the murder, he tells them how he interviewed the victim's carriage driver, gaining information about her mood before the dance. Later in the novel, Wiggins shares that he discovered that a young boy rode with her to the ball, so Smythe asks where the victim hired her coach for the night and says that he will interview the driver. The clue is dropped at that point and doesn't add anything to the discovery of the murderer, but this major error makes this a frustrating read, not quite up to the standard of the rest of the series.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of Scotland Yard has very little confidence in dealing with women, but his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries is determined to find a match for him. She arranges things such that he finds himself in the position of escorting his neighbour, Lady Cannonberry, to a society ball; guests invited include the members of the Hyde Park Literary Circle, of which Lady Cannonberry is a member. The Inspector is nervous about the event, but he soon discovers that he and Lady Cannonberry share a great enthusiasm for trains, and he suddenly finds that he is enjoying himself - that is, until Mrs. Greenwood, another member of the Literary Circle, falls from an upper floor with a knife in her back. As a result, Inspector Witherspoon is plunged into yet another murder inquiry in which he has no idea of even where to begin; luckily, he has the clandestine help of Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the household staff to help him find his way…. This is the fifth book in this cozy series set in Victorian London, and it continues to charm with its very believable characters (some quite wonderful, some definitely not) and the way in which the various conspirators use their various skills to aid the Inspector; we also get a first hint of something not quite as it seems with one of the staff members, about which I hope to learn more in the next few outings with Mrs. Jeffries. Recommended.

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the year of Queen Victoria's Jubilee and there are celebration balls in her honour. While Gerald Witherspoon, of Scotland Yard, is attending one with his neighbour Lady Ruth Cannonberry, things come to an abrupt and deadly halt. A scream and a thud is heard. Seems someone has stabbed one of the guests and shoved her off the upstairs balcony, into the midst of the guests on the terrace.

The ball is being given by Lucinda Marlow, a member of the Hyde Park Literary Circle. The reason is not just in honour of the Queen's Jubilee, but also to announce the winner of the poetry contest among the group members. Members who all seem to have secrets and jealousies that they don't want people to know. Who among them is the murderer and why was Hannah Greenwood murdered?

This event sets in motion the household staff of Inspector Witherspoon. That secret source of clues, hints and affirmation of Witherspoon's ability/reputation of solving crimes. The only fly in the ointment is the presence of Edwina Livingston-Graves, Witherspoon's cousin who is visiting. She is a mean, demanding, snoopy, complaining bat with a cat of the same temperment. Witherspoon isn't fond of her either. How the staff keeps her out of things and still get things done adds an extra dash of humour.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hyde Park Literary Circle is holding a poetry contest in honor of the Queen’s Jubilee, but the members are there more to socialize, and flirt than to discuss literature, and jealousy and vengeance is rampant. Lucinda Marlow hosts the society and a ball two weeks later at which the poetry prize is to be announced. There is definite animosity between the widows unlikeable Mrs Hannah Green and lovely Rowena Stanwick. Shelpy Locke is drooling over Mrs Stanwich though he had had a previous attachment to Miss Marlow. Literary Dr. Oxton Sloan, is president of the group. Mr. Edgar Warburton, the secretary is new but only joined because of Mrs Stanwick. At the ball, Mrs Hannah Greenwood falls three floors from an attic balcony to the terrace below, with a knife in her back. Because Inspector Witherspoon had escorted his neighbor and group member Lady Cannonberry to the ball and are witnesses, he is asked to direct the investigation.

Thankfully, his clever, ever helpful household staff assist in the investigation, as always, without his knowing they’ve discovered the pertinent information for him to be able to solve the case.

(Second book in the three book compendium: Mre Jeffries Takes a Second Look. )

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #: 78
Title: Mrs Jeffries on the Ball
Author: Emily Brightwell
Series: Mrs. Jeffries #5
Format: 200 pages, Mass Market Paperback, own
Pub Date: First published December 1, 1994
Started: 12/6/23 Ended: 12/11/23
Awards: none
Categories: Mystery, Historical Mystery, 2023 Books
Rating: **** four out of five stars

It's Queen Victoria's Jubilee and English high society is celebrating with balls and galas. Inspector Witherspoon's staff has even arranged for him to escort a society lady to one such affair where the Inspector finds that they have the common hobby of trainspotting. The inspector is having a wonderful time until a body falls from an upper balcony with a knife in their back and lands directly in front of the inspector.

I've been ranking this series as a 3, for average. However, this book starts getting into back stories of two of the Inspector's staff and the Inspector tells his staff that he is aware they've been 'snooping' on his behalf. The concept that someone intelligent enough to be an inspector for Scotland Yard could be blissfully unaware that his staff is helping was starting to get a bit old. I'll be tracking down a few more novels.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opens with Queen Victoria's jubilee in full swing. Inspector Witherspoon, ever the lovable and sometimes reluctant sleuth, attends the literary circle's lavish ball where one of its members will announce a poetry contest winner. But the night turns grim when someone stabs Hannah Greenwood, a guest with a knack for stirring trouble, and throws her from a third-floor balcony.

Witherspoon would rather be anywhere else, but duty calls. He dives into solving the murder, unaware that his clever household staff, led by the sharp Mrs. Jeffries, is quietly steering him toward the truth-ensuring he gets all the credit, as always.

The series' charm deepens with every book, and this one's no exception. The characters feel like old friends, especially in tender moments hinting at a shy romance between Witherspoon and a compassionate, patient widow.

Even the antics of an insufferable cousin, disrupting the inspector's home, add humor-thanks to Mrs. Jeffries's clever schemes to keep her at bay.

This cozy mystery earns its four stars. It's a breezy, delightful read that left me smiling on a quiet morning, confident that Witherspoon's loyal staff will be back to solve another case.

[The Hobbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hyde Park Literary Circle was holding a ball to honor the Queen's Jubilee at Lucinda Marlow's House. Lady Cannonberry had invited her neighbor Inspector Witherspoon to accompany her to the ball. While they were enjoying the evening in the Marlow garden with many of the other guests, Hannah Greenwood, Literary Circle member, tumbled from the third-floor balcony with a knife in her back. She landed in the garden amongst the shocked guests. Inspector Witherspoon jumped into action. After determining the knife came from the buffet table, the Inspector assumed that the murderer had to be one of the guests. Trying to determine which guests were not in the garden at the time of the crime was difficult. So many suspects and so many lies! But Mrs Jeffries, the Inspector's housekeeper, and his other servants were experienced in ferreting out clues by getting servants and shopkeepers to gossip. All Mrs Jeffries had to do was slip the Inspector the information they discovered, but in a way he would not realize they were helping him. A satisfying read!

[moxieBK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Jeffries On the Ball (Mrs. Jeffries, #5) — Emily Brightwell/Narrator: Lindy Nettleton (11 chapters) October 10, 2023

At a poem reading, there is jealous spread around about a particular woman poet who is as good as the male poets. One man is specifically angry because he was dumped by said woman; while a different woman is jealous of the first woman’s attraction to a man that she feels is hers.

Meanwhile, as the jubilee draws near, Mrs. Jeffries and crew are dealing with Mrs. Livingston Graves, Inspector Witherspoon’s cousin and house guest, who has come to town for the jubilee ball. The cousin is not a nice woman and everyone despises her.

The crew is worried another murder will happen that will make it impossible to solve with the despised cousin hanging about.

And then it happens; in the middle of all these things, a woman is killed, but there doesn’t seem to be any one who would want her dead.

It’s up to Mrs. Jefferies and her crew to find out what happened and who did it to her and why?

Four stars.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book number five in the Victorian Mystery series starring Inspector Gerald Witherspoon and his very capable housekeeper, Mrs Jeffries.

When Inspector Witherspoon agrees to escort Lady Cannonberry to the ball being held at the home of Lucinda Marlowe he doesn’t expect that one of the guests will be murdered right in front of him. Of course, this means that he is the chief investigator, and that his household staff (along with Constable Barnes) will be assisting him, ever so tactfully of course. Victorian London is certainly a hotbed of crime but Mrs Jeffries and her staff are more than up to the task of ferreting out the information to make the Inspector look good when he solves the murder.

This time Mrs Jeffries and the rest of the staff have to also manage their “behind the scenes” investigation while evading Inspector Witherspoon’s cousin, Mrs Livingston-Graves, who is visiting (along with her demon cat). Their efforts to get her out of the way are almost more entertaining than the investigation itself.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like giving a ball and someone is stabbed to death and falls onto your terrace in front of Inspector Witherspoon. Poor Inspector Witherspoon, he's on a date and suddenly a dead body falls onto the terrace where he and his date are standing. Talk about bad luck! Guess which Inspector gets the call to investigate? Inspector Nivens is upset but Witherspoon is the man for the job! His staff is very excited to know they have a murder to solve. The staff is having a hard time though because the Inspector's cousin is visiting for Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebration. She has ears as big as an elephants, no offense to elephants. There is so much going on that I had to replay the book in a few places. Pay attention to the details because this one is good! I also want to give a shout out to narrator Lindy Nettleton because she does so many different voices that you can tell who is who!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Mrs. Jeffries and her team, minus Lutie Bell, solve Witherspoon's latest murder, the team becomes more interesting. I loved the new character of Witherspoon's cousin, who drives everyone on the team crazy with her demands and crochets. You get a better idea of how servants were normally treated, rather than Mrs. Jeffries' less demanding approach. The solution of the mystery wasn't too obvious but made sense, although the members of the Literary Club were a particularly noxious bunch, and I wouldn't have minded more of them getting their come-uppance. The investigation moves ahead steadily as the team gathers evidence. There is no stalled process here as there has been in previous books. Either they are getting better, or the author no longer wants to frustrate the reader. Your guess is as good as mine.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first introduction to the Mrs. Jeffries series and what a joy it was!

A cousin has invaded Inspector Gerald Witherspoon's home for the Queen's Jubilee and all the house is in an uproar. The housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, is trying to keep the calm and thinks 'what we all need is a good mystery to keep us active outside the house'. Then Inspector Witherspoon attends the Jubilee Ball as escort to his widowed neighbor Lady Cannonberry, and they are rudely interrupted by a body falling from a balcony. Since Inspector Witherspoon is present he takes charge and ends up with the case. The deceased is a member of the Hyde Park Literary Circle and the remaining members are all suspects. News of the death travels quickly and Mrs. Jeffries is on the job! The staff and herself are all eager to help and dive in with relish to find out motives, movements, and secrets. Mrs. Jeffries stays in the know and gently guides the Inspector to find the guilty party. With help from fellow servants, neighbors and even the gentry they will ferret out every clue to find the murderer.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Witherspoon is attending a Jubilee Ball for Queen Victoria when Hannah Greenwood is murdered. Having been at the ball makes him the most logical person to investigate this untimely death. As Hannah was a member of the Hyde Park Literary Society and all of the members were present suspicion falls squarely on them.

As usual, Mrs. Jeffries and her household cohorts and friends of the household cohorts get together to help Witherspoon on the sly. They are a highly intelligent group who have all kinds of ways to find answers. Then it up to Mrs. Jeffries to present it all to the Detective in such a way that he believes he has found or will find those answers himself.

Love this series!

[dodosreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fúha, nem olvastam még olyan könyvet, amiben nem egy ember nyomoz a társával… Nagyon ötletesnek találtam, hogy a nyomozó háztartása végzi valójában az igazi munkát. A szereplők nagyon megszerethetők voltak, nem is tudnék egyet kiemelni közülük. Szerencsére jópár megérzésem beigazolódott a megoldással kapcsolatban, és szerintem ez egy fantasztikus érzés egy krimi rajongó kis lelkének, hogy volt amitől magától is rájött! :D
Természetesen a gyilkost most sem tudtam kitalálni, de olyan ötletes volt egyébként a vége, meg nagyon fordulatos, hogy sose hittem volna, hogy egy olyan krimi ami nem Agatha Christie is tetszeni fog nekem valaha.
Bátran ajánlom a krimi kedvelőknek, mert egy nagyon szuper és kedves történet is egyben