Mrs. Jeffries Turns the Tide

Mrs. Jeffries #31

by Emily Brightwell

The Mrs. Jeffries series is delightfully entertaining with intriguing plots and endearing characters throughout.

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

295 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 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

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this series by Emily Brightwell. This is book 31 and it never gets old. The author knows how to tell a great story no matter how many books she writes.

Mrs Jeffries and her crew are at it again as a woman is shot on the back step of her employer, The Gaines and they need to find out who it is before the Inspector is thrown off the case by Home Office.

Mrs Jeffries and the rest of the crew work at Upper Edmonton Gardens for Inspector Witherspoon. They help on all his cases but he has no clue as they are that good. Constable Barnes comes by the house each morning to pick up the Inspector and also chat with the household to see what they have learned so he can steer the Inspector in the right direction if needed. They help the innocent stay innocent and the guilty go to jail.

On this occasion there is a man name Lucius Montague whom they think is the killer as the amount of evidence just keeps mounting up but Mrs Jeffries sister in law thinks otherwise and lets them know it. Could someone that the Gaines house be framing him and why?

There are a lot of twists and surprises in this book and I think it is one of her best yet. It is nice to see Betsy back in the picture helping. I have missed her and Smythe. It is nice to read the series in order but they can be read as a stand alone you won't be too lost at all.

Review by Babs and posted on Sleuthcafe.com

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a newcomer to the village is murdered in the communal garden, the only person ever seen threatening the victim is the natural suspect, but the inspector's housekeeper doesn't believe it.

Passable. I guess I'm not in love with the Victorian Era.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

For once I was off on who did it. Not by much but still impressive.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and very new in town, Ellen Langston Jones doesn't have any enemies, So when she is found dead in the communal gardens. Inspector Witherspoon quickly narrows the field of suspects down to one: Lucius Montague. who was seen threatening Mrs. Langston Jones shortly before her death.

The inspector and all of London are positive that he's the killer, but Mrs. Jefferies has her doubts. Her biggest problem is that Lucius Montague is a very disagreeable character and noone--including Inspector Witherspoon's Staff --is inclined to save his skin. Now must she turn the tide of the investigation...or watch an innocent man take the fall for the real killer.

She keeps house for Inspector Weatherspoon...and keeps him on his toes. Everyone's awed by his Scotland Yard successes--but they don't know about this secret weapon. No matter how messy the murder is or how dirty the deed. Mrs. Jefferies' polished detection skills are up to the task..proving that behind every great man there's a woman--and that a crimesolver's work is never done.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this installment immensely. The Inspectors staff get caught up in the obvious suspect, in part because he was a very nasty person. And the evidence was mounting against him. But they manage to dig deeper and ‘turn the tide’ 😁

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a character you love to hate, plus Nivens. What more could an Inspector Witherspoon fan ask for? Great book.

[Jane K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in the series. I like the relationships between the staff and Witherspoon. They all genuinely care about each other. The mystery was well plotted and I enjoyed it

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/mr...

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Valerie

I don’t know why, but I’ve been in such a reading slump lately. It’s ridiculous, especially since last year I would honestly carry books anywhere. Nowadays, I still read like crazy, but it’s hard to find a book to take me out of the slump and into the reading world.

Enter Mrs. Jeffries. This book reignited my LOVE for books. I’m so not kidding. In this huge sea of authors and publishers and books, sometimes a girl just needs something familiar and charming to convince her that books really do cure all.

This is one of those charming mysteries, death being handled in such a delicate way. (Yes, that does sound really morbid. I am aware!) I like how it’s so Victorian and not drab but refreshing. It actually would be quite cute if it weren’t a murder mystery.

What I love about Mrs. Jeffries is that these mysteries truly are mysteries. There’s no guessing beforehand about who the guilty is. There’s no question, however, that once the answer is revealed, that it makes complete sense. Everything about this book is well thought out and perfectly planned. This isn’t one of those books where the author randomly throws in a plot twist that confuses the reader. This is a book for readers who enjoy thinking while they read.

(Nope, I’m not going to spoil the book for you!)

That being said, I’m so glad I picked up such a good book. It’s perfect for reading while sipping on some tea when you’re sick. Or really, any other occasion too!

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mrs. Jeffries and her crew, and this book was one of the best in this series. For those not in the know Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the staff at Upper Edmonton Gardens work for Inspector Witherspoon. They love to get involved in his murder cases and with their access and their Mrs. Jeffries smarts, they always end up helping their beloved inspector. The setting for these books is Victorian England. I just completed watching the entire Upstairs Downstairs original series as it was appearing weekly on a televison station, and totally loved it all over again. And when I read this book I couldn't help comparing the characters from the tv series to the characters in this book. Mrs. Jeffries is like Rose in Upstairs Downstairs. Mrs. Goudge is the cook is so like Mrs. Bridges in the television series. Phyllis is the maid in the books and is very much like Ruby in the series. Wiggins is the footman, so is like a young Edward, the footman in Upstairs Downstairs. Smythe is the coachman in these books. No real correlation in the tv series, but in a way he's like Hudson who is the butler in the tv series. It was fun reading this book with these comparisons. For anyone who likes Victorian cozies, this series is a treat.

[Glynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

PERFECT FOR A FLUFF READ, QUICK WHO DONE IT.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Langston-Jones, a French tutor, was murdered on the steps of the house where she worked, owned by Sir Donovan Carlisle (I may have his title or name wrong). All the clues point to an obnoxious neighbor, Lucius Montague, a man whose offensiveness has driven away most of his servants and his former friends. It was his gun, his cushion used to silence it, and he had had several loud arguments with Mrs. Langston-Jones about Montague's not paying for some paintings done by Mrs. Langston-Jones' deceased husband. Naturally Inspector Witherspoon gets the case, and naturally his household secretly sets out to investigate, but their enthusiasm flags on learning just how despicable Montague is. But is the cause of justice only valid for people they like? The household must confront this, as well as having limited time to solve the case since (once again) Nigel Nivens has used his higher-up connections to try to wrench the case away for Witherspoon and immediately arrest Montague.

While the "big secret" at the center of this was blindingly obvious almost from the start, which was a little frustrating, overall I enjoyed this and thought it was a valid point--a person can be about as objectionable as possible, but that doesn't make them a murderer, and doesn't mean they don't deserve justice. I liked that Mrs. Jeffries discovered this prejudice in herself and really wrestled with it. And of course, I always enjoy the camaraderie at Upper Edmonton Gardens!

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a young French tutor is murdered right outside the back door of the house where she is employed, it is not hard for Inspector Witherspoon, or his household staff, to find suspects: it appears the woman was the widow of an artist whose work had begun selling very well indeed, and it is possible that various villains wanted to get ahold of the artwork for their own enrichment. Or, the fact that she has a young child who will inherit all of that plus half of a farmstead might lead nefarious folks to make away with her in order to capture the child. The lead suspect, however, is a minor aristocrat who claims to barely know the woman but who in fact has a dark past, and all the clues are pointing directly at him. Mrs. Jeffries, and the Inspector, are determined not to let the fact that the man is an odious human being influence their pursuit of the killer…. An interesting twist in this, the 31st book in the Victorian cozy series, is that while the victim seems to have been universally loved and the suspect universally hated, both turn out to be much more complicated than they seem. The household continues to do its work with admirable tenacity, and the relationships between the characters continue to deepen, and although I would have liked to have seen a little more of the Inspector and Ruth this time around (isn’t it about time he proposed?), I’m content to continue reading this very satisfying, and cheering, series; recommended!

[The Hobbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful newcomer to London, Ellen Langston-Jones, is shot to death in the community garden behind Sir Donovan Gaines home. She was French tutor for Gaines' young grand-nieces. The most obvious suspect is Sir Donovan's odious neighbor Lucius Montagne; his gun was found next to the body and a pillow from his settee was found under the bushes, supposedly thrown there after it silenced the gunshot. Mrs Jeffries, Chief Inspector Witherspoon's housekeeper, coordinates the household staff in gathering information to help the Chief Inspector solve all his mysteries. Mrs Jeffries realizes they are too focused on Lucius Montagne and must look other at other possible suspects, including Sir Donovan's grown niece and nephew who live with him and another friend, all of whom had arguments with the dead woman. When Mrs Langston-Jones' solicitor reveals the guardian of her 7-year-old son is Sir Donovan, her brother-in-law is enraged that someone other than family has been appointed guardian. Langston-Jones is determined to become the boy's guardian. However, Mrs Langston-Jones hated her brother-in-law, fearing he would take her son's inheritance and property. Her son has inherited a family farm, plus all the highly-valued paintings created by his dead father. So many suspects keep the reader guessing! A satisfying ending.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

#31 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).


Widow Ellen Langston-Jones has recently returned to London after living in Paris for several years. she is found dead at back door steps of the home she is tutoring at. Inspector Witherspoon us assigned the case and his household staff starts invesitgating to aid his efforts. The main suspect is a highly disgusting aristocrat who has been feuding with her. Is he the murderer or is he being framed. Soon the Home Office becomes involved and exerting pressure to arrest the main suspect and Inspector Nivens, Withersppoon’s incompetent rival, is seeking to take over the case.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Jeffries Turns the Tide is #31 in the Mrs. Jeffries series. I haven't read all 31, but I think I've read a good chunk of them. They are very hard to come by in my second hand book stores. It doesn't help I don't get there often enough anymore. Boo.

I have really enjoyed this series. I see there are 41 to date. Unfortunately, I only have one left unread sitting in my bookshelf. That makes me very sad.

Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard has no idea his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, and the rest of his staff help him solve his murder mystery cases. This time Ellen Langston-Jones is shot and killed right on the servant's doorstep of her employer, Sir Donovan house. All the clues say it's Lucius Montague who is a despicable person to everyone, but it can't be that obvious, can it?

There are some twists and turns, which I managed to figure out as soon as that person was introduced, and yes I also figured out the murderer.

It always shocks me the entitlement and the rudeness of the white upper class had towards the police in that time period. I don't know how that can still do that to me after all the Mrs. Jeffries books I've read.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucius Montague didn’t murder Ellen Langston-Jones. Someone did, and everyone believes he committed the crime. Even the Witherspoon staff—veterans at unraveling enigmas—remains certain of his guilt.

A venomous, caustic demeanor might brand someone a killer, and Lucius fits that mold perfectly. He mistreats everyone around him without exception. He owns a sleek new pistol that the murderer wielded against Langston-Jones. She perished while hurrying toward a house under cover of darkness, inches from refuge. Yet the assailant (not Lucius Montague) overtook her, pinned her down, pressed a pillow to her chest, and discharged the weapon through it straight into her heart. The culprit discarded the pistol beside her body and fled.

The staff struggled to crack the case because they clung stubbornly to the notion that Montague pulled the trigger. Langston-Jones left a son behind, and before her death, she explicitly barred her brother from ever taking custody of the boy. Of course, the brother craves guardianship to seize her fortune.

This earns three stars from me. I savored every page and plan to dive into the next installment within a day or two.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

#31

Mrs Jeffries and her Christmas intrepid household staff and friends scurry to find the murderer of Ellen Langston-Jones, a young artist’s widow serving as a French tutor to Sir Donovan Gaines great nieces. As the story progresses, there are a plethora of suspects: the detestable neighbor, Lucious Montague; Sir Donovan’s nephew Neville Gaines and his sister Martha Gaines Barclays who all sponge off Sir Donovan along with Martha’s daughters. Later The victims brother-in-law, Jonathan Langston-Jones wants to get hands on his deceased artist brother’s half of the family property and all of his now very valuable paintings. Sir Donovan takes in the victim’s young son whom she had made his guardian. Hester Linthorpe aspires to be the second wife of Sir Donovan. There seems to be a set up of the obvious culprit, and Inspector Witherspoons clever need to discover the real murderer.

[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.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I figured this one out fairly early on, it was still wonderful to watch the crew round up their clues. Almost all of them pointed to one person, a man everyone disliked, but Fiona shows up for the second book in a row and gives a speech about not letting one's dislike of a person convict him of murder without more proof. She herself dislikes him, but having nearly been arrested for a murder she didn't commit in the last book, she has reservations about this one. It makes everyone think twice. I am beginning to really like Fiona and hope she will continue to show up in future books.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series by Emily Brightwell. In this installment Ellen Langston-Jones is murdered in the fog and in the communal garden. It looks like Lucius Montague is being framed for her murder. He is not a popular man and a snob. Did he really murder her or is being set up. It is up to Mrs. Jefferies and the team at Upper Edmonton Gardens to find out before Inspector Witherspoon and Constable Barnes are pulled off the case

[Adele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I’m done with this series. It is so repetitive with the same dialogue and info being repeated many times. The stories are very formulaic. The repetition of the characters’ back story is boring. And at least it took 31 books in the series, but there had to be a plot with a gay relationship. The writing is mediocre, but I continued this far because they were easy to listen to while doing chores and driving. I didn’t have to pay really close attention to the plot.

[M. White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, cleverly plotted mystery, with interesting and well-developed characters. I love the way the 'below stairs' staff band together and draw on all of their resources to gain information not readily available to the detectives and then subtly pass it on to the Inspector so he can solve the case.

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman about to embark on a new life is murdered on a foggy afternoon, and the case falls to Inspector Witherspoon and company to solve. The obvious suspect is a loathsome man whose gun and pillow were found at the scene. Would the household staff allow an innocent man to go to the gallows just because he's a jerk?

Typical Mrs. Jeffries. Enjoyable.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is like Downton Abbey the same way the Queen and The Sex Pistols are British. So many lies and illegal activity. I’m sure the inspector must have figured out by now what Mrs Jeffries’ game is. The best part of this story is the crime. The “morning reports” are totally unnecessary and detract from the story.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

justice for all.

Even the people we don’t like! Fiona makes a re appearance and pleads the case for the innocence of Lucius Montague, the obvious suspect and thoroughly unlikeable. But, for a variety of reasons, among them the group’s desire for real justice to be served, they preserve and find the true culprit.

[Jada Pfeifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book of this series I've read and with a few small details left missing I was still able to follow the characters easily. The plot was great and while I'd narrowed down the whodunit I still was left waiting till the end of the book to confirm my suspicions. A wonderful cozy.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It should be east to solve a murder when a wealth of circumstantial evidence all points to the same despicable suspect. But circumstances can be deceiving. Has someone framed the Lucius Montague in order to kill two birds with one stone — or one bullet?

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another case where justice wins and Mrs Jeffries along with the other household members and friends help to save the day. Great story and I didn't work out who the culprit was as there were a number of possible suspects. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

[Patricia Sonntag · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just started this series and am thoroughly enjoying the subtle and not- so- subtle ways she guides Inspector Witherspoon and her staff through the investigations.
She is a woman who was a feminist long before the feminists/suffragettes started to support women’s efforts foe equality.

[Cindie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember why I stopped reading this series, although the characters are fun, it is very unhistorical. Tofs did not work, cancer was not called cancer and it is definitely not a book to have read to you (audiobook). I ended up increasing the speed to get past the overexplaining that I would skip when I read it...in a pinch, if there is nothing else to read...maybe