Mrs. Jeffries always keeps her friends close and now must keep an enemy even closer if she is going to catch a killer. . . .Inspector Nigel Nivens is not a nice man or a good investigator. In fact, he’s terrible at his job and has always done everything he can to make life difficult for Inspector Witherspoon. But even his powerful family can’t help him after he maliciously tried to hobble … to hobble Witherspoon’s last homicide investigation. He’s been sent to a particularly difficult precinct in the East End of London as penance.
When a paid informant is found shot in an alley, Nivens thinks that if he can crack the case, he’ll redeem himself and have a much-needed chance at impressing his superiors. But there’s one big problem with his plan—Niven’s distinct antique pistol is found at the scene of the crime and even more evidence is uncovered that links the Inspector to the murder.
Despite their mutual dislike for Nivens, Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon know the man isn’t a cold-blooded killer. Now they’ll just have to prove it. . . .
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In 2020 nothing was predictable, so it’s wonderful to be able to rely on Emily Brightwell bringing us another delightful Mrs. Jeffries book. In Mrs. Jeffries Demands Justice, Inspector Nigel Nivens is in trouble. If you’ve read other Mrs. Jeffries books, you know that he is not someone you’d want to defend. Nivens hates Inspector Witherspoon and is a crooked, deceitful inspector. But Mrs. Jeffries knows Nigel Nivens has been set up to take the fall for a murder he didn’t commit. And though none of the Witherspoon household staff would be sorry to see Nivens in prison, they don’t want a murderer to go free or an innocent man to take the fall.
What I love about these books most of all is the feeling that this staff, as well as their neighbors who help “solve” the crimes, are family. They may not be related by blood, but they care for each other. They care for their employer so much that they risk their own safety at times to gather clues.
Another thing that I appreciate about this series is that as it has progressed, Inspector Witherspoon has really grown more capable and become more confident in his abilities. It seems as if the clues “fed” to him are fewer than before, and he has truly become the inspector that Scotland Yard and his fellow constables believe him to be….and always have been.
If you’ve never read any books in the series, I suggest you start at the beginning. You don’t need to read every book if you want to get to this one quickly, but you do need to know how things were in the beginning and how they’ve progressed. Trust me though. They are all very enjoyable cozy mysteries! These are especially wonderful reads for those of us who like historical cozies too. As an Anglophile, I love that they’re set in England too.
I highly recommend this & all of the Mrs. Jeffries books!
What a great addition this is to the Mrs. Jeffries series! One does not need to read the series to enjoy this as sufficient information is shared about people and situations. If one likes cozy mysteries from the Victorian era in London, here is an excellent mix of characters, ages, backgrounds, and suspense to keep one guessing throughout.
Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is a highly respected homicide detective who, with his assistant Constable Barnes, have the best solve rate in the city. His secret weapon, so secret even he does not know about it, is his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, and his staff. She has been with him since he inherited the elegant home he lives in. He is not used to luxury or servants, and it has not changed who he is. Mrs. Jeffries, his lady friend Ruth, and the staff work together to ask questions and help get information regarding the cases he works. Between the evening sherry and conversation that Mrs. Jeffries and the inspector share and the information they manage to get to him through Ruth or Constable Barnes, their inspector solves even the hardest cases. Each of the staff members has friends or contacts in the parts of town they lived in before working for Gerald.
Bert, a man who has his own ice cart from which he also delivers flowers, is killed one evening. A constable found him and sent a boy to the nearby police station to bring help. An anonymous person hired a boy to go to a local gossip paper stating that someone was found murdered, that the killer may be with the police, and the powers that be were trying to cover it up. It was true that an antique dueling pistol was found next to Bert, and it was immediately recognized as belonging to Inspector Nigel Nivens as he recently showed it officers when he was at the station. He claimed he had no connection to the murder and has no idea how the gun was stolen. He was away from his home for a couple nights but had not seen evidence of a break-in.
Most people, from his peers, subordinates, superiors at the police station to his informants and people he sent to prison, dislike Nivens. He is not a team player, does not know how to investigate properly, relies on informants or bribery, and comes from a wealthy, powerful family whose help he begged for too many times. This time they are not going to help; it is up to him to figure it out. Part of the trouble is that he knows he has burned too many bridges with peers, including Inspector Witherspoon, to have any reason to hope for help. Gerald Witherspoon and his secret weapon loves justice far more than seeing someone else suffer unless proven to be the bad guy.
This whodunit is very well executed. I could not figure out the full solution. I thought I knew who the killer might have been but could not get the why. The plot twists and turns pointed to many possible suspects. When Mrs. Jeffries was stumped and time was running out, and it seems all is lost. This is a great add to a wonderful series! I highly recommend it to those who enjoy well-written historical cozy mysteries set in Victorian England with wit, engaging characters, and a hard-to-solve whodunit.
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
Thirty-Nine books into the series and I’m still loving it. The characters are as fresh and delightful today as they were in the first book. There is always a serious mystery to solve, but it is done with wit and charm galore. I always look forward to each new book because of its warmth, it’s family feel – all of the characters have the utmost respect and care for each other despite the differences in their stations in life. Each book is a delightful addition to the series, but you can also read each book as a standalone should you wish to do so – but you would be missing the character and relationship growth that has occurred in the previous books.
Inspector Nigel Nivens is in serious trouble – very serious trouble. If you’ve read the previous books, you know what a despicable piece of work he is. Now, there has been a heinous murder, and all of the evidence points to Nivens being the perpetrator. Nivens detests Inspector Witherspoon, yet now, not only his career but his life is in Witherspoon’s hands. LOVE IT!
Inspector Witherspoon is called into the Chief’s office and told that he has a new case. The case isn’t out of his station, but Witherspoon is being assigned nonetheless. There has been a murder in the East End and all of the evidence points to Nigel Nivens being the murderer. The overhead folks at Scotland Yard wouldn’t mind throwing the book at Nivens and getting rid of him, but they know they have to give the investigation every appearance of fairness. That is why they assign the case to Witherspoon – the most respected Inspector on the force.
Witherspoon doesn’t like Nivens, but he doesn’t believe he is capable of murder. However, the evidence is pretty clear. In Witherspoon’s view, the only way to conduct the investigation is to be unbiased and to start fresh and look at ALL of the clues, not just the obvious ones. As he investigates, he learns that there are many, many, many people who have reasons to want the victim dead.
I love that Inspector Witherspoon has an ‘unknown to him’ support team consisting of his housekeeper, maid, cook, coachman, and several interested friends who are helping him behind the scenes. I love how they quietly feed him the clues they have found without him even being aware that they’ve done it. That ‘support team’ has absolutely no love for Nivens because of the way he’s treated Witherspoon in the past, but they also don’t believe he’s guilty. They’ll help their inspector solve the crime no matter which way it goes.
I loved this book and enjoyed reading every word of it. I love the characters and the whole ‘family’ feel it has. I hope you’ll read this book, and this series, and that you’ll love it as much as I do. I even like that this book has departed from its norm and leaves a bit of a cliff-hanger for the end. I feel a set-up for a future story there 🙂
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
As always Emily doesn’t miss a beat with this series. Mrs. Jefferies and the cast of characters that help Inspector Witherspoon & Constable Barnes with another murder investigation. Unfortunately this murder accuses none other the Inspector Nigel Nivens the man who has kept away evidence from Witherspoon to resolve past cases. Gossip at the stations houses have been that Nivens has bribed people to testify to make his case regardless of the innocents of the accused on trial.
Everyone including Scotland Yard & Chief Superintendent Barrows would do anything to get Niven’s off the force. Unfortunately his rich mother who has many connection high up within the force has been able to bail her son from getting canned. Unfortunately, Niven’s is on his own to deal with the murder accusation over his head. His mother wants him to grow up & become a man.
Bert Santorini – murdered by one of his many enemies, or women that he has courted to take advantage of this money, place to live anything that will help him make $. Even blackmail will not stop Mr. Santorini. No wonder he was murdered. Can Witherspoon & his staff find the killer before Niven’s go to the noose and make the force a laughing stock. Since newspaper articles have accused the BLUE will protect their own. Not on Inspector Witherspoon side. Read the mystery & find out who the killer is. (less)