Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong

May 15, 2017
The bludgeoning murder of businessman Thomas Mundy in his room at London’s Wrexley Hotel kicks off Brightwell’s sprightly 35th Victorian mystery (after 2016’s Mrs. Jeffries Wins the Prize). Insp. Gerald Witherspoon is soon called to the Wrexley, along with Constable Barnes. As luck would have it, the inspector’s housekeeper, the inimitable Mrs. Hepzibah Jeffries, and her enthusiastic sleuthing crew are already on the case. While Witherspoon and Barnes interview hotel guests, such as two genteel ladies who saw Mundy in the lobby the evening of his demise, Mrs. Jeffries sends coachman Smythe, housemaid Phyllis, and others out to gather information, because they are, after all, the crime-solving power behind the somewhat clueless inspector. It soon becomes apparent that Mundy was a con artist with many victims who might have wanted him dead. A seemingly endless cast of characters muddies the waters in what is otherwise a most enjoyable addition to the series.