The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries (A Victorian Murder Mystery) by Emily Brightwell

Today on bookaholic I bring you a quirky Victorian Murder Mystery which I loved. How can you resist a book which has this on the first page. 

"Dr Bartholomew Slocum was definitely dead. ... Aware of the two pairs of eyes staring at his back Inspector Witherspoon leaned forward and examined the dead man. It was not a chore he relished. The fact was, he was rather squeamish about dead people , but as corpses went this was rather a nice one."

Now doesn't that just make you want to read more. I can assure you the rest of the book is just as good. 

At first glance this is a police procedural but it is really a cozy mystery, or it could be a mixture of the two. To be honest it doesn't matter if it isn't categorised as this book defies Categorisation. Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard is investigating the death of a seemingly upright Doctor. The Inspector does' know it but it is really his housekeeper, Mrs Jeffries who is the solving the murder. She is helped by a diverse crew, compromising the remainder of the household servants. This will give you an idea of how different this book is. The characterisation is spot on with Mrs Jeffries being a particular shining star. The Inspector, although somewhat puzzled by the whole thing, is endearing and I found myself wanting to look after him. There are several even more eccentric characters and those all take their place, no matter how minor their roles.

The book is just one of a whole slew of Victorian Murder Mysteries all starring Mrs Jeffries. I am sure that you are already realising that Mrs Jeffries is the real star of the books. This is the first one I have read and I cannot wait to read another. I haven't a clue where this fits into the series but it really doesn't matter. Back story is integrated well to support the plot. Another one I would highly recommend to all my bookaholic friends.

We are in the middle of piping rain and storms here in the UK so I'm off to grab a book and curl up, safe and sound, in the warm. As I write, the weather all over the world is in turmoil, with extreme weather conditions battering the UK, US, France and Portugal. Stay safe Bookaholic's and I will see you all safely back here soon.