Luty Belle Crookshank, neighbour of Inspector Gerald Witherspoon of Scotland Yard, asks the Inspector’s housekeeper, Hepzibah Jeffries, to try to find a missing friend, Mary Sparks, a housemaid in a nearby house who had been let go from her job after being accused of stealing a brooch. That happened two months ago, but Luty Belle was off in Venice during that time and only recently returned, and she was worried about Mary because she didn’t hear from her at all during those months. Mrs. Jeffries and her fellow staff members of the Inspector’s household are willing to look, but they are forestalled when the Inspector is given the case of a murdered young woman, who happens to have been killed two months ago and who was wearing a brooch. However much Luty Belle doesn’t want to believe it, it appears that the two cases are connected and not in any good way….This is the second of many books in the cozy series featuring clever and resourceful Mrs. Jeffries and her rather less prepossessing employer, Inspector Witherspoon, set in London in the 1880s. The mystery is well plotted, and the secondary characters are nicely drawn, but it is the relationship between Mrs. Jeffries and the Inspector that sets this series apart; I’m quite enjoying discovering this series and plan to keep reading; recommended! ( )

Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues (Mrs. Jeffries, #2)
by Emily Brightwell
I really enjoyed this book. I am not good at figuring out mysteries anyway and when I do it's late in the book. This one I figured out very late in the book!!! I like the fun characters in the Inspector's household and how they all work to help solve the cases he is on. The characters themselves are appealing and fun. The plot complex and enjoyable.
Love these Victorian times mysteries! Purchased from Chirp and a super low cost and enjoying them all. Very good narration. ( )

I think this suffered a bit from second book syndrome. All in all it felt like the plotting overtook the development of the cast of characters Brightwell has assembled. They're still two dimensional although inherently likeable. Hopefully the next instalment will redress this. ( )

In this second book in the Mrs. Jeffries Mysteries series, Inspector Witherspoon's loyal house staff is at it again, sneakily sleuthing to help their employer. The Inspector is just a little too nice and a lot too absent minded sometimes. He has a difficult time solving crimes and murders on his own. So his Housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, gives him a bit of help by sending maids, footmen and other members of the house staff out to help find clues and information to assist the Inspector. But, they have to do so in ways that won't make him, or anyone else, suspicious. Nobody can know that they are helping with investigations.

Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues finds the staff fretting over a missing house maid, Mary Sparks, who was supposedly fired for stealing an expensive silver broach from her employer. The maid found new employment, but soon disappeared and hasn't been seen for two months. The police discover a woman's body, buried with a silver broach and a betrothal ring. The only problem is the feet -- the body is wearing expensive new shoes in a size much too big for the diminutive Mary. Could this be Cassie, another maid who was seeing 3 men at once and who supposedly left the area to get married? Or perhaps the dead woman is Sally Comstock, a maid who got pregnant and left for Australia? The staff jumps in to help identify the dead girl, and find out what happened to the other two maids.

This was a fun read. Victorian footmen and parlor maids gathering information from other people's servants, sneaking about after dark to find clues and doing it all without getting caught by their employer is just a cute premise for a mystery series. I do wish the Inspector was not portrayed as such a bumbling idiot sometimes though. He would rather be sitting at home with his feet up enjoying tea than investigating a murder case. Mrs. Jeffries wheedles case information out of him without once arousing any suspicion. Surely after 20 direct questions about his current investigation he would get the idea that it was strange his housekeeper cared that much about a murder investigation. But, he is always pretty oblivious, never realizing that he's been slipped important clues and information by his staff. When he's been gently coaxed onto the right track, the Inspector always rises to the occasion and solves the crime. But without that sneaky help, he would most likely bungle every case. I find myself talking to my book at times...."Oh my, how can you be so thick, Inspector??'' But part of the joy of the series is the gentle, sweet Inspector being totally oblivious that his housekeeper and employees are assisting him.

The books are quick, enjoyable reads. The story moves relatively quickly in the general cozy mystery fashion. The stories are not big on character development or deep plot lines, like most cozies. But the books have a nice humorous feel to them with just enough mystery and suspense to keep the reader wondering til the end.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries and stories set in the Victorian Era, I highly recommend this series. I will definitely be reading more! There are 34 books in this series. Oh my! I have a lot of reading to do!
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Not a bad story but nothing really stand out either.

Mrs Jeffries agrees to help Luty Belle Crookshank find a missing maid and meanwhile Inspector Witherspoon finds a dead young woman in a maid's outfit. The two cases are related but the solution is complex and only Mrs Jeffries can bring Inspector Witherspoon to the right track to solve it all.

Wrapped up a little too easily. Diverting but I was left wanting more. ( )