Not the strongest instalment in this delightful series, as too many suspects around an essentially too transparent motive. Nonetheless it's always a delight to spend time with Mrs Jeffries and her household staff and watch the relationships develop within the same structure of each book. ( )

I like this series, but this edition was a bit more obvious that some of her other offerings. Oh, well, I'll take all the Inspector Weatherspoon I can get. ( )

Inspector Witherspoon is asked to investigate a suicide. Or is it actually a murder? The more he investigates, the more muddled his findings. Thank goodness for his staff, who are always eager to do some sleuthing of their own. I usually figure out the "who dunnit" part fairly early on, and this one kept me guessing for quite some time. One of the things I really like about this series is that even though there are fairly gruesome crimes, the author never gets too detailed. I have a pretty low tolerance for gore, so I really appreciate that. ( )

This series centers around the household of Gerald Witherspoon, an extremely kind, but not terribly bright individual who has a great reputation for his amazing (if not downright unlikely) success at solving murders. Inspector Witherspoon doesn't realize it, but his good deeds and kindly nature have created great loyalty on the part of his household staff. Led by the housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, a policeman's widow, they successfully (and competitively) investigate every case, and tactfully pass the information along to Witherspoon. A few friends and neighbors eventually join in to help.

I like having a largish band of appealing, repeating characters who are distinct from one another and continue to develop throughout the series. The stories are somewhat formulaic, which the reader may like or dislike. Personally, I wish that the continuing subplots would develop and change a little faster. The books are best read in order, although it isn't entirely crucial. With such a long series, it is often hard to get all the books.

A friend recommended this series to me when I was extremely depressed, and it was perfect! ( )