Delightful Cody as always

Can’t wait for the next one! I miss these characters when I’m not reading about them. They’d make great friends ( )

Olive Kettering might have been paranoid, but she's dead, so someone was after her. While the case starts the way most of Brightwell's do, a well-to-do member of society gets killed and Inspector Witherspoon gets called in. While he does the official inquiry, Mrs. Jeffries and crew start in as well. This one, however, had a truly unsettling murderer. One of her better offerings. ( )

Olive Kettering was not a very nice person and had very few friends, so no one is particularly surprised when she is murdered during a nasty storm. It is up to Inspector Gerald Witherspoon and Constable Barnes to find her killer and they have plenty of suspects to deal with. But Witherspoon has a lot of help with this case, even if he doesn't know it - his household staff, led by housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries, are working behind the scenes to make sure he catches the killer.

"Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind" is the 27th book in Emily Brightwell's engaging mystery series set in Victorian England, a series that never disappoints. Despite there being so many books in the series it never gets stale, with the characters growing stronger in each book. In this particular book it is maid Betsy who takes center stage as she is happily married to Smythe but adjusting to not living with the rest of the servants and afraid she will be replaced by newcomer Phyllis. This storyline is an example of what makes this series so strong - the characters. They think of each other as family (which is especially evident in this book. I had wondered how Brightwell would handle the series now that Betsy and Smythe are married and she does an excellent job.

As for the mystery elements, like all the other books in the series they are well done and the mystery is well plotted with plenty of suspects and some good motives. The fun in this series is watching both Witherspoon and his staff tried to solve the case and finding clues, as they do, and trying to figure out the solution before Mrs. Jeffries does. Astute readers will pick up some clues that Brightwell scatters throughout the book but it may still come as a bit of a surprise when the killer is revealed. The ending is action packed and danger filled and will keep readers at the edge of their seats for a few pages.

"Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind" is another great cozy mystery by Emily Brightwell. ( )

I have enjoyed this entire series. Wonderful, memorial household characters! ( )

The eccentric Olive Kettering swore someone was trying to harm her. Too bad no one listened, though plenty wanted her dead. When Olive is shot and killed, Mrs. Jeffries has no problem speaking her mind to see justice served.