Mrs. Jeffries Learns the Trade

By Emily Brightwell

Don't bother! I could barely bring myself to finish it. This is the first of a series of Victorian mysteries, where a dimwitted Scotland Yard inspector is helped by his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries. He is so slow that he doesn't even know that she basically solves the case for him, with the help of the rest of the household staff. That may be a bit hard to swallow, but that's not why I did not care for this book. Basically, the writing isn't too great, and completely fails to capture the period. The characters simply do not ring true; they're more likely from the 1950s. There is none of the authentic setting which make the Sister Fidelma and Dame Frevisse mysteries so excellent. However, it is a nice, clean read. Otherwise, I can't say much for it.