Mrs. Jeffries Pinches the Post
It doesn’t pay to be a hypochondriac, as Oscar Daggett learns the hard way when he overhears his long-suffering doctor telling his housekeeper, “I’m afraid there isn’t much hope.” He must right a grievous wrong before he pegs out for good, so he writes a “confession” and dispatches his maid to hand deliver it to the injured party. Soon he discovers the doctor was merely referring to a dying orange tree. The hunt begins to retrieve the confession, which leads to the murder of nouveau riche con man Harrison Nye.
Enter Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard to investigate, unaware that the clues are already being sleuthed by his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, and her band of Victorian servants. They relish solving the inspector’s crimes without his knowledge, yet somehow he gets the credit. The characters in this cozy novel are lively and likable although the premise is rather thin. Can the inspector still be clueless after sixteen such cases? However, this novel is a pleasant break
