Inspector Witherspoon is called out for a high-profile case. The wealthy Daniel McCourt is murdered in his study with one of the ceremonial Oriental swords he collects. He had invited a group to tea so he could unveil his latest purchase, an extremely rare and valuable sword, but before he could gloat the party broke up. So who murdered him, if everyone had left the house? Inspector Witherspoon is sure to solve the case … or rather, his housekeeper Mrs Jeffries, along with the other servants of the household and a few friends, will solve it and gently nudge him towards arresting the suspect.

This is a gentle historical cozy set in Victorian London and featuring the Woman-behind-the-Man … or more appropriately the women and men who are far ahead of the Man. Using their wide network of contacts, and common sense, the team will quickly ferret out the important clues and piece together the puzzle. The novel moves back and forth in perspective from the Inspector to the various team members, giving the reader little clues as the characters unveil them.

I picked this up from my library’s seasonal display. It’s book #29 in the series and I did feel I was at a bit of a disadvantage for not knowing all the background of how the team had come together. Brightwell does give some back story so this wasn’t a huge disadvantage. I was sufficiently entertained to go back to the beginning of the series and read from book #1, though I suspect that I’ll get tired of the premise after a few reads.
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When Daniel McCourt is murdered, it is almost inevitable that Inspector Gerald Witherspoon gets the case - after all he does have a reputation for solving murders. While his household staff and friends dislike murder, they are thrilled that they have another chance to help their beloved Inspector solve another case, even if he doesn't know they are working behind the scenes to help him. All of them will have to work hard to solve this case - it is almost Christmas and Scotland Yard wants this case solved quickly.

Although "Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix-up" is the 29th book in Emily Brightwell's cozy mystery series set in Victorian England, it feels as fresh as the very first book as Brightwell always finds a way of adding new depth to the well established characters. The characters are indeed what makes these books so wonderful and throughout the course of the series they have not only become like family to each other but to readers who look forward to each new book. For those who were wondering what would happen to Betsy after having a baby, don't worry, even if she isn't out investigating the case, she stills plays a major role in this book (and the baby helps show how close the household really is). Brightwell also does an excellent job with the new character of Phyllis, slowly easing her into solving mysteries rather than having her working wonders at the very beginning. The rest of the characters (Mrs. Jeffries, Constable Barnes, the Inspector, Mrs. Goodge, Wiggins, Smythe, Ruth, Luty, and Hatchet) are as delightful as ever and it is nice to see Ruth play more of a role in each book. As always, the mystery is well plotted and Brightwell does an excellent job of equaling showing Witherspoon/Barnes and the household staff investigating the case. Readers will enjoy trying to figure out who the killer is, but for me the real fun is always reading about the characters, especially their interactions with each other.

"Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix-up" is another winner by Emily Brightwell. ( )

This is a wonderful little Christmas mystery with Mrs. Jeffries and her crew in full force solving another of their beloved Inspector Witherspoon's murder cases. I read this series for the characters and after 29 odd books, I've come to feel that I know these characters that live in Upper Edmonton Gardens. The setting is London just before Christmas. Betsy has just had a baby girl and she and the baby's father Smythe are living their own lives in a flat closeby to the Inspector's house. One of London society's movers and shakers has been murdered with an antique sword in his own home. The pressure is on Inspector Witherspoon to pull some of his many rabbits out of the hat, and solve this case quickly. There is lots of fun and warm heartedness between the covers of an Emily Brightwell book. I look forward to the new books in this series each time, and Ms. Brightwell does not disappoint. ( )