Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter [Kindle Edition]

Emily Brightwell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Miss Marple of Victorian Mystery. -- Paperback Forum

Product Description

Sir Edmund Leggett is flattered to be stalked by a young lady--who makes herself scarce after he's murdered in cold blood. The police hold the young woman to blame. But Inspector Witherspoon has other ideas and consults his housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries--who always gets to the heart of the matter.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 407 KB
• Print Length: 228 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425198855
• Publisher: Berkley (October 5, 2004)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001LQYT5E
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,368 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I was born in West Virginia, the middle sister to Nanette and Linda. My parents moved the family to Los Angeles in the early sixties, and I graduated from Pasadena High School. I attended California State University at Fullerton and earned a Degree in American Studies.
On a visit to England in 1975, I met my future husband, Richard. We were married in May 1976 and lived in a small village outside London. We came back to California in September 1977.
In 1988 I began my new career as a fiction writer. Although I was working in the shipping industry, and enjoyed my job, I wanted to fulfil my long-held desire to write!
I began by writing romances. I joined the Romance Writers of America - Orange County chapter. After my entry in the "unpublished authors" contest run by this chapter was announced as a finalist - I was delighted, but the New York editor who read my entry was scathing in her criticism. I was crushed for a day or so, but it hardened my resolve to continue writing. My very next proposal was the one that my agent sold to Silhouette. It was published under my pen name of Sarah Temple as KINDRED SPIRITS. I was thrilled - a published author!

I wrote two more Special Editions for Silhouette but I jumped at the chance to write a Victorian mystery series for Berkley - I've always had a keen interest in mysteries. I called my brother-in-law, Robert, who lives in London and he found old,original London newspapers from the 1880s and a host of books on Victorian households. These books and newspapers were priceless guides to my understanding of the real Victorian world of Inspector Witherspoon and Mrs. Jeffries.
I have also written some Young Adult novels,which are not currently in print - writing as Cheryl Lanham - my maiden name. These were such fun to write because teenagers are so emotional and it was great therapy to switch from the lives of a Victorian household involved in solving murders to the angst of a contemporary California teenager! By some strange quirk of events, the Young Adult books sold really well in Norway - translated into Norwegian, I hasten to add. Sales in the United States were not as dramatic and the series was cancelled.

I quit my part-time job in October 2010 so I could write mysteries full-time. I live in southern Orange County.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Series, October 18, 2004

By 

drebbles (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter (Mass Market Paperback)

In this mystery set in Victorian England, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is in charge of the investigation of the murder of Sir Edmund Leggett, who was killed on his way home from his engagement party. Witherspoon has plenty of suspects, beginning with a young woman who has been stalking him. But there's plenty of other people that wanted him dead, including his fiancée who hates him (he was marrying her for her money, her parents agreed because they wanted his title), his mistress who is furious at the upcoming wedding, his cousin who inherits everything, and the numerous people he owes money to. But Witherspoon will have no problem solving this case, not while his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his household staff are working behind the scenes to help him!

I really enjoy this series. The mysteries are always well written and well plotted. Brightwell switches back and forth between Witherspoon's investigation and the servants which I like, because it gives insight into all the characters. What I like the most is that, even after nineteen books in the series, the characters continue to grow and in each book we learn more and more about them. In this particular book, it was a little tidbit about Hatchet that made him come even more alive to me as a character. And Witherspoon's detecting abilities develop more and more each book, which is a nice touch as it would have been easy for him to become a caricature.

I highly recommend these books for fans of cozy mysteries. My only complaint is I read the book in one night and now have to wait for the next one!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Inspector's Household does it again., November 2, 2004

By 

Nann M. Pollock (Tampa, Fl. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter (Mass Market Paperback)

It is very difficult to keep a series fresh. Plots easily become stale, and begin to sound like the last book you read by the same author. Emily Brightwell has found a method in which she keeps her readers interested and her endings reasonable. I like this book because it touches on real feelings of loyalty in the inspector's house and among other characters. The series continues to be a welcome distraction from a busy day and really fine entertainment.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fresh, unique "police procedural", October 5, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter (Mass Market Paperback)

In Victorian England, Sir Edmund Leggett is so in debt he is marrying heiress Beatrice Parkingtom for her money even with her parents in trade and the chit not wanting to marry him. A woman stalks Edmund hanging outside his home every day and follows him wherever he goes. Afraid that his cash cow will cry off if she learns about the stalker, Edmund announces their engagement at a society gala so she cannot dump him. Later a drunken Edmund heads home; someone he knows shoots him and calmly walks away leaving him dead.

Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is assigned the case and finds too many suspects with motives as Sir Edmund played fast and loose with women, abused his servants, and was late paying off his gambling debts. Even his fiancée loathed him and the female stalker is assumed to have been one of the many women he discarded. The inspector worries that this will become a cold case, but his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his household staff are helping him although he remains unaware of their assistance.

The nineteenth installment in this long running series retains its fresh, unique "police procedural" premise due to a terrific who-done-it, the fabulous Witherspoon and his unofficial experts, and a solid secondary cast loaded with reasons to kill Edmund. Although his nasty behavior provides much of London as suspects, perhaps the only weak link is the odious Edmund, who was so nasty and hedonistic that no one cares that he died. However, what makes this well done who-done-it shine even brighter is the vivid look at Victorian England from the perspective of several lifestyles.

Harriet Klausner