Mrs. Jeffries always keeps her friends close and now must keep an enemy even closer if she is going to catch a killer. . . .
Inspector Nigel Nivens is not a nice man or a good investigator. In fact, he’s terrible at his job and has always done everything he can to make life difficult for Inspector Witherspoon. But even his powerful family can’t help him after he maliciously tried to hobble Witherspoon’s last homicide investigation. He’s been sent to a particularly difficult precinct in the East End of London as penance.
When a paid informant is found shot in an alley, Nivens thinks that if he can crack the case, he’ll redeem himself and have a much-needed chance at impressing his superiors. But there’s one big problem with his plan—Niven’s distinct antique pistol is found at the scene of the crime and even more evidence is uncovered that links the Inspector to the murder.
Despite their mutual dislike for Nivens, Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon know the man isn’t a cold-blooded killer. Now they’ll just have to prove it. . . .
Release Date: Jan 26, 2020
Series:Â A Victorian Mystery
Book:Â 39
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â Berkley
Price: $11.99
Bert Santorini arrives for a meeting in the crime-ridden area of Whitechapel, but instead of the payment he is anticipating, he is murdered. The killer leaves the murder weapon next to the body and it has an unexpected source – it belongs to Inspector Nigel Nivens, nemesis of Inspector Gerald Witherspoon. Inspector Witherspoon is called in from Scotland Yard to conduct an impartial investigation of Santorini’s murder. Witherspoon and his partner Constable Barnes know Nivens is capable of a lot of underhanded things, but could he really be a killer? Witherspoon and Barnes, with the help of housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the household, are determined to find the truth no matter what that turns out to be.
This book is part of the long-running Mrs. Jeffries series set in Victorian England. The premise behind this book and the others is that Inspector Witherspoon’s household staff and a couple of close family friends work with Constable Barnes to help the Inspector solve his cases without his knowledge. Nigel Nivens has always suspected that Witherspoon has had help with his cases and even when his life is on the line, Nivens still tries to cause trouble for his rival. It isn’t always easy, but the household is willing to put their feelings about Nivens aside and find out who is really responsible for Santini’s death even if that benefits the unpleasant Nigel Nivens.Â
Even though Nivens is at his lowest in this book, his lying and his entitled attitude make him an unsympathetic character and I just couldn’t feel sorry for him. It’s still a good book with an interesting case with a lot of surprising clues uncovered by Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the “team”. Betsy, the former Witherspoon housemaid, has always been my favorite character and I enjoyed the parts of the books with her obtaining information to help the case while facing some of the hardships she experienced in the past. The case is resolved, but a couple of things at the end of the story seem to spell trouble for the future. It looks like there is a lot of drama in store in the next installment.
~ Christine
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