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There is tension at the Christmas party being held by Stephen Whitfield, a member of the upper class. His guests include longtime acquaintances and the woman he wants to marry – and her dinner date! She is not at all interested in marrying him. Also at the party is his sister-in-law, a woman who has been taking care of his home for ten years. In society it had been thought that she was going to be the next Mrs Whitfield. Just as Whitfield is about to announce – incorrectly – that he is about to marry his woman friend, he suddenly collapses. A doctor is called but it is too late. Stephen Whitfield is dead. Inspector Gerald Witherspoon is called in on the case. Without the inspector knowing it, his household staff has been helping him solve murders for years by their using their contacts of servants in other households, street people, storeowners and such. Their help has made the inspector's reputation that of one of the best detectives in the country. There is some tension in the inspector's home too. Coachman Smythe has just returned from a task of honor in Australia. Unfortunately he left just before he was about to marry Betsy the maid, therefore breaking her heart and embarrassing the poor girl . Even though Smyth had told Betsy that he would return and that they would marry then, Betsy had been terribly hurt and now is acting as if she cares not one whit about the lovesick coachman! The entire staff is unsettled about it. But with a new murder case, their energy is focused on finding the clues and discovering the guilty party to make certain their inspector remains the shining star of the police force. The facts soon come out that Whitfield had been guzzling wine that had been brought to him as a Christmas present from guests at the dinner, a married couple Maria and Basil Farringdon. He alone had drunk from the bottle. The wine had been filled with foxglove, a common poisonous flower. The police need to find out who put the foxglove in the wine and when. The wine had been uncorked and left out and could have been tampered with by any one of the guests and any member of his staff. But the question that has to be answered is why would anyone want Stephen Whitfield dead? That one question brings up many small reasons that show that Whitfield wasn't the most pleasant of men, but no reason is found that was so harsh as to warrant his demise. Making matters worse is the proximity of the Christmas holiday. The upper echelons of the police force want the murder solved before Christmas Day. Helping to turn the screws on Witherspoon is the jealous Inspector Nivens who would be only too happy to celebrate his defeat if the case isn't solved on time! This is the 23rd in the Mrs Jeffries series and it is as fresh and fascinating as the first in the series. As the years have gone by the readers have been privy to learn more and more about the backgrounds of the wonderful members of staff. They in turn have also grown as people and learned a lot. The series also makes a point to teach the readers something about Victorian times and how the world of these people was changing. In this book we learn that the decorated Christmas tree was just becoming popular at the Victorian time. Any house with a tree decorated with candles had to be very careful to have staff at the ready to stand over it to put out any fires that might start. I found that fascinating. MRS JEFFRIES AND THE FEAST OF ST STEPHEN is a fast read and a pleasant way to spend one's time. Whenever I hear that another installment of this series is available I feel that a celebration is in order, and now that I've finished this book, I am already waiting impatiently for the next!
Reviewed by A. L. Katz, October 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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