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Mrs. Jefferies Pleads Her Case
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Plot Summary of Mrs. Jefferies Pleads Her Case
"

Berkley, April 2003, 5.99, 208 pp.
ISBN 0425189473

His peers admire him; his subordinates emulate him; His superiors think that he is the perfect policeman in Scotland Yard. Very few people have any inkling that his servants, who adore him, use their connections and their wits to help Inspector Witherspoon solve his homicide cases. The housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries uses guile and flattery to subtly direct the investigation. Aside from helping their employer, his servants like working behind the scenes to see justice done and know they had a part in making it happen.

Mr. Westover's death was originally ruled a suicide but Inspector Witherspoon's superior wants him to take another look at the case because the victim's landlady knows he was not the suicidal type. When the inspector begins his own investigation, he discovers that the victim was in a locked room with the key outside the door. He also learns that he was very angry just before he was shot and it was had something to do with work. Using information subtly given to him by Mrs. Jefferies he begins to get an inkling as to who committed the murder.

MRS. JEFFRIES PLEADS HER CASE is a charming, upbeat British police procedural cozy. Readers might guess early on why Westover was killed but they won't be able to deduce who the perpetrator is because many of the suspects had means and opportunity to perform the deed. Emily Brightwell, the author of this long running series, has written another fine work that fans Of British cosies will just love.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Mrs. Jefferies Pleads Her Case
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story: - 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60%
Kind of investigator - police procedural, British
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - servant
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Mrs. Jefferies Pleads Her Case
Death in the Family by Jill McGown
End in Tears by Ruth Rendell
In a Dry Season by Peter Robinson
A Detective at Death's Door by H.R.F. Keating
With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George


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