Mrs Jeffries dusts for clues - Emily Brightwell

This charming series of Victorian murder mysteries features mild-mannered Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard and, more importantly, Mrs Jeffries, his housekeeper. A policeman's widow herself, her quick wits allow her to nudge the Inspector in the right direction to solve the crime.

A priceless brooch and a parlour maid go missing at the same time, and Inspector Witherspoon is called in to investigate. He finds the brooch, on a corpse, but draws a blank on the missing girl. Her employer, Luty Belle Crookshank, has more faith in Mrs Jeffries than the police, and rightly so...

"...the body was only found today." Witherspoon paused and took a deep breath. "And the murder was committed several months ago."

"Several months ago!" Mrs Jeffries was scandalized. The trail would be colder than a February frost.'