Emily Brightwell Books in Order
See all Emily Brightwell books in order, from Mrs Jeffries mysteries to YA titles, with short summaries, series background, and clear tips on where to start.
Last updated: December 24, 2025
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
Publication Order
49 books
Mrs. Jeffries Aims to Win
by Emily Brightwell
2023
At the West London Archery Club's annual competition, blustering businessman Jeremy Marks is killed by arrows loosed during a sudden storm. His clownish public act hid a lifetime of cheating partners and clients, giving Mrs Jeffries and Witherspoon a field full of sharp eyed suspects.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders
by Emily Brightwell
2021
In a locked conservatory fragrant with exotic plants, Harriet Andover is discovered strangled with a sash, the room secured from the inside. As family resentments and a suspicious earlier death come to light, Mrs Jeffries and the household race to solve a chilling midwinter puzzle.
Mrs. Jeffries Demands Justice
by Emily Brightwell
2020
Inspector Nivens is arrogant and inept, but even Mrs Jeffries knows he is no cold blooded killer. When Nivens's own antique pistol is found beside a murdered informant, she and Witherspoon have to work together for once to clear his name and hunt the real shooter.
Mrs. Jeffries Delivers the Goods
by Emily Brightwell
2019
At the lively Lighterman's Ball, an odious board member collapses after someone slips poison into his drink during a brief blackout. Witherspoon's footman Wiggins was there and saw more than he realises, so Mrs Jeffries must use his memories to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Alms of the Angel
by Emily Brightwell
2019
Respected churchwoman and philanthropist Margaret Starling is murdered in her garden while meddling in a charity called the Angel Alms Society. Pushed aside by rival Inspector Nivens, Witherspoon needs Mrs Jeffries and the staff to probe feuds, lawsuits and pious hypocrisy to find who wanted Margaret silenced.
Mrs. Jeffries Rights a Wrong
by Emily Brightwell
2017
Smooth talking Thomas Mundy dies in his hotel room, bludgeoned with his own walking stick, and no one can imagine why such a polite guest was targeted. Mrs Jeffries and the household soon uncover a trail of cons and ruined lives stretching across two continents.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women
by Emily Brightwell
2017
During Abigail Chase's Guy Fawkes Night dinner, rude guest Christopher Gilhaney insults everyone present, then is later shot under cover of the fireworks. With Christmas looming and the case going cold, Luty Belle, Ruth and Mrs Goodge push Mrs Jeffries to help Witherspoon find the killer at last.
Mrs. Jeffries Wins the Prize
by Emily Brightwell
2016
A new case brings Mrs Jeffries into a world where status, money and reputation are prizes people will do anything to protect. When ambition turns lethal, she and the household peel back layers of envy and resentment to reveal who decided that murder was the quickest way to win.
Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away
by Emily Brightwell
2014
A woman strangled in a North London cemetery clutches an old newspaper clipping, and Inspector Witherspoon realises she once lived under another name in a case that still haunts him. With Mrs Jeffries's help, he must revisit the past before the killer escapes justice again.
Mrs. Jeffries Turns the Tide
by Emily Brightwell
2013
Charming widow Ellen Langston Jones seems to have no enemies, yet she is found dead on the steps of the house where she tutors. All of London is ready to blame an odious aristocrat, but Mrs Jeffries suspects a frame up and fights to turn the tide of opinion.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentlemen
by Emily Brightwell
2013
Winter brings carols, parties and another killing that strikes close to Inspector Witherspoon's circle. As a group of well connected gentlemen close ranks, Mrs Jeffries and the servants slip between drawing rooms and kitchens to learn which jovial face is hiding a deadly secret.
Mrs. Jeffries Defends Her Own
by Emily Brightwell
2012
Office manager Ronald Dearman has made enemies in every department of Sutcliffe Manufacturing, so few mourn when he is murdered. But when a woman from Mrs Jeffries's past is accused, the housekeeper and her friends work overtime to clear her name and expose the real killer.
Mrs. Jeffries Forges Ahead
by Emily Brightwell
2011
Beautiful Arlette Montrose Banfield upset plenty of women when she married eligible Lewis Banfield, and even more people when she started meddling in their affairs. After she is fatally poisoned at a smart London gathering, Mrs Jeffries digs into jealousies and financial schemes to expose the truth.
Mrs. Jeffries & the Mistletoe Mix-Up
by Emily Brightwell
2011
Art collector Daniel McCourt is found in his study beneath a swag of mistletoe, his throat slashed by a ceremonial sword. Was the killer sending a message about love, or about his ruthless deals? Mrs Jeffries must unwrap motives in both his love life and his gallery.
Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind
by Emily Brightwell
2010
Eccentric Olive Kettering insisted someone meant her harm, but no one believed her until she was found shot in her own garden. With a strange new church, resentful servants and angry relatives in the mix, Mrs Jeffries speaks up for the dead woman and chases a patient killer.
Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time
by Emily Brightwell
2009
A baffling new case arrives just as winter closes in, and the slightest delay could let a clever killer slip away for good. Mrs Jeffries and the household race to piece together scattered clues in time to save both the investigation and an innocent life.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings
by Emily Brightwell
2009
As Christmas approaches, the household prepares for the long awaited wedding of Betsy and Smythe, only to have joy overshadowed by the stabbing of a former governess outside a fashionable home. Between two very different weddings, Mrs Jeffries must keep murder from ruining the season.
Mrs. Jeffries Holds the Trump
by Emily Brightwell
2008
Respected medical supply owner Michael Provost is found floating face down in the Thames near Chelsea. Everyone insists he had no enemies, but clues link his death to an earlier crime. Mrs Jeffries must discover what Provost learned and who silenced him before Witherspoon is next.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen
by Emily Brightwell
2007
At a lavish holiday dinner in West Brompton, wealthy host Stephen Whitfield keels over after sipping poisoned wine. Mrs Jeffries and the busy household sort through family squabbles, old investments and a deadly tontine to find who used Christmas cheer as cover for murder.
Mrs. Jeffries Appeals the Verdict
by Emily Brightwell
2006
A kindly local woman is killed during a robbery, and someone has already been convicted and sentenced to hang. When a desperate friend begs for help, Mrs Jeffries and the servants race to re investigate the case, uncovering shoddy work and a very different killer.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Best Laid Plans
by Emily Brightwell
2006
Friendless miser and banker Lawrence Boyd is found dead in his own home, and nearly everyone who knew him had a reason to rejoice. With suspects ranging from servants to society, Mrs Jeffries must prove which long nursing enemy finally put a plan into action.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Silent Knight
by Emily Brightwell
2005
A festive evening meant to celebrate the season ends instead in sudden death, leaving Inspector Witherspoon with a Christmas murder and few solid clues. While London prepares for holiday cheer, Mrs Jeffries and the household quietly work to unmask the killer before the year turns.
Mrs. Jeffries Sweeps the Chimney
by Emily Brightwell
2004
A corpse dressed as a vicar is found propped against a church wall, clutching the address of a derelict cottage that hides a human skeleton. To connect two deaths years apart, Mrs Jeffries must sweep through parishes, pubs and parlours in search of buried sins.
Mrs. Jeffries Stalks the Hunter
by Emily Brightwell
2004
Sir Edmund Leggett is flattered to be followed around London by a pretty young woman, until he is shot dead and she vanishes. The police are quick to blame her, but Mrs Jeffries suspects a hunter who has used the girl as clever camouflage.
Mrs. Jeffries Pleads Her Case
by Emily Brightwell
2003
A magistrate rules wealthy Harlan Westover's shooting a suicide, but the evidence feels wrong. Worried that someone has staged the scene to hide murder, Mrs Jeffries digs into Westover's life and enemies before another convenient "suicide" silences a vital witness.
Mrs. Jeffries Pinches the Post
by Emily Brightwell
2001
Hard dealing businessman Harrison Nye is murdered soon after a tense visit from his partner. When Nye's maid disappears as well, Mrs Jeffries and the household sift through his shady past, convinced that one of his many underhanded deals has finally turned deadly.
Mrs. Jeffries Weeds the Plot
by Emily Brightwell
2000
Eccentric Annabeth Gentry lives quietly with her beloved bloodhound until he digs up a murdered thief in her garden. Three attempts on Annabeth's life soon follow. Mrs Jeffries has to protect the nervous heiress while working out who wants her inheritance badly enough to kill.
Dying Young
by Emily Brightwell
2000
After a terrible argument, Katie's boyfriend dies in a car crash, and she cannot shake the feeling that it was not an accident. Her diary fills with guilt, suspicion and fear as she digs into what really happened and whether someone wanted him, or her, out of the way.
Mrs. Jeffries Rocks the Boat
by Emily Brightwell
1999
Mirabelle Daws sails from Australia to surprise her sister in London, only to be found dead in a locked communal garden. Every resident of Sheridan Square owned a key and a grudge. Mrs Jeffries must untangle jealousies and secrets from both sides of the world.
Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Cake
by Emily Brightwell
1998
After a dinner party, wealthy Mr Ashbury is found shot beside two dessert plates and a half eaten slice of cake. Everyone seems to have hated him, including his own family. Mrs Jeffries has to decide whether he really shared his last treat with his killer.
Mrs. Jeffries Reveals Her Art
by Emily Brightwell
1998
A young artist's model vanishes on her way to a sitting at Neville Grant's elegant home. When an unpleasant art dealer collapses from poisoned sweets at the same house, Mrs Jeffries and the staff juggle two tangled cases involving missing women, forged paintings and greed.
Good Intentions
by Emily Brightwell
1998
Chloe Marlowe wakes from a coma horrified by the selfish girl she used to be, the one who used people, wrecked her father's remarriage and bullied her new stepbrother. Now she is determined to make amends, even if no one believes she can really change.
No Guarantees
by Emily Brightwell
1997
Courtney is sure junior year will be perfect, with great friends, a spot on the cheerleading squad and all the clothes she could want. When her father loses his job and the family hits hard times, she has to trade privilege for part time work and real responsibility.
Mrs. Jeffries Takes the Stage
by Emily Brightwell
1997
A vicious theatre critic is pulled from the water after one spiteful review too many leaves half of London's stages rejoicing. With suspects in every dressing room, Mrs Jeffries has to sort bruised egos from real motives to reveal who chose murder as revenge.
Mrs. Jeffries Questions the Answer
by Emily Brightwell
1997
Unpopular Hannah Cameron is found stabbed, and most people are content to blame a burglar and move on. When smug Inspector Nivens takes over the case, Mrs Jeffries and her friends must tiptoe around him while gathering the real evidence that points elsewhere.
Second Best
by Emily Brightwell
1996
Adopted teen Tessa finally meets her birth mother and is stunned to discover she has an identical twin. Her sister's glamour hides drinking and mood swings, and as the family's secrets surface, Tessa must decide where she truly belongs and who deserves her trust.
Remember Me
by Emily Brightwell
1996
After being caught shoplifting, Leeanne is sentenced to community service at a hospice. There she meets Gabriel, a terminally ill young man whose calm courage forces her to confront her choices, cherish the time they have, and rethink what kind of person she wants to be.
Mrs. Jeffries Stands Corrected
by Emily Brightwell
1996
When the landlord of a busy neighbourhood pub is stabbed in the back, everyone from regulars to relatives has something to hide. While Witherspoon gropes for answers, Mrs Jeffries works the bars, kitchens and back alleys to make sure the right person is charged.
Mrs. Jeffries and the Missing Alibi
by Emily Brightwell
1996
A brazen killer leaves Inspector Witherspoon's name at the scene of Peter Hornsley's murder, turning the mild detective into the prime suspect. To clear their employer before scandal ruins him, Mrs Jeffries and the household must uncover who is framing him and why.
Mrs. Jeffries Plays the Cook
by Emily Brightwell
1995
One of London's best known, and least liked, businessmen is found dead, and his list of enemies runs from jilted associates to furious servants. Mrs Jeffries and the staff peel back his polished public image to learn who finally decided he had to go.
Mrs. Jeffries on the Trail
by Emily Brightwell
1995
On the foggiest night of the year, a young flower seller is found murdered on deserted London streets. With almost no clues to go on, Inspector Witherspoon is stumped, and Mrs Jeffries must trace the girl's last steps through alleys, markets and drawing rooms.
Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock
by Emily Brightwell
1994
A wealthy financier is murdered soon after cheating his shareholders out of a fortune. With dozens of ruined investors holding grudges, Inspector Witherspoon faces a tangle of motives, and Mrs Jeffries must follow the money to discover who finally struck back.
Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball
by Emily Brightwell
1994
During a glittering Jubilee ball in Queen Victoria's honour, a widely disliked member of the Hyde Park Literary Circle drops dead. Surrounded by gossip and petty grudges, Mrs Jeffries sifts jealousies and snubs to uncover who turned a celebration into a crime scene.
The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries
by Emily Brightwell
1993
Unpleasant doctor Bartholomew Slocum is found poisoned in his surgery, and kindly Inspector Witherspoon quickly latches onto an easy suspect. Behind the scenes, housekeeper Mrs Jeffries and the household dig into the doctor's enemies to uncover the real killer before an innocent woman hangs.
The Ghost and Mrs. Jeffries
by Emily Brightwell
1993
Mean spirited miser Abigail Hodges returns from a séance in a fury, only to be shot in her own parlour. With forged notes pointing toward a convenient heir, Mrs Jeffries looks past talk of ghosts and greed to expose a very human murderer.
Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues
by Emily Brightwell
1993
A priceless brooch and a young parlour maid vanish on the same night. Months later the brooch turns up on a corpse, but the girl is still missing. Mrs Jeffries and her crew follow a trail of old secrets to find both the killer and the servant.
The Liberation of Layla
by Emily Brightwell
1992
Layla Odell is determined to keep a troubled teen out of jail, even if it means clashing with Paul Tressler, the only adult the boy seems to trust. Their battle over what is best for him slowly turns into a risky, unexpected attraction.
Lifeline
by Emily Brightwell
1991
Dedicated nurse Hannah Breckenridge agrees to help Jeff Kenyon seek one last chance to save his gravely ill stepsister. As they fight for the girl’s life, Hannah struggles to keep her distance from Jeff and to tell real love from desperate gratitude.
Kindred Spirits
by Emily Brightwell
1990
Hard lessons in love have taught Tara Alladyce to keep her heart locked tight, until intense, charming Ian Craddock refuses to be pushed away. When disturbing incidents rattle her new home, Tara must decide whether to trust Ian or protect herself by running again.
Where should I start?
If you want to meet Mrs Jeffries from the beginning: The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries → Mrs. Jeffries Dusts for Clues → The Ghost and Mrs. Jeffries.
If you love Victorian holiday mysteries: Mrs. Jeffries and the Silent Knight → Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen → Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women → Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders.
If you like character driven long series arcs: Mrs. Jeffries Defends Her Own → Mrs. Jeffries Turns the Tide → Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away → Mrs. Jeffries Demands Justice.
If you prefer young adult stories about second chances: Remember Me → Dying Young → Good Intentions → No Guarantees → Second Best.
If you are curious about her contemporary romances: Kindred Spirits → Lifeline → The Liberation of Layla.
Author bio
Emily Brightwell is the pen name of Cheryl Lanham Arguile, who was born in Richwood, West Virginia and grew up in Pasadena, California before finding her way to Victorian London on the page.
Her family moved from the Appalachian hills to Southern California in 1959, and she finished school at Pasadena High. At California State University Fullerton she studied American Studies, a degree that fed a lifelong interest in history and ordinary lives.
In her mid twenties she set off to see the world and made it as far as England. There she met Richard Arguile, the Englishman who would become her husband. They married in 1976, lived outside London for a time, and then returned to California in 1977.
Back home she worked for an international shipping company, raising two children and commuting while quietly nursing the idea of writing for a living. In 1988 she finally gave herself permission to try, entered an unpublished writers contest, took some sharp criticism on the chin, and kept going.
Writing contemporary romance as Sarah Temple, she sold her first novel, Kindred Spirits, to Silhouette. Two more romances followed, including Lifeline and The Liberation of Layla, all centered on ordinary people pushed into difficult choices about trust, loyalty and second chances.
When the chance came to create a Victorian mystery series for Berkley, she jumped at it. She rang her brother in law in London and asked for old newspapers and books about nineteenth century households, then used those details to build the world of Inspector Gerald Witherspoon and his capable housekeeper, Hepzibah Jeffries. The first book, The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries, appeared in 1993 and grew into a long running series of cozy whodunits set in late Victorian London.
Readers come for the murders but stay for the household. The series follows not just the cases but the lives of Mrs Jeffries, the cook Mrs Goodge, coachman Smythe, maids Betsy and Phyllis, footman Wiggins, their wealthy American friend Luty Belle Crookshank and others, all quietly feeding clues to an inspector who has no idea how much help he is getting.
Under her own name, Cheryl Lanham also wrote young adult novels for shared series such as Dear Diary and Life at Sixteen. Books like Remember Me, Dying Young, Good Intentions and No Guarantees follow American teenagers dealing with shoplifting, grief, family upheaval and class pressure, always with an eye on how people grow when life does not go according to plan.
After years of balancing office work and deadlines she left her day job in 2010 to write full time. She has lived in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area and now Nevada, where she shares a home with her husband and a famously cranky cat. The Mrs Jeffries novels continue to appear regularly, offering readers more walks through sooty London streets in the company of a warm, makeshift family of sleuths.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.



































































Comments
Did we miss something? Have feedback?
Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts