I've picked up a few of these series, but they are later books. Do I need to read them from the beginning or are they stand alone books I can just pick up?

I don't mind missing a few things here and there, but if there is a lot of character development, I'll try to find the first ones instead.

 Thanks!

I've read them out of order, and it's fine.  I'm not done with the series.  I've got some on my tbr pile and some on my wl, all out of order.  The author is very good at filling it what you need so that you aren't distracted by wondering what is going on, what did you miss, etc.  As with all series books, it is of course most fun for the reader to go in order, but there are so many of these books, over such a long time period, and some of the older ones are wishlisted, I would say that you could go ahead and start them wherever you wish, and you will enjoy yourself. 

Slight spoiler below:

Of course reading ahead will bring some spoilers, when you go back and read earlier books, but with this series, I don't find that to be a problem.  Perhaps someone else will have a different opinion.  Case in point (I'll try not to reveal too much), but 2 characters end up married.  I was not the least surprised that they ended up married, nor did it ruin earlier books for me to know they ended up married because it was clear as the light of day that's where they were headed, over the course of many books.  There was truly no surprise that they got married.  I would have been more surprised if they hadn't ended up married.  So those are the types of spoilers you will get reading ahead, nothing that will ruin the series for you, nothing that will knock your socks off in surprise. 

Kim, I pretty much agree with Julie on this.  Apparently because the early books were published only in England, it has taken awhile for some of those titles to get to the US and they can sometimes be difficult to get. Later books have been published in the US and are easier to obtain. Anyway I have read most of them out of order without missing too much in the way of character development.  I have to say that this is one of my all time favorite mystery series.  Truly a G-rated series and you don't come across those too much.

Hi everybody.....This is one of my favorite series .....I have read all of the "Mrs. Jeffries" books....but I read them in order...(I have to read series books in order....my OCD...LOL) ...I really like to watch the development of all the characters and to watch the interaction and the addition of new characters......)  any way that is my 2 cents worth   :)   I agree that the "spoiler" is no surprise, but there are some trials and tribulations that went along that particular romance.....Take care everyone and I am looking forward to the next "Mrs.J" as I am sure you all are too  .................

I enjoy this series as well.  I have read them out of order, but that doesn't bother me.  We lived in the UK in the mid-80's, so I really enjoy the setting.  My sister asked me if I ever came across some of the earlier ones, but apparently there are some from the mid-80's that are out of print.  They are not even available in an ebook format.  

I almost always try to read a series in order, or, at the very least acquire the first two in order to see if I want to continue.  However, once a series gets over about a dozen in number, I find that I'm not so stringent with that "rule" of mine.  LOL.  In my experience, once you're into double digits the author really has to make sure the reader is filled in and not lost.  When I first became aware of the wonderful Mrs. Jeffries (et al) I really wanted to read them in order, and was sure, because of all the glowing reviews, that I would love the series.  However, as mentioned above, some of the earliest ones are hard to come by and I just didn't want to wait.  I found the "earliest" one available, ordered it, and dove right in.  :)

OOOOOOOOO I guess I am very lucky...I got in on the ground floor, so to speak, and read them in order as they came out ....I realized with the first book that the Mrs. Jefferies series was one I would love....so I watched for each one....There are books coming out that have three stories in each....starting with the first three, then the next three......maybe they will have all of the books reprinted this way...I have ordered them for myself already!!!

Thanks everyone! I think I will read the book I have and see if I like it :)  I have a feeling I will, though :)

Kim......Have you read the the book you have? Which one do you have? Did you like it? If you did, you can order the omnibus that contains the first three books in the series and then the second Omnibus with the 4th, 5th and 6th books in the series?

Mrs. Jeffries Takes Tea at Three is her latest omnibus containing books 7, 8 and 9. It will be released on April 2nd, 2013. I have all the rest of her books except for 10-16, I need to start reading the ones I have. :)

Thanks Connie, I did not realize that "Takes Tea at Three" was the next omnibus......glad to know !