The Clutter Corpse by Simon Simon Brett

Happy June!  There are some good books coming out in June.  Here are just a few of the titles:  Daddy's Girls by Danielle Steel, The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper,  Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon, Nacho Average Murder by Maddie Day, and The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor.  

The Clutter Corpse by Simon Brett has Ellen Curtis, the owner of SpaceWoman—Decluttering & Interior Restyling, checking out the flat of Maureen Ogden.  Maureen’s son, Nate is getting out of prison and will be living with her, but the offender manager (probation officer) has concerns about the condition of the flat.  Ellen understands once she enters and finds piles of items in every room.  After dislodging a piece of furniture behind the door of a small sitting room, Ellen sees a hand sticking out from under detritus.  Ellen soon learns that she has a connection to the victim that has rising to the top of the police’s suspect list along with Nate Ogden who has disappeared.  Ellen works at sifting through the clues and uncovering the killer.

The Clutter Corpse by Simon Brett is the 1^st book in A Decluttering Mystery series.  Ellen Curtis is a widow with two children.  Her eldest is off living in London while her son, Ben is attending Nottingham Trent University studying graphic design.  Ellen owns SpaceWoman which is a decluttering business plus she helps people change their cluttering habits.  The book is set in Chichester, which is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England.  The story does contain British spelling, words, and slang (just so you are aware).  I could tell from the writing, that this book was written by a man.  I wish someone had pointed out to the author that some lines are inappropriate and come across offensive.  I cringed at how the author portrayed Ellen’s current stage of life and the differences between social classes.  Some things are described in detail (like the make and model of cars) and overdone.  The reason for the death of Ellen’s husband was quite lengthy, but finding a body was over in a page.  The book lacked a good flow and ease which would have made it easier to read.  The pacing and my interest picked up near the end of the book (the last twenty percent).  The whodunit was the best part of The Clutter Corpse.  The mystery has a couple of suspects along with a red herring or two.  The clues are there to help you solve the mystery if you pay close attention. The Clutter Corpse has mild foul language as well as talk about intimate relations, depression, and suicide.  A short book never felt so long.  It needed more of the cozy element as well as humor.  While The Clutter Corpse was not my cup of tea, I suggest you obtain a sample to see if it is the right fit for you.  The Clutter Corpse is a unique British mystery with clusters of clutter, a perplexing puzzle, challenging clients, and a missing murderer.

The Clutter Corpse is available from Amazon*.  Simon Brett has written other mysteries that you can find here.  Thank you for reading my review today.  On June 2nd, I am highlighting The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle.  It is the 14th A Bibliophile Mystery starring Derek Stone and Brooklyn Wainwright.  I hope that you have a peaceful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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