The Clutter Corpse (The Decluttering Mysteries, #1)

by Simon Brett

Introducing an engaging new amateur sleuth, declutterer Ellen Curtis, in the first of a brilliant new mystery series.

Ellen Curtis runs her own business helping people who are running out of space. As a declutterer, she is used to encountering all sorts of weird and wonderful objects in the course of her work. What she has never before encountered is a dead body.

When Ellen stumbles across the corpse of a young woman in an over-cluttered flat, suspicion immediately falls on the deceased homeowner's son, who has recently absconded from prison. No doubt Nate Ogden is guilty of many things - but is he really the killer? Discovering a link between the victim and her own past, Ellen sets out to uncover the truth. But where has her best friend disappeared to? And is Ellen really prepared for the shocking revelations to follow?

• ISBN10: 1780291248
• ISBN13: 9781780291246
• Publish Date: 28 February 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
• Imprint: Severn House
• Edition: Main
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: my link text.

The Clutter Corpse is the first book in a new murder mystery series by superhumanly prolific author Simon Brett. Released 2nd June 2020 by Severn House, it's 192 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

Simon Brett is a really gifted writer. He writes entertainingly and well. All the parts (and they are varied and numerous) fit together and do precisely what they're meant to do. The characters are believable and well rendered. The dialogue works and is never clunky or awkward. This is a delightful intro to a new series which isn't fluffy enough (in my estimation) to fit firmly into the cozy mold, but it's not at all gritty, either. In short, it's a modern British murder mystery with a well plotted story arc, some not-too-graphic murders, some humour, and a satisfying denouement. It's also blessedly free of anthropomorphic animals, ghosts, and other bells and whistles.

There is no romance subplot, though a fair bit of the book does revolve around substance abuse and mental illness. The author manages to treat the subjects sensitively, but some readers could conceivably find some of the subject matter triggering (hoarding, trauma, heroin abuse, sexual harassment, compulsive behaviour, it's a fair laundry list).

I found it a delightful read and despite the potentially serious subplot elements, Mr. Brett manages to imbue the whole with enough humour to make it an entertaining and quick read. North American readers should be aware that it's written in British vernacular (torch, lift, flat, etc).

Four stars. Really well done. I'm looking forward to future installments of the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.