Decluttering Mystery

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 body 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?

When Alexandra Richards approaches professional declutterer Ellen Curtis to ask her to help sort out her mother's chaotic flat, Ellen gets the impression Alexandra doesn't like her mother very much. So when Ingrid Richards's body is discovered in her burned-out home, Alexandra's exasperated words don't seem like such a joke. Due to the hazardous state of the victim's over-cluttered residence, the police are inclined to dismiss her death as an unfortunate accident. Ellen's not so sure. Could Alexandra's resentment towards her mother have escalated into outright violence? The more she discovers about the dead woman's remarkable past, the more convinced Ellen becomes that there's something decidedly suspicious about her death. At least she can console herself that clearing out widower Edward Finch's bungalow will be a straightforward job in comparison. But Ellen couldn't be more wrong...

Declutterer Ellen Curtis has been working to bring order into the life of Cedric Waites, a recluse in his eighties who hasn't left his house or let anyone inside it since his wife died. On one of her regular visits, Ellen finds the old man dead. It's sad but, given his age, perhaps not unexpected, and nothing to get worked up about...until the police raise the suspicion that Cedric might have been poisoned! The cause seems be something he ate, and since Ellen cleared away the old man's food containers, she is under suspicion. As is Dodge, who works for Ellen and has unhelpfully done a runner and disappeared... Meanwhile, Ellen's life has taken on a chaotic turn of its own: a rival declutterer is out to sabotage her reputable business, her two grown-up children are back home and in crisis, and she has a potential love interest. Can she uncover the killer and bring order back to her own life?

Ellen Curtis-professional declutterer, amateur sleuth and woman of a certain age-investigates the puzzling death of a TV personality who's past his prime. Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't need to like her clients to help them sort their homes out. Aging TV personality and curmudgeon Humphrey Carter might have a chip on his shoulder the size of England about the decline of his career, but a job's a job. But when Ellen arrives the morning after Humph's eightieth birthday party, primed and ready to tackle his study, no matter his protests, she gets the shock of her life. Humph's dead... and all signs point to him having taken his own life. Did the egotistical chat show host really die by suicide? His wife is adamant he's been murdered, and the more Ellen looks, the more dirt on Humph she digs up... and the more suspects she uncovers. Can she track down a killer, if there even is one? And, just as importantly, can she keep herself from killing not only her own infuriating mother, but also her two grown-up children, who all seem determined to destroy her peace of mind? This thoroughly engaging contemporary mystery is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett, and M.C. Beaton.

Ellen Curtis-professional declutterer, amateur sleuth, and woman of a certain age-hunts for a missing will with a killer bequest in this gripping mystery from the original king of British cozy crime, Simon Brett. Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't do house clearances. So when Tamara Nicklin, owner of a local gastropub, asks Ellen to clear her late father's house, she's not interested . . . even when Tamara admits that the real reason she wants to hire Ellen is to find his missing will. Then Ellen discovers Tamara's husband has plans for the house. Plans Tamara doesn't know about. And it's clear to Ellen that this is the right job for her, after all. Ellen dives in, and what she finds in the dead man's house soon makes her wonder if Tamara's father really fell down the stairs, or if he was pushed. Can she sort through the secrets and lies to find not just the missing will-but the truth? This thoroughly engaging contemporary mystery, packed with red herrings, is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett, and M.C. Beaton.