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Decluttering Mysteries #1
The Clutter Corpse
Watching Ellen investigate... on her own is thoroughly fascinating. Brett fans, along with readers who liked Richard Roper's How Not to Die Alone (2019), will love this quirky, warmhearted mystery - Booklist Starred Review
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 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?
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 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?
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2020
197 people are currently reading
834 people want to read
About the author
Simon Brett
330 books536 followersSimon Brett is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
November 2, 2021
A new series that has all the hallmarks of Mr Brett's writing: an amateur lady sleuth who happens to find herself in the eye of the tornado. Book 1 introduces Ellen and a lot of plot is devoted to her past and present, and I think I like her and will read Book 2 soon to see how her business and sleuthing progress.
OverDrive, thank you!
OverDrive, thank you!
February 16, 2020
Rather than go into a plot description or spoilers, I will keep to an explanation as to why I feel the book is only worth 2 stars.
Whilst an interesting concept for a book, it is painfully obvious it is a man writing a woman. For example "the process of a woman's aging is different to a man's". There are a lot of lines in here that don't ring true or are simply hard to read. I found points of it offensive eg "reading to the slower pupils", parents often volunteer to read in primary schools to ALL students, not just those that may or may not have learning difficulties or delays. It was highly unnecessary to describe the exact make and model of cars and vans and refer to them as such through the book. This would have been fine had these vehicles belonged to the perpetrator or a suspect. In this case however, "in the car" or "in the van" would have been sufficient.
Despite being a short book, it took several chapters to describe her job or several chapters describing her husband and his depression/suicide, yet she'd barely walked in the door and found the body within a page.
Descriptors of her relationship with Philip were highly unnecessary, we didn't need to know she felt nothing when she hugged him everytime, that had already been made clear.
There were many more instances than this throughout, which is frankly impressive for a novel of only 184 pages.
Whilst an interesting concept for a book, it is painfully obvious it is a man writing a woman. For example "the process of a woman's aging is different to a man's". There are a lot of lines in here that don't ring true or are simply hard to read. I found points of it offensive eg "reading to the slower pupils", parents often volunteer to read in primary schools to ALL students, not just those that may or may not have learning difficulties or delays. It was highly unnecessary to describe the exact make and model of cars and vans and refer to them as such through the book. This would have been fine had these vehicles belonged to the perpetrator or a suspect. In this case however, "in the car" or "in the van" would have been sufficient.
Despite being a short book, it took several chapters to describe her job or several chapters describing her husband and his depression/suicide, yet she'd barely walked in the door and found the body within a page.
Descriptors of her relationship with Philip were highly unnecessary, we didn't need to know she felt nothing when she hugged him everytime, that had already been made clear.
There were many more instances than this throughout, which is frankly impressive for a novel of only 184 pages.
August 14, 2021
The Clutter Corpse is the first book in the Decluttering Mysteries series by British author, Simon Brett. Ellen Curtis is an experienced declutter expert, but never yet has she come across a dead body. Recommended by her long-time friend, Hilary Boredean, a psychotherapist working with lifers at the point of release, Ellen goes to Maureen Ogden‘s flat late on Friday afternoon to assess what needs to be done in preparation for her son, Nate’s imminent release from Gradewell Open Prison.
With Maureen apparently in hospital, Ellen gets the keys from the Housing Authority, but she doesn’t get far before she discovers the mutilated body of a young woman and has to call the police, then spends a good portion of her evening convincing DI John Prendergast and his sidekick that her presence is coincidental to the murder.
Reading the newspaper story about the murder a few days later, Ellen is shocked to learn that she has met the victim. She had a very unsatisfactory encounter with Kerry Tallis and her dysfunctional family when she first started her Space Woman business: might some consider this a motive? Ellen is less surprised to learn that Nate Ogden failed to return from prison after visiting his mother, and being sought in connection with the murder.
In the interest of covering her own back and satisfying her curiosity, Ellen confers with a trusted associate who had also met the victim and learns some startling facts about her. When they debrief later, Hilary expresses doubts about Nate Ogden’s guilt. As the week progresses, Ellen continues to make subtle enquiries, but is distracted by a family crisis.
What an excellent start this book is to a new cosy mystery series: it is cleverly plotted with the requisite twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. Ellen Curtis is a very likeable protagonist with her interesting job that includes a significant proportion of social work, and her entertaining inner monologue. Brett reveals snippets of her backstory gradually, working them seamlessly into the narrative. More of this cast of characters is eagerly anticipated.
With Maureen apparently in hospital, Ellen gets the keys from the Housing Authority, but she doesn’t get far before she discovers the mutilated body of a young woman and has to call the police, then spends a good portion of her evening convincing DI John Prendergast and his sidekick that her presence is coincidental to the murder.
Reading the newspaper story about the murder a few days later, Ellen is shocked to learn that she has met the victim. She had a very unsatisfactory encounter with Kerry Tallis and her dysfunctional family when she first started her Space Woman business: might some consider this a motive? Ellen is less surprised to learn that Nate Ogden failed to return from prison after visiting his mother, and being sought in connection with the murder.
In the interest of covering her own back and satisfying her curiosity, Ellen confers with a trusted associate who had also met the victim and learns some startling facts about her. When they debrief later, Hilary expresses doubts about Nate Ogden’s guilt. As the week progresses, Ellen continues to make subtle enquiries, but is distracted by a family crisis.
What an excellent start this book is to a new cosy mystery series: it is cleverly plotted with the requisite twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. Ellen Curtis is a very likeable protagonist with her interesting job that includes a significant proportion of social work, and her entertaining inner monologue. Brett reveals snippets of her backstory gradually, working them seamlessly into the narrative. More of this cast of characters is eagerly anticipated.
April 19, 2020
I think that I have read three complete series of this authors work. Many years ago it was audio cassettes in the car on long journeys, then it was reading 'real' books and for the last few years its been on the ereader.
I have really enjoyed the humour that his telling brought to his characters. Mrs Melita Pargeter was a delightful widow. The usually resting actor Charles Paris always amusing although becoming less so with age and too much smoking and drinking. Finally Carol and Jude, the ladies of Fethering with their idiosyncrasies and their investigations all told with background of humour. I would recommend any of them to anyone for a light amusing feel good read.
And so it was with this background that I eagerly grabbed a new publication and the start of a new series to boot.
May be after writing in the same light manner for so long and the difficulty of coming up with all those new plots for the same people, the author wanted a change. I am sorry to say that it didnt work for me.
Unlike the aforementioned that I have enjoyed, I couldnt get into the character of 'Spacewoman' Ellen Curtis and no feeling about her at all. For the first time for a Simon Brett book, I very nearly ditched it at the quarter way mark. It certainly lacked the humour that I had been expecting. I read on , maybe for old times sake, and the story did pick up a little towards the end but by then I had lost interest in finding the guilty party.
Back to Fethering, I hope.
I have really enjoyed the humour that his telling brought to his characters. Mrs Melita Pargeter was a delightful widow. The usually resting actor Charles Paris always amusing although becoming less so with age and too much smoking and drinking. Finally Carol and Jude, the ladies of Fethering with their idiosyncrasies and their investigations all told with background of humour. I would recommend any of them to anyone for a light amusing feel good read.
And so it was with this background that I eagerly grabbed a new publication and the start of a new series to boot.
May be after writing in the same light manner for so long and the difficulty of coming up with all those new plots for the same people, the author wanted a change. I am sorry to say that it didnt work for me.
Unlike the aforementioned that I have enjoyed, I couldnt get into the character of 'Spacewoman' Ellen Curtis and no feeling about her at all. For the first time for a Simon Brett book, I very nearly ditched it at the quarter way mark. It certainly lacked the humour that I had been expecting. I read on , maybe for old times sake, and the story did pick up a little towards the end but by then I had lost interest in finding the guilty party.
Back to Fethering, I hope.
July 5, 2020
The Clutter Corpse (hardcover) by Simon Brett.
This author receives a well deserved 5-star review for this book in his new series.
The main character Ellen Curtis has had a rough time of it with a depressive but very talented husband (Oliver) who eventually allowed his illness to lead him to suicide. She's managing to pull her life together with a daughter (Jools) who's quite independent and a son (Ben) who is following in his father's footsteps. Hilary, Ellen's best friend, has a major role that brings about major confrontations with an evil presence unforeseen by with of them. Finally, a truly kind-hearted addition is that of Dodge. A jack of all trades as well as a man with a past that he continues to face in his own way.
Ellen has a business of her own (Space Woman) in decluttering other people's unmanageable messes. The job opportunities often bring her into a deeper or more involved relationship with those needing her services. When Ellen is the first on the scene of not one but two murders...some explaining is in order.
These characters were believable in their relationships with each other and their own backgrounds. The story itself was wonderful with a well focused plot. Highly recommended.
This author receives a well deserved 5-star review for this book in his new series.
The main character Ellen Curtis has had a rough time of it with a depressive but very talented husband (Oliver) who eventually allowed his illness to lead him to suicide. She's managing to pull her life together with a daughter (Jools) who's quite independent and a son (Ben) who is following in his father's footsteps. Hilary, Ellen's best friend, has a major role that brings about major confrontations with an evil presence unforeseen by with of them. Finally, a truly kind-hearted addition is that of Dodge. A jack of all trades as well as a man with a past that he continues to face in his own way.
Ellen has a business of her own (Space Woman) in decluttering other people's unmanageable messes. The job opportunities often bring her into a deeper or more involved relationship with those needing her services. When Ellen is the first on the scene of not one but two murders...some explaining is in order.
These characters were believable in their relationships with each other and their own backgrounds. The story itself was wonderful with a well focused plot. Highly recommended.
December 18, 2022
The Clutter Corpse is the first book in the Decluttering Mysteries series written and read by British author, Simon Brett. Ellen Curtis is an experienced declutter expert, but never yet has she come across a dead body. Recommended by her long-time friend, Hilary Boredean, a psychotherapist working with lifers at the point of release, Ellen goes to Maureen Ogden‘s flat late on Friday afternoon to assess what needs to be done in preparation for her son, Nate’s imminent release from Gradewell Open Prison.
With Maureen apparently in hospital, Ellen gets the keys from the Housing Authority, but she doesn’t get far before she discovers the mutilated body of a young woman and has to call the police, then spends a good portion of her evening convincing DI John Prendergast and his sidekick that her presence is coincidental to the murder.
Reading the newspaper story about the murder a few days later, Ellen is shocked to learn that she has met the victim. She had a very unsatisfactory encounter with Kerry Tallis and her dysfunctional family when she first started her Space Woman business: might some consider this a motive? Ellen is less surprised to learn that Nate Ogden failed to return from prison after visiting his mother, and being sought in connection with the murder.
In the interest of covering her own back and satisfying her curiosity, Ellen confers with a trusted associate who had also met the victim and learns some startling facts about her. When they debrief later, Hilary expresses doubts about Nate Ogden’s guilt. As the week progresses, Ellen continues to make subtle enquiries, but is distracted by a family crisis.
What an excellent start this book is to a new cosy mystery series: it is cleverly plotted with the requisite twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. Ellen Curtis is a very likeable protagonist with her interesting job that includes a significant proportion of social work, and her entertaining inner monologue. Brett reveals snippets of her backstory gradually, working them seamlessly into the narrative. More of this cast of characters is eagerly anticipated.
With Maureen apparently in hospital, Ellen gets the keys from the Housing Authority, but she doesn’t get far before she discovers the mutilated body of a young woman and has to call the police, then spends a good portion of her evening convincing DI John Prendergast and his sidekick that her presence is coincidental to the murder.
Reading the newspaper story about the murder a few days later, Ellen is shocked to learn that she has met the victim. She had a very unsatisfactory encounter with Kerry Tallis and her dysfunctional family when she first started her Space Woman business: might some consider this a motive? Ellen is less surprised to learn that Nate Ogden failed to return from prison after visiting his mother, and being sought in connection with the murder.
In the interest of covering her own back and satisfying her curiosity, Ellen confers with a trusted associate who had also met the victim and learns some startling facts about her. When they debrief later, Hilary expresses doubts about Nate Ogden’s guilt. As the week progresses, Ellen continues to make subtle enquiries, but is distracted by a family crisis.
What an excellent start this book is to a new cosy mystery series: it is cleverly plotted with the requisite twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. Ellen Curtis is a very likeable protagonist with her interesting job that includes a significant proportion of social work, and her entertaining inner monologue. Brett reveals snippets of her backstory gradually, working them seamlessly into the narrative. More of this cast of characters is eagerly anticipated.
September 12, 2020
I survived about two chapters. There is something very off-putting about how this man writes women, and I just couldn’t endure a whole book of it.
Example:
“...I checked my makeup in the mirror. I don’t wear a lot, but if you’re dealing with people all day, you’ve got to look presentable.” p2
I don’t think the whole book is that ridiculous (at least I hope it’s not!), but his presentation of a female isn’t believable.
Example:
“...I checked my makeup in the mirror. I don’t wear a lot, but if you’re dealing with people all day, you’ve got to look presentable.” p2
I don’t think the whole book is that ridiculous (at least I hope it’s not!), but his presentation of a female isn’t believable.
August 29, 2021
Simon Brett is always readable and The Clutter Corpse is another enjoyable mystery, but it does have its flaws.
Ellen Curtis is a professional declutterer and so goes into the houses of a wide range of people and gains an insight into their lives and emotional states. In the course of one job she comes across a body which is plainly the victim of murder. Ellen feels something of a suspect in the case and tries to get to the bottom of the mystery herself, while carrying on with her other jobs and her personal life and an involved mystery emerges.
As ever with Simon Brett, it is a well written story with a faintly unbelievable plot, which we happily forgive for the enjoyment and for the very well drawn characters. This time, however, the overall tone is rather more serious and I think he gets a bit bogged down in both background and some slightly dodgy psychology. There is a good deal about depression which is very well done, but which rather dominates the book in places so that I thought the balance was somewhat off. There were one or two other places where I found the psychological analysis a little dubious.
I read An Untidy Death, the second in the series, before this and then came back to The Clutter Corpse with high expectations. I thought An Untidy Death was excellent, with a similar, somewhat more serious tone, but a far better balance of plot, character and psychology. I can only give this one a slightly cautious recommendation in itself, but the series as a whole promises to be very good indeed. Try this first, but even if you don’t get on too well with it, do persist with An Untidy Death – and I shall certainly be looking out for the next in this series.
Ellen Curtis is a professional declutterer and so goes into the houses of a wide range of people and gains an insight into their lives and emotional states. In the course of one job she comes across a body which is plainly the victim of murder. Ellen feels something of a suspect in the case and tries to get to the bottom of the mystery herself, while carrying on with her other jobs and her personal life and an involved mystery emerges.
As ever with Simon Brett, it is a well written story with a faintly unbelievable plot, which we happily forgive for the enjoyment and for the very well drawn characters. This time, however, the overall tone is rather more serious and I think he gets a bit bogged down in both background and some slightly dodgy psychology. There is a good deal about depression which is very well done, but which rather dominates the book in places so that I thought the balance was somewhat off. There were one or two other places where I found the psychological analysis a little dubious.
I read An Untidy Death, the second in the series, before this and then came back to The Clutter Corpse with high expectations. I thought An Untidy Death was excellent, with a similar, somewhat more serious tone, but a far better balance of plot, character and psychology. I can only give this one a slightly cautious recommendation in itself, but the series as a whole promises to be very good indeed. Try this first, but even if you don’t get on too well with it, do persist with An Untidy Death – and I shall certainly be looking out for the next in this series.
May 7, 2020
Ellen is the owner of SpaceWoman. A decluttering agency that comes into people's homes and helps them make sense of their mess. While cleaning out a flat she comes across a body. She later realizes she knows the person and fears she is being set up for the crime so she sets off to unravel the mystery of the true killer.
There is a lot of backstory given but it falls into place for the reader to have perspective later in the story. I also didn't seem to have the issues other readers did. The true killer was a true mystery to me.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
There is a lot of backstory given but it falls into place for the reader to have perspective later in the story. I also didn't seem to have the issues other readers did. The true killer was a true mystery to me.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
November 28, 2020
Author Simon Brett takes a break from his fabulous cozy series set in coastal Feathering to introduce us to widow Ellen Curtis, an inquisitive declutter expert in Chichester, England. The first in a new series, this novel follows Ellen when she discovers a corpse, an unlikeable rich girl from Ellen’s past. Ellen uncovers more than a corpse in clutter; she reveals lots and lots of secrets. The novel also treats mental illness accurately and sympathetically. I can’t wait for the next one!
April 30, 2022
The audiobook of Clutter Corpse is entertaining and (often unintentionally, I think) amusing . Partly this was due to the delivery (narrated by the author himself) – a man, telling the first-person story of Ellen, a de-clutterer, and punctuating every paragraph with a deep, and rather camp, sniff. This , I think , contributed to the main character seeming pretty inconvincing.
The depression sub-plot, which cropped up quite far into the book, didn’t seem to add anything to the story and was just a bit, er…depressing.
But the unlikely coincidences which peppered the storyline kept it all pretty jolly to the end.
The depression sub-plot, which cropped up quite far into the book, didn’t seem to add anything to the story and was just a bit, er…depressing.
But the unlikely coincidences which peppered the storyline kept it all pretty jolly to the end.
July 18, 2020
I finished this first book in a new Simon Brett series in basically one sitting. The mystery itself was kind of unbelievable in places, with some really farfetched coincidences (and some unlikely dialog from a supposedly uneducated Portuguese housekeeper), but I really enjoyed the characters, especially the "declutterer" herself, Ellen Curtis, and her occasional helper, Dodge, as well as the insights into the decluttering profession and the habits of hoarders. I'm looking forward to the next one.
July 17, 2020
The Clutter Corpse by Simon Brett is the first book in the Decluttering Mystery series. Declutterer Ellen Curtis comes across a dead body at a house of a hoarder and discovers it was someone who had cheated her previously. I found this book a bit too slow. There seemed to be a lot of focus on her various clients and family problems rather than the mystery. We did get a good introduction to Ellen and her business but the mystery itself was rather confusing.
October 2, 2020
Is it possible to give a book negative stars?? It should be. Truly a terrible read with characters that I could care less about… well I guess Dodge was enjoyable, but that was it. I slowly worked myself through this only 184-page book because who can’t finish such a small read yet profess to enjoy reading? The difference is I enjoy reading well written stories.
July 15, 2020
Meh. This was a painfully average series mystery featuring a female lead who reads strongly of having been written by an old white man with dated ideas about women's internalities. But it was fine.
November 7, 2021
Ellen, is the SpaceWoman, an expert on decluttering and helping people with hoarding tendencies. As a favour to a friend she visits a new client only to find a body amongst the clutter and chairs of an old woman's life. Ellen gets drawn further into the mystery as personal connections are revealed and further bodies found.
"Cosy" mysteries, i.e. those with less violence than other crime novels, usually with plenty of humour and rural settings, are one of my comfort readers because in general it's all about the puzzle rather than the murder. Unfortunately, the puzzle is rather lacklustre in this one. Although Ellen find the body in the first few pages it's not until more than 60% through the book that the next plot point emerges and it's all rather simple and predictable. The majority of the book is taken up by episodes in Ellen's personal and private life but instead of helping to create an engaging protagonist, it seems like the author himself becomes more and more intrusive. Do not look at The Man Behind the Curtain. Except it's difficult not to. Encountering the line "The process of a woman's aging is different from a man's. Perhaps we have more signposts on the road. Perhaps, too, that's why men are so crap at asking for directions" (Ha, ha, ha.) I was unsurprised to remove myself that this is a female protagonist written by a man. And one with a tendency to write his female characters in a tone that mixes scorn with condescension. Most of Ellen's clients are women unable to care for themselves and even when the men are the hoarders it's the women in their lives that are condescended to and dominated. Brett may be attempting a sympathetic commentary on patriarchy but that's not how it comes across, his women look weak and/or selfish (see Ashleigh, Dorothy, Jeanette, Kerry, Hooks, Fleur...) with little internal life and no complex characteristics. Lots of the men are written like this too but they also have pretty and the male side characters of Oliver, Dodge and Ben show that he CAN do empathy and complexity. Even Ellen is more a set of thoughts and tropes than a person, her inner voice repetitive such as the constant reminders that she is no longer attracted to former flame Philip, every time they meet, speak or he enters her thoughts. The issue is rather highlighted in the absurd idea that a man would get a 14 year service for killing his girlfriend during a heated argument. Mr Brett, you have no idea. It wouldn't be murder. It wouldn't be 14 years.
The narrative is dilatory, skipping between past and present with the mystery barely holding it together. Much more time is devoted to long flashbacks and episodes with Ellen's clients, no-one of which helps to move the story along and feels like a lot of paying in a rather short book. I made it to the end with a lot of eye-timing and no surprise. Not for me.
NB. Why on earth is it necessary to specify that a young single mother who lives in social housing in a deprived area and is written without an ounce of pity ("As is common with *girls like her*, Ashleigh didn't want to breastfeed". Girls like her?!) has a child who whose "appearance showed him to be mixed race. WTF?!
"Cosy" mysteries, i.e. those with less violence than other crime novels, usually with plenty of humour and rural settings, are one of my comfort readers because in general it's all about the puzzle rather than the murder. Unfortunately, the puzzle is rather lacklustre in this one. Although Ellen find the body in the first few pages it's not until more than 60% through the book that the next plot point emerges and it's all rather simple and predictable. The majority of the book is taken up by episodes in Ellen's personal and private life but instead of helping to create an engaging protagonist, it seems like the author himself becomes more and more intrusive. Do not look at The Man Behind the Curtain. Except it's difficult not to. Encountering the line "The process of a woman's aging is different from a man's. Perhaps we have more signposts on the road. Perhaps, too, that's why men are so crap at asking for directions" (Ha, ha, ha.) I was unsurprised to remove myself that this is a female protagonist written by a man. And one with a tendency to write his female characters in a tone that mixes scorn with condescension. Most of Ellen's clients are women unable to care for themselves and even when the men are the hoarders it's the women in their lives that are condescended to and dominated. Brett may be attempting a sympathetic commentary on patriarchy but that's not how it comes across, his women look weak and/or selfish (see Ashleigh, Dorothy, Jeanette, Kerry, Hooks, Fleur...) with little internal life and no complex characteristics. Lots of the men are written like this too but they also have pretty and the male side characters of Oliver, Dodge and Ben show that he CAN do empathy and complexity. Even Ellen is more a set of thoughts and tropes than a person, her inner voice repetitive such as the constant reminders that she is no longer attracted to former flame Philip, every time they meet, speak or he enters her thoughts. The issue is rather highlighted in the absurd idea that a man would get a 14 year service for killing his girlfriend during a heated argument. Mr Brett, you have no idea. It wouldn't be murder. It wouldn't be 14 years.
The narrative is dilatory, skipping between past and present with the mystery barely holding it together. Much more time is devoted to long flashbacks and episodes with Ellen's clients, no-one of which helps to move the story along and feels like a lot of paying in a rather short book. I made it to the end with a lot of eye-timing and no surprise. Not for me.
NB. Why on earth is it necessary to specify that a young single mother who lives in social housing in a deprived area and is written without an ounce of pity ("As is common with *girls like her*, Ashleigh didn't want to breastfeed". Girls like her?!) has a child who whose "appearance showed him to be mixed race. WTF?!
February 12, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of The Clutter Corpse, the first novel in a projected series about professional declutterer Ellen Curtis.
Ellen is asked to go to a hoarder’s flat in Portsmouth to make it habitable for due to be released murderer Nate Ogden. What she doesn’t expect to find is the dead body of a young woman hidden under the junk. When she realises that she had met the woman before and may come under suspicion she starts to investigate.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Clutter Corpse which is an easy read that hides some twisted motives and personalities. It is told entirely from Ellen’s point of view so the reader can get to know her and identify with her telling of the story. She is an everyday woman with two adult children and a small business “Spacewoman” which seems as much about helping hoarders adjust their mentality as it is about physically decluttering. Only as the story progresses does the reader learn just what a strong woman she is and what she has had to overcome. As the novel is fairly cosy there is no violence in it, just a series of life setbacks. She is the kind of woman you would like as a friend, a beacon of sense surrounded by some decidedly flaky characters, like her mother, children and friends!
The novel has an inviting tone that just encourages the reader to read on. The plot isn’t particularly sophisticated, Ellen Curtis as suspected murderer investigates to clear her name, but the emotions involved are brutal and produce a couple of good twists. I liked the characterisation and thought it was quite acute at points.
The Clutter Corpse is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Ellen is asked to go to a hoarder’s flat in Portsmouth to make it habitable for due to be released murderer Nate Ogden. What she doesn’t expect to find is the dead body of a young woman hidden under the junk. When she realises that she had met the woman before and may come under suspicion she starts to investigate.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Clutter Corpse which is an easy read that hides some twisted motives and personalities. It is told entirely from Ellen’s point of view so the reader can get to know her and identify with her telling of the story. She is an everyday woman with two adult children and a small business “Spacewoman” which seems as much about helping hoarders adjust their mentality as it is about physically decluttering. Only as the story progresses does the reader learn just what a strong woman she is and what she has had to overcome. As the novel is fairly cosy there is no violence in it, just a series of life setbacks. She is the kind of woman you would like as a friend, a beacon of sense surrounded by some decidedly flaky characters, like her mother, children and friends!
The novel has an inviting tone that just encourages the reader to read on. The plot isn’t particularly sophisticated, Ellen Curtis as suspected murderer investigates to clear her name, but the emotions involved are brutal and produce a couple of good twists. I liked the characterisation and thought it was quite acute at points.
The Clutter Corpse is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
June 5, 2020
I think this book is a mix of women's fiction and mystery and often the mystery takes the backseat nevertheless I found it entertaining and engrossing.
It's the first in a new series and there's all the elements of a first book: introduction of the characters, the MC is a suspect and so on.
The characters are well thought and interesting, I loved Ellen and her story, so poignant and moving.
The tone is darker than the one of classic cozy mystery and I loved it because it makes this book an interesting read.
The mystery is solid even if the end seemed a bit rush.
I liked what I read and I recommend it.
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's the first in a new series and there's all the elements of a first book: introduction of the characters, the MC is a suspect and so on.
The characters are well thought and interesting, I loved Ellen and her story, so poignant and moving.
The tone is darker than the one of classic cozy mystery and I loved it because it makes this book an interesting read.
The mystery is solid even if the end seemed a bit rush.
I liked what I read and I recommend it.
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
January 7, 2021
This really was immensely dull, less interesting than watching paint dry or weeds growing, just slow and almost completely without Brett's usual sly humour or trademark twists of plot, character quirks or lovable eccentricities.
It was just all a bit sad and Grey.
I'm a huge Mrs Pargeter fan and hoped that a decluttering lady might be in the same vein. It's not.
It got 1 star and then two more because, credit where it is due, the audio was also extremely, almost intensely dull, monotone and tedious and it successfully put me to sleep in less than 5 minutes for almost 3 weeks.
So... Recommended for insomnia suffers then ... Yup, definitely.
It was just all a bit sad and Grey.
I'm a huge Mrs Pargeter fan and hoped that a decluttering lady might be in the same vein. It's not.
It got 1 star and then two more because, credit where it is due, the audio was also extremely, almost intensely dull, monotone and tedious and it successfully put me to sleep in less than 5 minutes for almost 3 weeks.
So... Recommended for insomnia suffers then ... Yup, definitely.
July 28, 2021
I was very engrossed up to around the last 15% of the book when everything started unraveling in all the wrong ways.
Characters just shouting the answer at the protagonist, unlikely coincidences, and lots of contrivances.
Also, I'm pretty sure it's never explained how the titular corpse ended up in the house where it was found. Which is pretty important, since it's the event that sets the story in motion.
Characters just shouting the answer at the protagonist, unlikely coincidences, and lots of contrivances.
Also, I'm pretty sure it's never explained how the titular corpse ended up in the house where it was found. Which is pretty important, since it's the event that sets the story in motion.
May 24, 2020
I think this will make a good series. Ellen has a lot on her plate with family issues but gets more than she bargained for when visiting a prospective client finds a dead body instead. This goes on to be a good mystery.
November 27, 2021
This was better than I expected, more depth to the story and characters than I thought it would be. The only disappointment was the ending, which seemed contrived and abrupt. Otherwise this was a good lead in to this series. I am planning to read the second in the series soon.
January 9, 2023
I enjoyed the mystery in the book, and how it was resolved. Even better, I loved the way the author put his words together!
June 1, 2020
While I really enjoyed the whodunit aspect of this story, as Brett is a solidly good craftsman in producing interesting murders and a raft of likely suspects, that wasn’t the highlight of this book. For me, what stands with this one is the gripping backstory that unfurls as the book progresses regarding Ellen’s past life. It is a staple of this genre that private investigators often have a lurid past, but they also often bear the war wounds. It generally doesn’t take the reader long to appreciate that our feisty protagonist is lugging around more baggage than your upper-class Victorian explorer – not so this time around.
Ellen’s job of decluttering houses is clearly a second career, as she has two grown-up children and no husband in evidence. There’s nothing unusual in that. She has an edgy relationship with her mother and daughter – nothing unusual in that, either. Brett does a very nice line in difficult female relationships. I enjoy reading of the unexpressed anger simmering between a daughter who feels her mother made a poor job of bringing her up – it’s a dynamic that isn’t often depicted so honestly. I get a tad tired of seeing fictional family members, both in books and on TV, saying all sorts of scaldingly honest and hurtful truths that would in real life mean permanent estrangement, yet next time around, everything seems to be normal.
Not so, here. Ellen keeps her thoughts about her mother’s behaviour to herself. But then, she doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve at all. She comes across as kind and caring, but also briskly efficient and resourceful. And certainly not a victim – and then as the story wears on, we learn what happened in her marriage and the ongoing consequences of that. And my eyes filled with tears at her sheer gutsy courage and quiet fortitude.
Yes… I know she’s a fictional character, but I’ve fallen for her, hook, line and sinker. Ellen is such a refreshing change in these days where everyone’s emotions are on their sleeves and they share all their gladnesses and sadnesses online.
I also appreciated the supporting cast of characters – particularly Ellen’s mother – and that complicated, beautiful best friend. I’m delighted to have encountered this series, because I know Simon Brett is a prolific author and I’m very much looking forward to reading more intriguing murders in this setting – but above all, I’m desperate to meet up with Ellen, again. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent cosy murder mysteries with an awesome protagonist. While I obtained an arc of The Clutter Corpse from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
Ellen’s job of decluttering houses is clearly a second career, as she has two grown-up children and no husband in evidence. There’s nothing unusual in that. She has an edgy relationship with her mother and daughter – nothing unusual in that, either. Brett does a very nice line in difficult female relationships. I enjoy reading of the unexpressed anger simmering between a daughter who feels her mother made a poor job of bringing her up – it’s a dynamic that isn’t often depicted so honestly. I get a tad tired of seeing fictional family members, both in books and on TV, saying all sorts of scaldingly honest and hurtful truths that would in real life mean permanent estrangement, yet next time around, everything seems to be normal.
Not so, here. Ellen keeps her thoughts about her mother’s behaviour to herself. But then, she doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve at all. She comes across as kind and caring, but also briskly efficient and resourceful. And certainly not a victim – and then as the story wears on, we learn what happened in her marriage and the ongoing consequences of that. And my eyes filled with tears at her sheer gutsy courage and quiet fortitude.
Yes… I know she’s a fictional character, but I’ve fallen for her, hook, line and sinker. Ellen is such a refreshing change in these days where everyone’s emotions are on their sleeves and they share all their gladnesses and sadnesses online.
I also appreciated the supporting cast of characters – particularly Ellen’s mother – and that complicated, beautiful best friend. I’m delighted to have encountered this series, because I know Simon Brett is a prolific author and I’m very much looking forward to reading more intriguing murders in this setting – but above all, I’m desperate to meet up with Ellen, again. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent cosy murder mysteries with an awesome protagonist. While I obtained an arc of The Clutter Corpse from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
March 18, 2020
Part of me is hesitant to give this one star when the mystery portion of the book has some merits. But, as another reviewer mentioned, it is quite clearly a man writing as he thinks a woman thinks and sees the world. Even that, though, I could potentially get past, but there are numerous descriptions of people or details that I find offensive. One glaring example is that the child of a young single mother receiving assistance is specifically described as being mixed race even though this fact has absolutely nothing to do with the plot or character development or anything at all. Throughout the book there are places where it falls into the most egregious stereotypes while at the same time trying to say that the main character is sympathetic to her clients and those around her. But as this is told in first person, it is very hard to reconcile these protestations with the way it is shown that she thinks and talks about others.
April 9, 2020
Enjoyed this although it was quite confusing at times.
February 28, 2021
I complain enough about women with quirky and/or borderline businesses who get mixed up with crime, but in the hands of a master, all my complaints disappear. Middle aged and widowed, Ellen runs a decluttering business and worries about her son. Her best friend, an academic working with paroled murderers, gets her a job decluttering the home of the mother of a man she's studying. The mother is in the hospital, but in the overflowing rooms Ellen finds a murdered woman. Oddly enough, she eventually recognizes the woman as someone who had once done her a bad turn. When Ellen finds another dead body, the police start to look at her with suspicion. The general setup sounds like a cozy, but some of the things Ellen learns are far, far darker.
January 27, 2022
I don't know. It wasn't so awful I couldn't finish it, but it was tedious. For one thing, a woman who professes not to care anything about vehicles always refers to them by their make and/or model. Police cars are Pandas. Her car is never "my car" but "the Yeti." And most annoyingly, she used several times "1951 Morris Commercial CV9/40 Tipper" to denote her friend's van. There were other irritating bits - like referring to prisoners with defined sentences who are eligible for parole as "lifers." Although I don't know for sure that in England, a lifer doesn't mean someone serving a life sentence like it does in the US. And just general plot points that defied credulity. I won't read another book by this author.
July 15, 2020
I was very excited to see a new series by Simon Brett, but it was quite a disappointment. There was more backstory than mystery. The main character wasn't all that appealing, I just couldn't admire her as much as she was intended to be admired. I was bored and kept wanting to put it down, but I couldn't believe that Simon Brett wouldn't come through. Also, it wasn't much of a cozy: drugs, depression, child neglect, suicide, near suicide, and a best friend who's more of an enemy? And where was the humor? This is the first and last book that I'll read in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2023
Worse than Melville [ha-ha]. Never has so much been written about so little. This was my first Brett novel and I expected more from a celebrated grand master. But it's mere pulp. Stylistically awful. Take for example the pages devoted to an aimless anecdote that ended with, 'that was a total waste of my time.' And a waste of my time as reader as well. So many needless, pointless asides. (Is he paid by the word?) The book came out of the oven way too soon. That said, if you are a fan of Brett please recommend a better effort if there is one. Thanks!
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