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Schmutzengel
Mit Lappen, Lust und Leidenschaft
Job weg, Freund weg und die Wohnung so gut wie weg. Aber Corinna (31) wäre nicht die Enkelin ihrer patenten westfälischen Oma, wenn sie sich nicht flugs an die Neugestaltung ihres Lebens machen würde, und zwar mit einer genialen Geschäftsidee: Sie gründet die »Schmutzengel« – ein Dienstleistungsunternehmen, das gestressten Managern und unbeholfenen Muttersöhnchen die Organisation des lästigen Haushalts und der anstrengenden Freizeit abnimmt. Der Erfolg lässt nicht lange auf sich warten, die Aufträge purzeln nur so herein, alles läuft bestens. Bis zu dem Tag, an dem im Haus des peniblen Neukunden plötzlich ein Toter liegt. Besorgt um das Image ihrer Firma beschließt Corinna: Der muss weg! Doch wie und wohin?
Job weg, Freund weg und die Wohnung so gut wie weg. Aber Corinna (31) wäre nicht die Enkelin ihrer patenten westfälischen Oma, wenn sie sich nicht flugs an die Neugestaltung ihres Lebens machen würde, und zwar mit einer genialen Geschäftsidee: Sie gründet die »Schmutzengel« – ein Dienstleistungsunternehmen, das gestressten Managern und unbeholfenen Muttersöhnchen die Organisation des lästigen Haushalts und der anstrengenden Freizeit abnimmt. Der Erfolg lässt nicht lange auf sich warten, die Aufträge purzeln nur so herein, alles läuft bestens. Bis zu dem Tag, an dem im Haus des peniblen Neukunden plötzlich ein Toter liegt. Besorgt um das Image ihrer Firma beschließt Corinna: Der muss weg! Doch wie und wohin?
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
27 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Jutta Profijt
48 books45 followersJutta Profijt is a crime novelist and translator.
Author photo (c)Doris Seffern, used with permission.
Author photo (c)Doris Seffern, used with permission.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 22, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Humorous Mystery/Chick Lit
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Those who enjoy a fun story with a realistic female protagonist and lots of humor
My Thoughts: Well, I didn't mean to stay up all night and read the book in one go, but I just could not help myself! Although this is not the sort of book I normally read, Jutta Profijt has a fun and engaging writing style that draws in the reader and holds them captive until the final page. Corinna is a tall, somewhat overweight woman who has worked her entire career in one job, only to lose it all in a single day. Watching her bloom out of her shy, introverted life and take control of her own circumstances was fabulous. I really liked so many of the characters: Tabea, Grandma, Lisbeth, Lauenstein. Profijt has a way with characters, creating fun, quirky yet realistic characters that you enjoy meeting and learning about, and enthralling stories that you want to read over and over again. Highly recommended!
Also by Jutta Profijt: I discovered Jutt Profijt—who is well-known in Germany—through her hilarious “Morgue Drawer Four” series featuring a forensic pathologist and the ghost of a criminal. Translated into English so far are:
Morgue Drawer Four, with my review here where formatting allowed
Morgue Drawer Next Door, with my review here where formatting allowed
Morgue Drawer for Rent, with my review here where formatting allowed
Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Losing her posh advertising job, her boyfriend, and her apartment all in the same morning has left Corinna Leyendecker with a massive mess where her life should be. She tries to get things back on track, but with a mountain of red tape between her and unemployment assistance and a string of disastrous job interviews under her belt, it's clear that following the rules is getting her nowhere. So she decides to start doing things her way! With the help of a quirky friend—and some unconventional branding—Corinna launches her own business: an elite cleaning service for wealthy men. And business is booming—until the day she finds a dead homeless man in the house of a fussy new client. As usual, Corinna's instinct is to clean up, but body disposal isn't easy, especially when you're juggling work, friendships, media attention, and a nasty flu. It's going to take more than a little elbow grease to finish this dirty job and come out clean.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Those who enjoy a fun story with a realistic female protagonist and lots of humor
My Thoughts: Well, I didn't mean to stay up all night and read the book in one go, but I just could not help myself! Although this is not the sort of book I normally read, Jutta Profijt has a fun and engaging writing style that draws in the reader and holds them captive until the final page. Corinna is a tall, somewhat overweight woman who has worked her entire career in one job, only to lose it all in a single day. Watching her bloom out of her shy, introverted life and take control of her own circumstances was fabulous. I really liked so many of the characters: Tabea, Grandma, Lisbeth, Lauenstein. Profijt has a way with characters, creating fun, quirky yet realistic characters that you enjoy meeting and learning about, and enthralling stories that you want to read over and over again. Highly recommended!
Also by Jutta Profijt: I discovered Jutt Profijt—who is well-known in Germany—through her hilarious “Morgue Drawer Four” series featuring a forensic pathologist and the ghost of a criminal. Translated into English so far are:
Morgue Drawer Four, with my review here where formatting allowed
Morgue Drawer Next Door, with my review here where formatting allowed
Morgue Drawer for Rent, with my review here where formatting allowed
Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Losing her posh advertising job, her boyfriend, and her apartment all in the same morning has left Corinna Leyendecker with a massive mess where her life should be. She tries to get things back on track, but with a mountain of red tape between her and unemployment assistance and a string of disastrous job interviews under her belt, it's clear that following the rules is getting her nowhere. So she decides to start doing things her way! With the help of a quirky friend—and some unconventional branding—Corinna launches her own business: an elite cleaning service for wealthy men. And business is booming—until the day she finds a dead homeless man in the house of a fussy new client. As usual, Corinna's instinct is to clean up, but body disposal isn't easy, especially when you're juggling work, friendships, media attention, and a nasty flu. It's going to take more than a little elbow grease to finish this dirty job and come out clean.
March 26, 2013
Have you ever read a book description and been intrigued but unsure? This was one of those books for me, but it was well worth the read.
We join our main character Corinna who has been fired from a job and finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. She decides that going into business for herself is the best option after many unsuccessful job interviews. Thus Dust Angels is born her butler service. One thing leads to another and Corinna is driving around with a dead body in her car.
I really liked this book way more than I thought I would. It was really fun and quirky. I felt like the characters could be real people not just in a book. We not only have Corinna, but her staff including Lisbeth a very spunky lady who leads the part of cleaning staff. You meet various clients that hire Dust Angels and get to see many different types of people. All while there is a dead body in her car and she doesn't know what to do about it! Finally we have a great romance twist at the end of the book that put the biggest grin on my face. I was beyond happy about it.
I honestly didn't dislike anything. A couple dry spots, but those were few and far between.
This book is worth the cash and a fun read. 4/5 stars! Go pick it up!
We join our main character Corinna who has been fired from a job and finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. She decides that going into business for herself is the best option after many unsuccessful job interviews. Thus Dust Angels is born her butler service. One thing leads to another and Corinna is driving around with a dead body in her car.
I really liked this book way more than I thought I would. It was really fun and quirky. I felt like the characters could be real people not just in a book. We not only have Corinna, but her staff including Lisbeth a very spunky lady who leads the part of cleaning staff. You meet various clients that hire Dust Angels and get to see many different types of people. All while there is a dead body in her car and she doesn't know what to do about it! Finally we have a great romance twist at the end of the book that put the biggest grin on my face. I was beyond happy about it.
I honestly didn't dislike anything. A couple dry spots, but those were few and far between.
This book is worth the cash and a fun read. 4/5 stars! Go pick it up!
March 15, 2013
I love this book. This made me laugh from the very first page all the way to the end of the book. If you are searching for something that will brighten your day and remind you that things can always be worse, this is the go to novel.
You can't help but feel sorry for the main character. She begins the book with a nightmarish day and things only get worse from there. What I loved about her as a main character was that she didn't whine and feel sorry for herself, instead she made light of her situation and decided to keep moving forward. That is the kind of heroine I wish all books had.
The humor in this book is one thing to love, the quirky characters, good plot and rapid development are the others. I laughed out loud in multiple locations and nodded my head in agreement. The love story is fun and not at all what I was expecting. This was really one of the funnest and most surprising books I have read this year.
The author is German and this book was translated into English. I suddenly have the desire to go to Germany and check out their book stores. If this book is any indication of this author's talent as a writer, I can't wait to read more of her books. Perfect!
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.
You can't help but feel sorry for the main character. She begins the book with a nightmarish day and things only get worse from there. What I loved about her as a main character was that she didn't whine and feel sorry for herself, instead she made light of her situation and decided to keep moving forward. That is the kind of heroine I wish all books had.
The humor in this book is one thing to love, the quirky characters, good plot and rapid development are the others. I laughed out loud in multiple locations and nodded my head in agreement. The love story is fun and not at all what I was expecting. This was really one of the funnest and most surprising books I have read this year.
The author is German and this book was translated into English. I suddenly have the desire to go to Germany and check out their book stores. If this book is any indication of this author's talent as a writer, I can't wait to read more of her books. Perfect!
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.
August 28, 2013
After a bit of a slow start, this was a quick, cute, light, entertaining, quirky and at times funny read.. However, somehow the story of the dead body seems a bit obsolete. While it was the basis for some quirky and grotesques situations, I felt it would have been entertaining enough without it. Particularly, as the end was slightly dissapointing, I expected more of a twist but the whole “dead body” story fell a bit flat at the end and simply fizzled out.
December 11, 2018
The prose is kind of strange. It might make more sense in German. As it is, I couldn't relate to the main character. She had no real emotion or it was just explained in the same way as the regulations surrounding the set-up of her business. All of the set-ups and payoffs were off as well. She tosses out a flippant reveal way before we even get to the setup so the pacing seemed backward. By the time she discovers the dead body, she already mentioned it twice so that whole thing fell flat. It would be much more powerful if the author let readers discover things with the character. Likewise with keeping it in her car for three days. It's a strong ending to the chapter but then instead of moving forward with the plot, the author takes us back in time and everything just felt so forced. I guess it's supposed to be some kind of comedy of errors but because it was spoiled in the previous chapter there was no tension, just tedium and I found myself not really caring what happens next.
March 26, 2025
This was a quick easy read, and I loved it. I definitely found this an unique twist of a mystery. I don't know if I would actually classify it as a true mystery, but I am not really sure where I would place it. It definitely wasn't a romance. I really loved how messy everything got before anything got worked out, it felt quite a bit like real life in that aspect. I liked how the book twisted and turned. I used to really dislike book series, but apparently that has changed. I kept think how I couldn't wait to read the rest of the books in this series, unfortunately this was a stand alone. I am excited to try her other books!
June 18, 2023
Funny and endearing
This was definitely a funny endearing book. Reading about Corinna losing everything, her woes while trying to find herself but her strength when she finally does with the help of others is ❤️❤️. Her grandmother, Lisbeth (the best) and Troll( I’m on the fence with Troll) all contributed to Corinna’s growth. Her adventure with the dead body and a surprising romance at the very end AFTER she’s found the strength I. Herself was well won, because Greg is trash.
This was definitely a funny endearing book. Reading about Corinna losing everything, her woes while trying to find herself but her strength when she finally does with the help of others is ❤️❤️. Her grandmother, Lisbeth (the best) and Troll( I’m on the fence with Troll) all contributed to Corinna’s growth. Her adventure with the dead body and a surprising romance at the very end AFTER she’s found the strength I. Herself was well won, because Greg is trash.
July 21, 2021
The last 50 pages or so nearly brought this to a 3 star. But the first 2/3rds were rather boring. Writing was good, storyline not so much. I think any young woman who likes cozies would enjoy it anyway.
March 30, 2019
Some of the flaws I suspect were down to some weird translation things. The story itself was alright, if a little cringe-inducing at times. I do want to see CSI Munich though!
January 10, 2020
Great little story and a lot of fun. The hapless heroine, lots of drama and fun - don't take it too seriously.
June 11, 2020
Good story line. Nice characters. somewhat humorous. I think throughout this story the main character is a push over.
April 10, 2013
Dust Angel is about Corinna, who, after losing her job and boyfriend in the same day, starts up her own cleaning agency. All is going well until one day, she find a dead body in a client's house. This book isn't a mystery, it's just a humourous account of Corinna trying to deal with the body, and the consequences. And with Murphy's law, the day the body is in the boot is the day that you have interviews and other unexpected events occuring.
What was unique about the book is that it's set in Germany. At first, I thought this was going to be another America-Sophie-Kinsella type of book, but the change of location made it feel different. There are no long rambling monologues aimed at explaining the country, but the humour and small jokes make the reader aware of the place we're in.
Another aspect of the book I liked were the characters. Apart from Corinna, there's her grandmother, Troll (friend), Lisbeth (grandmother's friend), which together with her ex-boyfriend and a cast of minor characters form a pretty interesting group. All the main characters have distinct personalities, and are really engaging.
The part I loved most was the process of how she set up her business. As someone interested in business, the trials she went through to set up and promote her business was very interesting and amusing to me. And I suspect that even if you're not the sort that is interested in business, you'll find her stumblings humorous.
But, I didn't quite like the writing style. In the first part of the book (which is written like a recount), it keeps talking about the corpse, only that she refers to it in an oblique way. At first, I was really curious, but after the second time, it just interrupted the flow of the story and felt fairly annoying to me.
All in all, it's quite a good book. I definitely enjoyed reading it.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
What was unique about the book is that it's set in Germany. At first, I thought this was going to be another America-Sophie-Kinsella type of book, but the change of location made it feel different. There are no long rambling monologues aimed at explaining the country, but the humour and small jokes make the reader aware of the place we're in.
Another aspect of the book I liked were the characters. Apart from Corinna, there's her grandmother, Troll (friend), Lisbeth (grandmother's friend), which together with her ex-boyfriend and a cast of minor characters form a pretty interesting group. All the main characters have distinct personalities, and are really engaging.
The part I loved most was the process of how she set up her business. As someone interested in business, the trials she went through to set up and promote her business was very interesting and amusing to me. And I suspect that even if you're not the sort that is interested in business, you'll find her stumblings humorous.
But, I didn't quite like the writing style. In the first part of the book (which is written like a recount), it keeps talking about the corpse, only that she refers to it in an oblique way. At first, I was really curious, but after the second time, it just interrupted the flow of the story and felt fairly annoying to me.
All in all, it's quite a good book. I definitely enjoyed reading it.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
March 25, 2013
Dust Angel was great fun. A fun, slightly crazy mystery that grabbed you by the hand and ran, but didn’t get too fast or too far ahead either.
Poor Corinna got into some very awkward situations, but I loved that she handled herself nicely. There were times reading this that I was laughing because I could imagine my own reactions in some of those situations. She is also rather naive for someone who is 31 years old, but that suited her personality and wasn’t odd at all. I liked how Corinna adapted to some of the situations and things that were happening and just flatly ignored – to the best of her ability – other things, because it is how most people would deal with the happenings in the book.
Despite the description, Corinna’s job isn’t really anything to do with body disposal, that is just an accidental part of her new business. Once everything was laid out on the table it was quite funny and I really enjoyed imagining the conversation that happened.
The translator, Erik J. Macki , has done a really good job with keeping the story flowing as I imagine it did in the original German publication. It still flowed nicely and this doesn’t always happen with foreign-language-to-English translations because of the many nuances of the English language. But this was superbly done.
I would recommend this for anyone who wants a little change of pace in their ordinary mystery/contemporary reading as it was fun and reasonably quick. I read it in a matter of hours.
Full review here
Poor Corinna got into some very awkward situations, but I loved that she handled herself nicely. There were times reading this that I was laughing because I could imagine my own reactions in some of those situations. She is also rather naive for someone who is 31 years old, but that suited her personality and wasn’t odd at all. I liked how Corinna adapted to some of the situations and things that were happening and just flatly ignored – to the best of her ability – other things, because it is how most people would deal with the happenings in the book.
Despite the description, Corinna’s job isn’t really anything to do with body disposal, that is just an accidental part of her new business. Once everything was laid out on the table it was quite funny and I really enjoyed imagining the conversation that happened.
The translator, Erik J. Macki , has done a really good job with keeping the story flowing as I imagine it did in the original German publication. It still flowed nicely and this doesn’t always happen with foreign-language-to-English translations because of the many nuances of the English language. But this was superbly done.
I would recommend this for anyone who wants a little change of pace in their ordinary mystery/contemporary reading as it was fun and reasonably quick. I read it in a matter of hours.
Full review here
June 15, 2013
I found the ending of the book oddly unsatisfying, and I felt at times that the book could have been funnier than it was. Still, it was a fun little macabre romp. If you enjoyed the film "Curdled", you'd probably enjoy this book as well. (I'm pretty sure that only about two people have seen the film "Curdled", though, so I'm not entirely sure how helpful that reference is.)
As an aside, I would give the translator five stars, as he really did a fabulous job. The book felt very German, but none of the wording was stilted and the characters were still very relatable. This is the hallmark of a great translator. Good job!
As an aside, I would give the translator five stars, as he really did a fabulous job. The book felt very German, but none of the wording was stilted and the characters were still very relatable. This is the hallmark of a great translator. Good job!
June 15, 2013
This was a quick easy read, and I loved it. I definitely found this an unique twist of a mystery. I don't know if I would actually classify it as a true mystery, but I am not really sure where I would place it. It definitely wasn't a romance. I really loved how messy everything got before anything got worked out, it felt quite a bit like real life in that aspect. I liked how the book twisted and turned. I used to really dislike book series, but apparently that has changed. I kept think how I couldn't wait to read the rest of the books in this series, unfortunately this was a stand alone. I am excited to try her other books!
November 27, 2014
This is a total chick book. The heroine finds herself dumped and fired on the same day. She discovers her boyfriend has a new woman when she gets home early after getting fired. He quickly informs her the new woman is moving in and she'll probably want to move out. It's a fun, light read with funny moments, entertaining characters, and a mystery of sorts. Of course the heroine ends up losing weight, getting a makeover, getting all full of girl power, and finding interest in a new beau, eventually. But it's a fun ride as she struggles with a new business, her relationship with friends, and of course, that pesky dead body in her trunk.
May 1, 2016
This is a remarkably silly story, translated from the German, about a young woman who is retrenched from her job in an advertising agency and loses her boyfriend in one fell swoop.
She then starts her own business thanks to knowing people with incredible talents and also begins a personal transformation.
Just as things are starting to go quite well for her, she gets involved in a possible murder, but for some reason she doesn’t tell the police, which involves her some wacky situations.
She has to look at herself and at her relationships and the way she treats other people and the way she allows other people to treat her.
Silly, as I said, but quick and enjoyable.
She then starts her own business thanks to knowing people with incredible talents and also begins a personal transformation.
Just as things are starting to go quite well for her, she gets involved in a possible murder, but for some reason she doesn’t tell the police, which involves her some wacky situations.
She has to look at herself and at her relationships and the way she treats other people and the way she allows other people to treat her.
Silly, as I said, but quick and enjoyable.
May 30, 2014
I got this on an Amazon $.99 deal and picked it because it was 1) romance and 2) took place in Dusseldorf and I was heading to Germany (though not Dusseldorf).
It was your pretty standard fare. Chubby, mousey girl gets dumped by her glamorous boyfriend and downsized from her job then goes on to lose weight, get a makeover and build a successful life. The only non-standard part of the story is how she ends up with a dead body in her trunk.
Nothing too exciting but I don't feel dumber for reading it. Faint praise, I guess.
It was your pretty standard fare. Chubby, mousey girl gets dumped by her glamorous boyfriend and downsized from her job then goes on to lose weight, get a makeover and build a successful life. The only non-standard part of the story is how she ends up with a dead body in her trunk.
Nothing too exciting but I don't feel dumber for reading it. Faint praise, I guess.
August 14, 2014
This was a good. story all around. I enjoyed the premise of it and the basic storyline. I struggled thru the middle parts of the book where Corinna was in a class to learn to be more professional and dress the part, but it was also ok. i really liked how all the character developement went in this story and i thought it really rounded out the entire book.
i would like to read more of this authors stories in the future because i think she does a good job at story telling!
i would like to read more of this authors stories in the future because i think she does a good job at story telling!
June 10, 2016
Diese Buch habe ich im Rahmen einer Challange gelesen, wobei die Geschichte vielleicht nicht ganz den Vorgaben entspricht. Aber dafür war es lustige, spannende Unterhaltung mit Herzschmerz und Überraschung. Mehr kann man von einem Buch nicht erwarten. Im Gegensatz zu eienm anderen Roman der Autorin habe ich hier auch nichts an der Sprache auszusetzen.
June 28, 2016
Mixed feelings
I felt that this book had much more description than was desirable and the "foreshadowing" was heavy-handed and obvious. I feel like I could have read the book description and then skipped to the second third of part two without missing much. I almost gave this two stars, except that the writing style and the characters were enough to make it ok.
I felt that this book had much more description than was desirable and the "foreshadowing" was heavy-handed and obvious. I feel like I could have read the book description and then skipped to the second third of part two without missing much. I almost gave this two stars, except that the writing style and the characters were enough to make it ok.
November 7, 2016
Dust Angel
More laughing over odd situations! I love this author's humor!! The mystery mingled with the bungling to a point where I figured it was lost, but it wasn't. Everything worked out to a satisfying conclusion and I am very sad there are no more! I want to be off to book 2!!
More laughing over odd situations! I love this author's humor!! The mystery mingled with the bungling to a point where I figured it was lost, but it wasn't. Everything worked out to a satisfying conclusion and I am very sad there are no more! I want to be off to book 2!!
April 23, 2013
This is a cute cozy mystery taking place in Germany. Coffins starts her own cleaning business after losing her job and boyfriend all in one day. One of her first cleaning job involves finding a dead body. Great story.
May 25, 2013
depressing work about an ad executive who loses her job and must resort to starting a cleaning business. narrator does not discover her dark side, does not move into drug-dealing, no ruthless exploitation of foreigners :(
May 26, 2013
While this was good enough to finish, I can't get over the main character's obsession with her ex-boyfriend. I won't ruin anything for anyone who decides to read this book, but if you're of the same mind as I then you will, no dount, be annoyed by this as well.
July 5, 2013
I am hoping and praying that this is a new series. I love her Morgue Drawer series and this one shapes up to be just as cleverly written and plotted. I see that she's kept the same translator throughout and that is a definite plus. Gimme more!!
February 23, 2014
This was a really cute story. It was translated into English and some of the humor might not have translated as well as hoped. But it was cute with a satisfying ending. I also learned a new word that was used a lot: ennui. I'll try not to over use it!
July 9, 2014
I'd love to give this 3.5 stars… although this book is fairly predictable, it's fun and funny anyway. I enjoyed reading about Germans in Germany, the humor was good, some creative characters/situations. The writing/translating is also quite good.
March 26, 2015
Hilarious book. Absolutely wonderful read, tumbling over itself from start to finish. I could not believe the things that happen to the heroine! I love Jutta Profijt's novels, and this one certainly did not disappoint!
June 3, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, it had a nice feel-good factor to it and a couple of twists in the plot for interest. An enjoyable read, good for when you don't want anything too challenging to read and want some light entertainment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews