Simon Brett's newest book is a Decluttering Mystery set in Littlehampton, UK. It's the second book in a series following The Clutter Corpse. The protagonist, Ellen Curtis, is a professional declutterer who helps hoarders get control over their messy homes. When Ellen is approached by Alexandra Richards to sort out her mother's flat she gets the impression that Alexandra doesn't like her mother much. After spending an hour with Ingrid Richards at her home, she sees that there are papers lying everywhere but that there is an order to the clutter. The next day Ingrid dies in a fire in the home. The police are inclined to dismiss Ingrid's death as an accident due to the messy home. However, Ellen is not so sure that this was an accident. She wonders whether Alexandra's resentment toward her mother spiraled out of control and the more she learns about Ingrid the more suspicious she is about the reason for her death. Ellen's other client, Edward Finch, appeared to be a straightforward job of putting things away. But it wasn't.
I loved this novel. First of all, having a declutterer as a protagonist is simply brilliant. I can see this as a lengthy series. Ellen's character seemed reserved, considering that most protagonists have larger than life personalities. Her clientele were more excitable so I guess it takes someone quieter to handle them and handle them well she did. Ellen's sleuthing was low- key compared to other amateur sleuths. At first this seemed odd but I began to enjoy it more because the plot centered around the whodunnit rather than the amateur sleuth's life.
Mystery lovers are going to want to read this. 4 out of 5 stars.
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