Decluttering mysteries #4
I’m not sure why I haven’t read this series before, but this book is so good it makes me want to go back and check out the first three installments. Main character Ellen Curtis is a “professional declutterer,” a job that sounds very silly but really isn’t. As the story begins she’s working for a husband and wife looking to downsize, with the wife being all for it and the husband, a fading former TV host, not so enthusiastic. Ellen is a widow, having lost her husband to suicide, and when the husband, “Humph” to his friends, dies, apparently a suicide as well, Ellen’s skills and familiarity with grief come to the fore.
My sister is always informing me that hoarding is all about grief, and indeed, it seems to be an emotion that Ellen deals with on a daily basis. The hoarders she is helping to declutter have deeper issues that extend well beyond simply saving magazines. In the case of Humph’s widow, Theresa, the two bond over their similar traumatic experience, and Ellen agrees not only to continue the decluttering, but to go ahead and investigate Humph’s apparent suicide, which Theresa is sure is murder. She may just be right – this is, after all, a murder mystery.
This book is both cozy and traditional – Ellen’s job is certainly a typical cozy element, but veteran writer Brett deals with some more serious issues as well. Along with being a widow, Ellen is saddled with a needy mother, the demanding and egotistical Fleur, a semi-retired actress. She also has two children – Jools, who now works with her, and Ben, who is presently in California dating an up-and-coming movie star. (Fleur is delighted by this development.) This is background, but it’s not only interesting, but well developed and even deep, giving Ellen’s relationships with her children real resonance.
In the foreground, of course, is the investigation into Humph’s death, which finds Ellen interviewing members of his not extremely bereaved family. Brett has the golden age skill of sketching a character quickly and indelibly in a very few strokes. Characters then stay with you as you read on, gaining real life as more details are added. He’s also funny, adding another underrated golden age ingredient, humor, into his classic mix.
Ellen also deals with a few other clients, along with a mystery about her daughter’s former neighbor. Her compassionate skills are such that you may feel like looking up declutterers in your area as the book makes it sound like the perfect thing for loneliness and grief. An added bonus is that the junk is often reused or recycled rather than simply being discarded.
The clever central mystery has a satisfying wrap up which demonstrates another golden age skill – you’re left guessing the identity of the killer until practically the very last moment. I found this to be one of the best written and enjoyable mysteries I’ve read all year. Simon Brett has produced almost 80 books to this point, and he remains a great gift to all of us who love the genre. — Robin Agnew