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?

Fans of Marie Kondo and mysteries will love this series! Professional organizer Charlotte Adams is reminded that appearances can be deceiving, and disorder can be deadly . . . On her first visit to her new client’s immaculate home, professional organizer Charlotte Adams can’t imagine why she’s been called in to help—until the woman reveals her outrageously large collection of stuffed animals. But before Charlotte can even begin to tame the plush menagerie, a nasty neighbor who’s been making her client a nervous wreck is found murdered, and her client has confessed to the crime! Certain that the frazzled woman couldn’t have committed the deed, Charlotte can’t help snooping to learn why she confessed and who the real culprit might be. No sooner does she begin investigating, though, than her car tires are slashed, her home is broken into, and a close friend is nearly run over. Charlotte knows she’s on the right track, but she’ll have to act fast before the killer decides to straighten her out for good . . . Organizing Tips Included! Praise for the Books of Mary Jane Maffini: “A comedic, murderous romp . . . Maffini is a relaxed, accomplished, and wickedly funny writer.” —The Montreal Gazette “Mary Jane Maffini provides a first-rate, well-organized whodunit . . . A new series that is fun to read.” —Midwest Book Review “Maffini’s new series . . . is off to a brilliant start with this fast-paced mystery!” —Romantic Times “Deserves top marks for creating an entertaining, fast-paced thriller filled with witty one-liners, snappy dialogue and crackling suspense.” —The Strand Magazine “I’ll look forward to a long life for this series.” —Deadly Pleasures “Plenty of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages until the last sentence.” —Dru’s Book Musings “Maffini is a relaxed, accomplished and wickedly funny writer . . .” —The Times Colonist

Neighbours Carole and Jude uncover more than they bargained for when Jude decides to redecorate her cottage in this lighthearted cosy mystery. "An edgy cozy, filled with dry wit and deft plot twists"- Booklist Starred Review Having decided to redecorate Woodside Cottage, Jude has engaged the services of local man Pete, who has painted and decorated the homes of Fethering residents for many years. Pete is currently working on Footscrow House, a large Victorian building which is being converted into holiday flats by a local developer. Having arranged to meet at 'Fiasco House', as it is known locally due to the many failed business enterprises over the years, Jude and Pete make a surprising discovery behind a wall panel: a woman's handbag! The casual discovery becomes serious when the police identify the handbag's owner as Anita Garner, a young woman who vanished in suspicious circumstances twenty years earlier. Determined to find out what really happened to Anita all those years ago, Jude and her neighbour Carole's investigations plunge them into a maze of deception and murder, as they uncover a number of uncomfortable secrets beneath the serene surface of Fethering life . . .

When the body of a prospective client is discovered in her burned-out home, declutterer Ellen Curtis is drawn into a baffling investigation where nothing is as it first appears. “My mother’s going to kill herself . . . That is, if I don’t kill her first.” 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. But when Ingrid Richards’ body is discovered in her burned-out home, Alexandra’s exasperated words don’t seem 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 in this assumption, Ellen couldn’t be more wrong . . .

Ellen Curtis is about to have her own life thrown into chaos in this third light-hearted decluttering mystery! "Brett layers the old-fashioned puzzle with deep psychological insights . . . Not to be missed" Booklist Starred Review 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. Sad but, given his age, perhaps not unexpected. 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 as 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 . . . Meanwhile, a rival declutterer is out to sabotage Ellen's reputable business, her two grown-up children are back home and in crisis, and she has a potential love interest. Ellen's life has taken on a chaotic turn of its own! 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.