This series has really taken off. The decluttering angel is interest and timely and I love that it's set on the south coast. The protagonist is likeable and sympathetic. Some of the situations she finds herself in is a bit cringing but this thankfully doesn't last for long. Looking forward to the next.

Waste of a Life by Simon Brett is a decluttering mystery. It follows Ellen Curtis and Dodge. An old man is found dead and the cause is food poisoning. Because Ellen was the last person seen clearing out his fridge (she's a declutterer) she's a main suspect. The commentary in this is awful and refers to the #MeToo movement as a scam. Certainly not the book for this day and age.

I started reading this novel after finishing the previous one in the series for APDO Book Club in November.

I put it down for a very long while after reaching the scene in which the crooked book dealer uses white gloves. I suspect that the gloves were meant to indicate how clueless he was (because rare books professionals do not use white gloves - they lead to far more damage than clean, dry hands). However, it’s always an irritant to see this tired old trope in fiction.

I picked it up again as I want to clear out “old stock” on my NetGalley shelf, and blasted through it quite quickly this morning.

Three stars from me always means that I believe an author has achieved their aims but that I personally didn’t fall in love with the book. Other people may enjoy it more than I did.

For me, the issue was not so much the white gloves (so many good writers use them that I can’t make that a reason to deduct stars in the rating scheme). No, it was the tediousness of the protagonist’s relationship with her offspring. Having quite liked Ellen Curtis in previous books I really tired of her in this one.

We discover along with Ellen that her successful daughter (whom she has all but ignored in preference to her son) is not successful but actually struggling and it’s difficult to watch as Ellen has half conversations and tip-toes around. Then we have the most unbelievable “suicide attempt” by her son. (Not a suicide attempt - a cry for help). And finally there’s a lot of stuff that hints that Ellen may have TERF-tendencies. (Only “may” though - the author stays just the right side of sentences I read in fear he may end disappointingly. Personally, I’d have preferred him to steer clear of gender as a topic altogether - it’s a cosy crime novel, and doesn’t need identity politics).

So, in conclusion, a novel that some people will love but that I found just OK.

The latest of the Decluttering series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but I recommend reading the previous books. It will help play catch-up on Ellen and her previous cases, family history, etc.. Waste of a Life is a fun read that will not tax the brain too much. Excellent characters and a decent storyline. I enjoyed Ellen’s travails and her investigative skills and I would say that Waste of a Life is well worth a read.

Waste of a Life is the third book in the decluttering mystery series by Simon Brett. Released 6th Dec 2022 by Severn House, it's 192 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author writes entertainingly and well. All the parts (and they are varied and numerous) fit together and do precisely what they're meant to do. The characters are believable and well rendered. The dialogue works and is never clunky or awkward. Although this series isn't fluffy enough (in my estimation) to fit firmly into the cozy mold, it's not at all gritty, either. In short, it's a modern British murder mystery with a well plotted story arc, some not-too-graphic crimes, some humour, and a satisfying denouement and resolution. For readers who enjoy modern amateur sleuths without paranormal aspects, talking cats, telepathy, and crystals, this series is blessedly free of them.

A fair bit of the book does revolve around mental illness (expectedly since the protagonist is a de-clutterer and works with professional local social services to help clients). The author manages to treat the subjects sensitively, but some readers could conceivably find some of the subject matter and situations triggering.

I found it a delightful read and despite the potentially serious subplot elements, Mr. Brett manages to imbue the whole with enough humour to make it an entertaining and quick read. North American readers should be aware that it's written in British vernacular (faffing around, lift, flat, etc), but this shouldn't pose any problems in context.

Four stars. Really well done. With three books currently extant in the series and such a prolific author, this would make a good choice for a binge/buddy read. Recommended for fans of not-terribly-fluffy modern cozies. Fans of M.C. Beaton, G.M. Malliet, and Anthony Horowitz will likely enjoy these also.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was part of a series, and I haven't read the other books in this series, but I was still able to enjoy this one. It was a fun book.

Before I go further, I need to mention a trigger warning – in Ellen’s past there is a suicide. While this book doesn’t go into huge detail about the event, ten years later it still reverberates through Ellen’s life in a poignant and realistic manner.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading the previous two books, don’t be deterred from enjoying this one. Like many murder mystery series, while there is a narrative arc for the main protagonist, each whodunit is resolved within the book so you won’t be left to flounder. And an author of Brett’s skill and experience doesn’t do such things to his readers, anyway. I have huge affection for Ellen. She is at an age where she is of the middle generation squeeze – still looking after grown-up children, neither of whom are particularly thriving, as well as confronted with an ageing and increasingly frail mother. It doesn’t help that she isn’t on particularly good terms with her mother or her daughter.

I like Brett’s unsentimental approach to family life. There is often a rather unrealistic gloss around the key relationship between mothers and daughters in genre fiction, unless it is the darker psychological sort, or gritty murder mysteries. But while there is definitely a bedrock of love and concern in the relationship between Ellen and her children, she is also extremely careful to step around their adult sensibilities. The result is often poignant and humorous. In amongst all this family angst, Ellen is having to continue her daily routine – also refreshingly realistic.

The murder mystery in this story is a slow burn that gradually gains momentum. I won’t claim that the murderer is a huge surprise. But I wasn’t sure they would be satisfactorily uncovered so the police could step in – and I’m not telling you if that happens, as then we’d be lurching into Spoiler territory. Once more, I was pulled into this story to the extent that I didn’t put it down until I’d reached the end, so I read it in two greedy gulps. Highly recommended for fans of the gentler sort of murder mystery that nonetheless has an edged look at modern life. While I obtained an arc of Waste of a Life from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

This is my first foray into Simon Brett's Decluttering mysteries though I have read two of the instalments in his Fethering cosy crime mystery series (The Liar in the Library - book eighteen and Death and the Decorator book twenty-one) but I'd be happy to read more. Waste of a Life was a good example of amateur sleuthing and really easy to read. Set in Chichester, England I like the complex sleuth, Ellen Curtis who runs SpaceWoman, a decluttering company and I didn't feel lost coming in late into this series, but I would like to go back and read the previous books to learn more about her. Simon Brett's writing style is a hit with me although I had an inkling of the ending. All in all, I would recommend Waste of a Life to anyone who is fond of a good cozy novel. It covered some serious topics and it was a great tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

My thanks to Severn House for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Waste of a Life’ by Simon Brett.

This is the third in Brett’s series of semi-cosy ‘Decluttering Mysteries’, featuring professional declutterer and amateur sleuth, Ellen Curtis.

The novel is narrated by Ellen and she opens by providing basic information on her life, including details of her business, SpaceWoman, helping people to declutter their homes. While I have read both earlier books, it was useful to have the reminder. Each book in the series works fine on its own.

For some months Ellen has been working with elderly recluse Cedric Waites. Since his wife’s death eight years previously he had not allowed anyone into his home until Social Services stepped in following a bad fall and Ellen was assigned his case.

They had been making progress so Ellen was only checking in weekly - though one morning she discovers his dead body. His death is not unexpected given his age though following the autopsy the police believe that Cedric had been poisoned. Ellen finds herself a person of interest as she is one of a few people who had provided ready-to-heat meals for Cedric’s freezer.

It’s time for Ellen to put on her deerstalker and do some sleuthing. Meanwhile, a business rival seems to be out to sabotage SpaceWoman. Complicating everything, Ben and Jools, Ellen’s grown children, have returned to the nest bringing plenty of problems home with them.

Simon Brett uses Ellen’s voice to address more serious subjects than the usual cosy crime fare, including various mental health issues, loss and bereavement, loneliness, and the toll of ageing. While there are lighter moments in the novel, Brett doesn’t trivialise its more serious themes.

I relate to Ellen on a number of levels and especially enjoyed her chats with the police detective handling Cedric’s case, who appears to be a fan of crime fiction. They discuss the legacy of Golden Age writers like Agatha Christie leaving readers with the idea of the police as not the “sharpest knives in the drawer” and by contrast the high expectations generated by TV crime series.

Overall, I enjoyed this book (and series) as it has well realised characters and also contains some useful decluttering tips. Along the way various mysteries and Ellen’s more conventional cases are resolved in a satisfying way.

More please, Mr. Brett.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In my review of the previous book in this series, I predicted that the series would likely get better, as Mr. Brett found his way more fully into the characters, and particularly into Ellen's character. And, I enjoyed this one far more than #1 and #2 in this series.

Once again, Ellen stumbles her way into a death that is considered somewhat suspicious by the police, but that they appear to be ready to write off, for lack of any evidence. That does not sit well with Ellen, so she continues to pursue it, along with her side investigation of what appears to be a fraudulent de-cluttering business (that is trying to hurt her business), while perhaps stealing from clients. Moreover, she winds up with both her children in crisis, and living at home, at least temporarily.

In this book, though, things seem a bit less over the top. The crimes make sense, her childrens' problems make sense, and we have much less involvement of her self centered and annoying mother to deal with.

I enjoyed this, and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

I love Simon Brett and I think he's one of the greatest living mystery writer. This is the last series he developed and deals with with serious topics like mental health, hoarding, and solitude.
This means that the novels can be a light mystery with a darker and more serious side or a dramatic novel with some lighter moments.
This one was an excellent and balanced mix of the above elements and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I love Ellen and love the empathy of the writer towards the characters and their issues.
A mystery which is thought provoking and entertaining at the same time.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Waste Of A Life is the third book in the Decluttering Mysteries series by British author, Simon Brett. As is often the case, it has taken some time for decluttering expert Ellen Curtis to win the trust of her new client, Cedric Waites, but once she does, her regular visits to this reclusive widower are helping to make his life safer and more comfortable.

When she finds his body during her regular visit, she’s more sad than shocked: in his seventies, after a long period of poor nutrition and hygiene, it’s no surprise he pulled a dodgy meal out of the freezer.

But then the police tell her that Cedric was poisoned. Intentionally? It seems that, with her routine efficiency at decluttering, she may have inadvertently removed a potentially vital clue. And they want to talk to any tradesmen she brought in. Her reclusive recycling carpenter, Dodge aka Gervaise Palmier, is nowhere to be found.

Ellen busies herself with helping her regular, and some new, clients: a retired English teacher with encroaching dementia whose book hoard is becoming a problem; and a very green couple whose decluttering begins to quickly look like a tit-for-tat exercise.

Distracting her from those are: her usually self-centred mother remarking on the conspicuous lack of communication from her granddaughter, Ellen’s eldest child, Jools; the attentions of a certain Tim Goodrich, the executor of Cedric’s will, which are not unwelcome; and Ellen is also feeling a little guilty that she doesn’t like her son Ben’s new girlfriend more.

On top of all that, it seems that the proprietor of another decluttering company is trying to undermine Space Woman with warnings to prospective customers and nasty website reviews.

While she doesn’t usually do house clearances, she agrees to do Cedric’s house when asked by his son, thinking she might stumble on a clue about his death. It’s immediately apparent that the focus of Cedric’s daughter-in-law is on their likely financial gain. It all gets quite interesting when Ellen discovers Cedric’s valuable collection of first-edition books.

Brett gives the reader another clever plot that includes: one child having a career implosion, the other, a career success; a touch of romance; plenty of emotional baggage unloaded with the aid of copious alcohol consumption; and a nasty scam targeting the demented elderly.

Ellen’s inner monologue always provides plenty of humour, as does any scene that features her mother, Fleur. It does seem that this series is improving with each new book, so it’s to be hoped that Brett has many more of these up his literary sleeve. Very enjoyable cosy crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Canongate Books/Severn House

Waste of a Life by Simon Brett is a highly recommended mystery and the third installment of his entertaining decluttering mystery series.

Ellen Curtis is the owner and sole employee of SpaceWoman, a decluttering company in Chichester, England. She doesn't do major cleaning out of hoarders houses, she helps people overwhelmed with stuff organize what they have. When Social Services asks her to bring order to the home of Cedric Waites, she agrees to work with him. Waites is an elderly recluse who needs to have his home decluttered and repaired in order to live in it. Ellen has to be persistent to finally get Waites to allow her in and eventually start to get the repairs and organization that he needs done. She is shocked and sad to arrive one day and find Waites dead. It is even more shocking when she learns that the police believe he was poisoned.

Along the way Ellen tackles some other interesting cases, does some sleuthing and questioning on her own, and learns of a rivals campaign to smear her. She is also dealing with her two grown children and problematic mother. This is lighthearted entertainment rather than a heart-stopping thriller. The appeal is in Ellen's personable and upbeat narration and descriptions of the people she is working for and events she's experiencing.

As you're reading it may seem that the other decluttering cases are just filler, but they actually provide information pertinent to several mysteries. The pace is quick and Waste of a Life can easily be read in a day. Although this works as a standalone, after reading it I'm definitely interested in reading the first two in the series, The Clutter Corpse and An Untidy Death. Ellen is a great character and this could easily lead to another book in the series.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Severn House via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

This is the latest of Simon Brett's Decluttering mysteries. I had not read the first two and this is quite different to the more lighthearted Charles Paris and Feathering series. There is a mystery surrounding the death of an old man who had recently become one of her clients. Is it natural or was he murdered? I could definitely do with a declutterer in my life. Thanks to Netgalley.

It's amazing to me that Simon Brett has written nearly 100 books, and still keeps writing fresh material and growing as a writer. Waste of a Life is the third book in his Decluttering series--a series that I am following avidly. Ellen Curtis's decluttering service, Spacewoman, is well-established. She has two new clients, Mim, and Cedric, both elderly, and Mim has dementia. Both are hoarders. Ellen also has a competitor who is spreading lies about her, and trying to steal her clients. When client Cedric is found dead, Ellen is suspected, but the police's primary suspicion falls on her good friend, the strange and police-phobic Dodge. In addition to having a true mystery on her hands, with her friend in trouble, there's trouble at home. Son Ben, prone to the same depression demons as his dead father, has a career on the rise, and a girlfriend, but the stress appears to be breaking him. Daughter Jools is incommunicado--moreso than usual--and Ellen fears trouble. On top of it all, Ellen finds herself buying new undergarments because she's wildly attracted to Tim, the executor of Cedric's will. Throw in some very rare books, and you have a tantalizing, book-lover's mystery.

What's special about the decluttering mysteries, and Waste of a Life in particular, is the delicate balance between the mystery surrounding Cedric's death and Ellen's deep connection to her friends and family. Her family is in crisis, and she always puts it first (as one of Brett's characters mentions). Ellen is complex and deeply human. Brett captures her feelings and concerns beautifully, and we come to care very much about her. Her dilemmas are those of so many working, mature women, and as a woman I identify with them.

I found the wrapping up of the mystery a tad rushed, but that's insignificant. Overall, Waste of a Life is a wonderful book, and definitely not a waste of time. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for a digital advance copy.

Know that this is less about who killed Cedric, an elderly man who Ellen has befriended, than it is about mental health issues. Ellen's husband struggled until his death and her children struggle today. She works "decluttering," for hoarders and others- and she does so with considerable sensitivity. Don't get me wrong- this is not a heavy read but rather one that wraps in more serious issues until a novel with both a murder (or two) and a wry sense of humor. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Now that I've read #3 of Simon Brett's decluttering mysteries, I need to get on the bandwagon to read the first two books in the series. Waste of a Life has been described as a light-hearted murder mystery, and I would agree since any descriptions of gore and brutality are absent.

The story centers on Ellen Curtis, a one-woman decluttering service who meets elderly Cedric Waites, a recluse who hasn't left his home in ages and needs help in decluttering his home. Curtis gets on as well as can be expected with the curmudgeonly Waites, but when Waites is found dead (and evidence points that he was poisoned), life gets a lot more interesting for Curtis.

Throw in Waite's estranged son and belligerent daughter-in-law, Curtis' odd handyman, and a cast of other characters, and you do have a light-hearted and enjoyable mystery.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Severn House for providing this ARC of #DeclutteringMysteries.

“Waste of a Life,” by Simon Brett, published date: 6 Dec 22, ISBN 9780727850690 Kindle Edition (EPUB), earns three stars.

When it opens, I thought (for some ultimately inexplicable reason) that the book was going to be about the travails of a “declutter,” but quickly learned this “whodunit” featured a protagonist named Ellen Curtis, who was a declutter. The author adroitly showcases the female voice, which makes for quite an interesting read.

The central plot revolves around her and the recluse Cedric Waites, who is required by the local social services folks, to have a declutter come to his home and help him get things in order. From there, an interesting cast of characters becomes known as Ellen, Cedric’s family and friends, and the authorities weave in and out of each other to discover the facts and circumstances surrounding Cedric’s later death. It’s a fast yet satisfying read, and with the declutter as a central protagonist, it offers readers a terrific based for number three in this series.

Sincere thanks to the author, and Kindle Edition (PDF), for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Waste of a Life, the third novel to feature professional declutterer Ellen Curtis, set in Chichester.

Ellen has been asked to help Cedric Waites organise his life a bit better. Elderly, Cedric hasn’t left his house since his wife died eight years ago, nor let anyone in. Ellen rises to the challenge and has been visiting Cedric regularly until one day she finds him dead. The Police suspect poison, but Ellen has disposed of the evidence and her eccentric friend, Dodge, comes under suspicion.

I thoroughly enjoyed Waste of a Life, which is an entertaining read with plenty going on and several twists. It’s enough to keep any reader occupied. The novel is told from Ellen’s first person point of view and as she can have, when roused, a rather jaundiced view of her fellow humankind she makes the novel fun.

The plot isn’t particularly difficult to work out, but then I don’t think it is intended to be as it is all about the characters and their difficulties and how they react to them. Decluttering almost inevitably implies that the hoarders need help and Ellen is kind and understanding with the clients who need support, be it with loneliness, mental health or dementia. The author never makes fun of these people and treats their issues sensitively enough that it is informative for the reader. It is not just her clients who need support, however, as her adult children are not the strongest mentally and the reader gets the other side of the coin as Ellen wonders if she is doing enough to support them. As it said it is done sensitively but not with a heavy hand so it seems natural.

I really liked some of the twists in the novel. They won’t derail the reader from the conclusions they have drawn, but they are a bit of sharp surprise in what is a cosy novel.

Waste of a Life is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I love Simon Brett’s crime mysteries and this relatively new series is a great addition to his books. A Waste of a Life is the third in the Decluttering series but I think that you could easily read it as a stand alone.

Ellen’s job as a declutterer takes her into people’s houses and these people are often elderly or vulnerable so possibly easy victims. This time she goes and works at the house of Cedric who has become a recluse after the death of his wife. On one of her regular visits, she discovers him dead in bed. Ellen assumes that he has died of natural causes but the post mortem reveals traces of poison and the police become involved. Ellen is also working at the house of Mim, a retired school teacher who led a very active social life in the 1960’s. At first Mim and Cedric appear to have nothing in common but gradually a link appears between them.

I really enjoyed this mystery. There were a lot of twists and turns which kept me interested and I liked the host of secondary characters. This is a cosy crime novel but Simon Brett still keeps us in touch with reality. Mim increasingly suffers from dementia and there are several characters in the book with mental health problems including both of Ellen’s children.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Severn House, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.