This was such a quick and easy read that I just couldn't put down. I would imagine that having a job decluttering peoples homes would be so satisfying. Great stroyline, well developed characters that all added something to the story. A really enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for giving me an ARC of "Waste of a Life". All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 20%. I really wanted to like the book. I like the concept and I really love how kind and empathic Ellen approaches her job. So often, we equate messiness with a lack of virtue or self-care when in reality, it's really hard to let certain things slip past us. As someone who wrestles with depression, I really appreciate how Brett spotlights how hoarding/not cleaning is not a crucial character flaw but a symptom of something much bigger. I applaud him for such care.

Which is why I'm so bummed that I didn't connect with the book. Typically, I abandon books at 10% but I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I felt that the book felt more like a decluttering anthology with an unfortunate death in it rather than a mystery book. I'm not saying I wanted Ellen to suddenly become Poirot when Waites died but I really wished his' death felt more like a priority in this mystery rather than a thing that happened. Because of that, it doesn't feel like the book has actually started, even after 1/5 of the book has passed. Additionally, Ellen is a passive lead, which isn't bad on its own but combined with the pacing issues, I couldn't convince myself to keep going.

TW: Death, suicide, Alzheimers, depression, cancer

Aaah I love decluttering books! This is book 3 and I need to go back and read 1 and 2 but so refreshing to see how many of us have taken a minimalist lifestyle and finally some fiction!!!

I have read all the books in the Decluttering series. For me, with this series, it is best read in order. This will allow the reader to obtain a deeper understanding of the characters growth and an awareness of the characters past situations.
The mystery is a good one. Ellen, who owns WomanSpace , A Decluttering and organization business, finds on a routine visit, one of her clients dead. Of course, Ellen who has grown fond of her client, becomes involved in discovering the murderer.There are many red herrings and it is not till the very end the murderer is discovered.It is done in a Hercules Poirot style.The involved people are gathered together and information comes out and the killer confessed. I enjoyed this style of finding out.
The book is called light-hearted, but not in a similar manner of the author's other series.Much is divulged within the story about Ellen' s children's mental health and her late husbands depression.. It is a diversion from his other series but I have come to care about these characters. It may not be suited to every reader's taste, but I appreciate the authors sensitivity and caring treatment of the characters.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Severn House and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. It publishes on 12/16/22

I very much enjoyed Waste Of A Life. This series has a good deal more emotional heft than some of Simon Brett’s other work, which I like very much.

Here, in the third of the series featuring professional declutterer Ellen Curtis, an old and much-liked client dies and the death soon begins to look suspicious. As Ellen and her close friends and family become involved, the only real solution is for them to try to catch the culprit.

Brett, as always, gives us an interesting cast of very well-drawn characters, and Ellen herself is an engaging narrator and protagonist. The publishers’ blurb describes this as “a light-hearted mystery,” which I suppose is true of the mystery itself and, to be honest, I found the plot and its denouement a little thin. However, what does give these books real interest and drive for me is Brett’s treatment of various aspects of trauma and mental health problems in his characters. He is perceptive and humane, and I have become very invested in the regulars here: Ellen herself, her adult daughter and son Julia and Ben, and her friend and colleague, Dodge. This may not be to everyone’s taste; the books have all Brett’s usual readability, but slightly less of the light, humorous tone of many of his books. Personally I like it very much and I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.

(My thanks to Severn House for an ARC via NetGalley.)

Not at all what I was expecting. After reading the book blurb I thought I was getting more of a cozy mystery but really what I got was the equivalent to Ellen writing her daily comings & goings in a diary. There was also a lot of her “inner monologue” that would go off on tangents, especially relating to her son’s girlfriend.

While it definitively wasn’t one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year, I did appreciate how it addressed Ellen’s husband’s suicide 8 years earlier and how that even continued to effect Ellen and her kids in different ways.

Overall it was an okay read that held my interest just enough for me to be willing to give another book by Simon Brett a shot. #DeclutteringMysteries

Thank you #NetGalley & Severn House for providing me with an ARC for my honest opinion.

Having read some of Simon Brett's other novels featuring Charles Paris and also some of the feathering mysteries I was delighted to find he has started another series about Ellen a declutterer. I found Ellen's insight into her job interesting and the novel flowed easily so I shall certainly look for the two previous novels in the series.

Simon Brett's Waste of a Life is a novel about the life of eightieth-year-old hermit Cedric Waites, who has not left his home or allowed anybody inside since his wife's death.
During one of her routine visits, Ellen discovers the elderly man dead.
I appreciated the novel's cosy, suspenseful mood created by the author's skillful writing and the decluttering environment and books.
The commentary on gender studies, the #MeToo movement, trans rights, the ability to use specific pronouns, cultural appropriation, and influencers' judgement was unappealing and detracted from the tale for me.
Ellen is an extremely dull protagonist, and her journey lacks any genuine development or arc.
I also disliked how women were depicted in this novel.
Overall, Waste of a Life is an interesting read that may be beneficial for some readers. While it was not for me, I believe that there are others who will appreciate it.

A Suspicious Death…?
The third in The Decluttering Mystery series finds Ellen herself in a state of some disarray as the death of one her own clients turns suspicious. As Ellen delves into the case she needs to juggle her own personal and professional life in the whole chaotic process. With a keenly observed and perfectly credible cast of characters, much musing on the human condition conveyed with empathy and understanding and with a solid mystery at its’ heart this is another worthy and immersive addition to the series. Whilst the Fethering mysteries will always remain my own personal favourite, this new series is proving to be equally compelling and enjoyable.

Part of the decluttering series, Waste of a Life is book three. I enjoyed it so much, I’ll go back to read one and two.
Ellen declutters homes for a living, which is, as she’ll tell you, completely different from clearing a house. She meets recluse and somewhat hoarder Cedric through social services and in the months she helps him, has come to be quite fond of him. When he’s found dead in the house she along with many others becomes a a suspect.
Filled with wonderful characters, her very annoying mother Fleur, her two unappreciative children, Ben and Jools, and others, make this a fun and satisfying mystery read.

Ellen Curtis is a declutterer and she’s hired to help hoarders who need some help organizing their space. With two elderly clients on her current roster, she’s working to help them clean up and organize their homes. When she finds one of them dead in his home, she believes he died of old age, but the police don’t believe that. What happened to the man and could the police be right?

With her friend and colleague Dodge being the last to see the man alive, he becomes a person of interest. Ellen knows Dodge wouldn’t hurt anyone, so how can she help her friend? She will sleuth while clearing the man’s home out and hope she can figure it out before Dodge is found and charged for something he didn’t do. If Ellen can get that far without finding herself in the killer’s crosshairs.

This was the first book I read in this series and it reads fine as a stand alone. I really liked Ellen’s honesty about being a bitchy woman at times, after all, we can all relate ourselves. Also her caring about people, both her family and her customers, makes her even more endearing and you’re rooting for her to solve the mystery and succeed in all she does. The reference to books in this one is also a great addition as you get into some 20th century quotes and poetry. A brilliant read!

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
The third of the Decluttering series is another good one. It's become my favorite Simon Brett's series.
Ellen Curtis' company (of one) SpaceWoman is still going strong and this story concerns the death of
Cedric, one of her longtime clients, who she still looks in on.
We're also kept up to date with her son and daughter. I love those parts, her children, especially Ben, have caused her some serious worry and this time her daughter also gives her cause for concern. She hasn't heard from her in quite a while, as her mother, Fleur, loves to rub in.
Her thoughts and musings are delightful, I love reading about her life and look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended!