The Cluttered Corpse (A Charlotte Adams Mystery)

The Cluttered Corpse (A Charlotte Adams Mystery) I enjoy reading and I need to be more organized which made this a wonderful book for me to read. The characters were believable, the plot complex with many twists and turns. I loved the interaction between the dogs and the characters. Small time town issues presented believably. Even "how to" organize tips. All in all, this was a hoot to read and a keeper, imho. I want more from this author!

Summary In "Organize Your Corpses," Charlotte Adams moves back to her hometown of Woodbridge, New York, after a broken engagement, to become a professional organizer. In solving the murder of the town's most unbeloved teacher, Charlotte reconnects with her best friends from high school. In the second book of this series, "The Cluttered Corpse," Charlotte is hired to organize an extensive stuffed toy collection for high-power insurance executive, Emmy Lou Rheinbeck. Charlotte learns that Emmy Lou is being harassed by some of her neighbors. Upon her next visit to Emmy Lou's home, she discovers one of the neighbors dead and Emmy Lou confesses to murder. Charlotte decides that she owes it to her client to help and begins organizing all of the clues in this mystery. Kudos This story moves along quickly and is full of likeable characters, including Truffle and Sweet Marie, two miniature dachshunds. Although Maffini makes us wait until chapter 7 for the murder, she deftly starts the mystery in chapter 1. The organizing tips that appear at the beginning of each chapter are fun and useful--especially when they foreshadow the action that will occur in the chapter. When I first picked up Maffini's books, I had a hard time liking Charlotte and listening to Maffini's "voice." I'm glad I didn't give up. This is a charming series and I look forward to her next book.

The second book in Mary Jane Maffini's Charlotte Adams series is a hoot - a really fun read. Her characters are believeable, the setting real and the plot full of twists. The character interplay and dynamics add to overall effect. Her organizing tips add to the enjoyment - they really make sense. I look forward to the next installment. Good job.

a winner...Once again Charlotte and friends (some not so much), find themselves embroiled in murder and mayhem. I truly enjoy the author's ability to create a cozy that covers it all; the friendships, the crimes, the main characters' foibles as well as her gifts of "de-cluttering" on all levels!!! This is one author who does not leave her readers hanging as she winds up all aspects of the crimes. If you haven't read the first title in this series, treat yourself to that one as it does a wonderful job of introducing all the characters, is a great read and will lead you back to the store to purchase #2 in the series....Have fun

The Cluttered Corpse is the second book in the Charlotte Adams, professional organizer, cozy series. Charlotte is a very likable heroine - she has her faults, but she is very genuine - a person any of us would enjoy knowing. Her friends remind me of very real people living very real lives. Their group dynamic is convincingly authentic - a group of friends who were close in high school but whose lives took them down very different paths and whose relationships have changed along the way. They are now all back in Woodbridge, NY, the small, idyllic town where they grew up. It's just small enough that neighbors know one another (some for all their lives) and aren't afraid to lend a hand, and yet close enough to the big city to be convenient. Charlotte is hired by Emmy Lou Rheinbeck to organize a collection of stuffed animals that has literally taken over the second floor of her impeccable home. While there, Charlotte notices that Emmy Lou is very nervous and jumpy. She attributes the nervousness to pranks that are being played on Mrs. Rheinbeck by two handicapped adult males, one of whom lives next door. Charlotte wants to call the police, but Emmy Lou basically tells her to mind her own business and then fires her - which only serves to worry Charlotte even more. Emmy Lou later relents and asks Charlotte to meet her again, but this time when Charlotte arrives - late, unfortunately, to their appointment - she encounters an hysterical Emmy Lou in the street and finds a dead man at the bottom of Emmy Lou's stairs. When Emmy Lou is carted away from the scene in handcuffs, Charlotte resolves to do whatever she can to prove that this gentle woman didn't do anything wrong. There has been a lot of strain in the relationship between Charlotte and her policewoman friend, Pepper, but Charlotte decides to ask for her help anyway. When Pepper tells Charlotte, in no uncertain terms, to stay out of it, Charlotte enlists the aid of the rest of her group of friends, which unknowingly puts them all in danger. Nothing on Bell Street is as it seems, and the reader will have a dickens of a time trying to figure things out. Chances are, the reader won't have any better luck than Charlotte! This was a very enjoyable cozy with a very likable female protagonist and a great group of friends. I'll definitely be looking forward to the third book in this series, for the likable characters, the great story, and, of course, the great organizational tips! Carol Ann Hopkins 4/4/2008