Death Loves a Messy Desk (Charlotte Adams Book 3)
by: Mary Jane Maffini
Published by: Berkley Prime Crime/ Penguin
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Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann
This is the third in the Charlotte Adams series. Charlotte is a professional organizer who has moved back to her hometown in upstate New York, escaping emotionally from a cheating fiancée. She lives above her landlord and friend Jack, and is close to old friends Sally; Margaret, a lawyer; and Pepper, a police detective.
_Death Loves a Messy Desk starts when Charlotte meets Fredelle Newhouse at a booth explaining the Woodbridge League of Therapy Dogs. Fredelle begs for her help with a sticky office problem, namely the unbelievably messy desk of Barb Douglas. Barb is good at her I.T. job, and good friends with the nerdy Robbie Van Zandt, son of the owner of Quovadicon, but her desk is a disaster. There are a lot of office problems too— Dyan who has it in for Barb, probably adding to the mess; and Autumn, the ditzy receptionist.
Charlotte nearly collides with a woman fleeing in her car as she arrives at Quovadicon , and it turns out to be Barb.
\Later she sees Barb in the background of a news report of a murder – an unidentified body found in a car trunk. She goes to Barb’s spotlessly clean apartment to try to make it up with her, fearing she dashed off due to her consultation at the office, but Barb is missing! Pepper, off on maternity leave, is no help, and the police just tell Charlotte to mind her own business. Fredelle has lied to Charlotte, and then bans her from the office. She finally enlists the help of Robbie, who adored Barb. A strange call from Dyan lures Charlotte back to Quovadicon, to what seems to be an eerily empty office and warehouse!
Charlotte is trying to train her two independent and stubborn miniature dachshunds to be therapy dogs, in time for the next orientation, and is also dealing with changes in her friends. Jack, her steadfast landlord and best friend, seems to be totally involved with organizing a bike race, and Sally is as usual busy with her family. Margaret is dating someone new, and reticent to talk about it.
You will enjoy the organizing tips at the beginning of each chapter as well as the story!
Armchair Interviews agrees.
Author’s Web site: http://www.MaryJaneMaffini.ca
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