The Spring Cleaning Murders

Ellie Haskell has spring cleaning fever. She is besieged with problems like her housekeeper, Mrs. Malloy, giving notice and moving to London to take care of her infant granddaughter.

Ellie searches for someone who can take Mrs. Malloy’s place, something that is not as easy as everyone she hires ends up dead. Ellie is left with no alternative; she must investigate the murders and help make sure the last members of the Chitterton Fells Charwomen’s Association (C.F.C.W.A.) stay alive.

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Series: An Ellie Haskell Mystery – Book #4
Author: Dorothy Cannell
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Alibi

Rating:

Ellie is a great character who happens to be suffering from spring fever and gets involved in a crazy murder investigation. Someone is killing the local cleaning ladies after Ellie hires them to work for her. The fact that the main character is a stay at home mother who cares deeply for those around her and her family make the story relatable to many women in today’s world.

Jonas and Freddy are the best characters besides the fantastic Mrs. Malloy. They bring situations to life while giving the reader something to laugh about.  There is a charm in the way Ms. Cannell describe the people and the issues, without making the story unbearably annoying.

Although this book is a reprint of the original published in 1998, it is not dated and is still fresh and entertaining. The story is not fast-paced but does not ramble, and there is just enough detail to keep the reader interested in the location and the characters. The ending is a bit predictable but not to the point of the reader being disappointed.  This book and series of books are recommended for anyone who wants their mysteries without a lot of violence, or sexual content and who like wholesome, good characters.