Jan Christensen (1)

Life was supposed to be less stressful and a bit simpler in the fall of 2007 when Tina Shaw came back home to Newport, Rhode Island. Having given up her psychology practice at age 29 in favor of a new profession as a professional organizer, life should be less stressful with her new career as her clients should not die. Her first job should also be easy, all things considered, as she will be working with a client, Rachel, whom she has known since they both were kids. Rachel obviously needs show more her help as her house is packed. Clutter has filled every nook and cranny except for the perfect baby nursery that is in pristine condition.

That is except for the dead body sprawled across the floor in a pool of blood with several bullet holes in the back.

Crystal is very much dead and for Rachel the loss is tremendous. Crystal could be over bearing and judgmental, but they were sisters and Rachel loved her dearly. If Rachel already needs mental health help, as Tina suspected considering the stat of the house, she certainly does now.

She might not be the only one who needs someone to talk to in Tina's circle of friends and acquaintances. Not only does a killer walk among them, but nearly everyone has a major secret. Some of those secrets unite the characters in various ways, while other secrets will ultimately destroy relationships and cost lives.

Organized To Death: A Lighter-Side Mystery Story by prolific short story and novelist Jan Christensen is a suspenseful page turning read. First in a new series, it features Tina Shaw a complicated young lady with secrets of her own. She also can't get a decent home cooked meal to save her life, has three potential romantic partners who annoy and intrigue her, and the serious unwanted interest of the police who see clear evidence linking her to at least one murder. A rich dynamic character who has yet to find herself, this first novel of a planned series is a tale of personal exploration weaved into a suspenseful cozy style mystery. Rich in detail and populated with complicated multi-dimensional characters in every role, this latest book from author Jan Christensen is another good one.

Organized To Death: A Lighter-Side Mystery Story
Jan Christensen
http://www.janchristensen.com
CreateSpace (Self Published)
December 2012
ISBN# 978-1481139779
Paperback (also available as e-book)
234 Pages
$11.99

Material supplied by publicist PJ Nunn owner of BreakThrough Promotions.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013 show less

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Perfect Victim by Jan Christensen is a Heron's Nest/Victory Editing publication. This book was released in May 2013. This a Paula Mitchell P.I. novel. Sylvia is murdered right after she breaks off her engagement to Warren. Naturally, this gives Warren the best motive, and so in short order he is arrested. Paula's best friend, Geri is Warren's attorney, so Paula is hired to investigate. Paula starts out interviewing Sylvia's parents, relatives, friends and show more co-workers. What she finds is that although Warren had the most obvious motive, he wasn't the only suspect. Sylvia has some relatives that have had a history of violence and might have been involved in some shady deals. Then there are Sylvia's friends. This is a group of people Sylvia has known since high school, at least. They all behave rather strangely. With the help of Steve, Paula's computer guru boyfriend, Paula, Geri uncover a slew of secrets and crimes, affairs, and jealousies. Before they can get to the bottom of things, Warren goes to trial. Here, there are some laugh out loud moment in court, but also, some really good courtroom drama. This is a really light mystery. It's very easy to get into. The perfect book to curl up with when you are in the mood for a good whodunit. Paula is very easy to relate to. She's a flawed character that has a dark past. She has major trust issues with men, but that's understandable because of her history. Geri is a good secondary character, but I would like to know more about her, maybe in future installments. Steve was absolutely dreamy. I really think he is perfect for Paula. This book would appeal to any mystery lover. There is some language, some sexual situations, but no real graphic violence. Overall a B+ show less

4 STARS

Tina is a good friend. Leslie called Tina after midnight and asked her to come. She heard and thought she saw a ghost. Tina Shaw goes over to help Leslie figure it out. She hears strange noises in attic too.

Lots of mysteries. Is it a ghost and if so who is it? The murder next door is that part of what is going on at Leslie's? There is a lot going on in the book. It is fast paced.

Tina Shaw is a organizer. Leslie had just inherited a big old house. The attic is so full of clutter that show more Tina is going to help her organize it. Tina used to date Leslie's older brother Brandon. Now she is dating Hank.
The four of them are trying to decide what is going on at Leslie's house.

There is a lot of secrets in this story. I like secrets about the houses but would have problems with the person I was involved in and not knowing what he does.

This is set in Newport, Rhode Island

I liked it so much I went and bought the first book in the series.

I was given this book to read by NetGalley and Victory Editing
In return I agree to give a honest review of Cluttered Attic Secrets. show less

An interesting story packed with mystery and a wee bit of romance. Tina heads out to help her friend with a little issue in the attic only to find they are dealing with a much larger problem. As the danger increases, Tina’s boyfriend wants her to leave the investigation alone. Needless to say, she does the opposite. I did feel the ending to be a bit rushed. I would have liked a better explanation of the resolution of a couple of plot lines. Other than that it was an enjoyable read.