Book Review of Cyndy Salzmann's Crime & Clutter

Crime & Clutter by Cyndy Salzmann
Genre: Woman’s Lit.
Published by Howard Books (2007)
ISBN: 1582296448
Amazon.com Easy Link to Purchase

Crime & Clutter is Cyndy Salzmann’s second installment in her Friday Afternoon Club Mystery series. A fun, appetizing, down-to-earth read that makes you feel as though you’re a part of the club—-learning and growing with the sometimes overwhelmed, but always well-meaning ladies of the FAC.

When Mary Alice’s long-held secret is discovered by a fellow member, it becomes the FAC’s mission to help her sort through the contents of her late father’s possessions, and discover why he abandoned his wife and infant daughter decades earlier. As the door to the storage unit is lifted, what awaits them is far from expected.

In Crime & Clutter, Salzmann humorously depicts current-day, mundane and surprising situations while taking the reader for an emotional ride back through the days of The Revolution. Like a good friend, Salzmann shares unique and tantalizing recipes to experiment with, too. You’ll find yourself gravitating to your kitchen and wanting to share both the recipes and the mystery packaged in Crime & Clutter with all your friends.

Cyndy Salzmann’s mastery of withholding information facilitates an inviting and entertaining read. She strategically discloses bits of information throughout the story, keeping the reader foraging ahead to piece it all together. Written in both first-person, present-tense and third-person past-tense, Crime & Clutter is a diversified read, rich in character, and depicts a delightfully realistic take on the process of forgiveness. I highly recommend this unique read for all women who seek a healthy dose of “girl time”, and be forewarned, there are some especially nice surprises along the way.