“Emily Harlow wasn’t convinced that her sock drawer sparked joy.”

From Hallie Ephron’s Careful What You Wish For.

Emily Harlow is an organizer/de-clutter coach who runs her business Freeze-Frame Clutter Kickers combined with her life coach best friend (Becca) after Emily posted a video of her cleaning that gained internet fame.  While Becca talks clients through letting go, Emily combines their practical work with digital archiving to help ease people into decluttering.  Despite being successful at her job, Emily is faced with an issue at home: her husband, Frank.  An accomplished lawyer, Frank loves nothing more than conquering weekend yard sales and bringing his clutter (including the piano that recently fell on Emily’s foot) home to their overflowing basement and garage.  On a seemingly routine day, an elderly new client (Mrs. Murphy) hires them to go through the many belongings of her late husband, including a surprise storage locker with contents unknown to Mrs. Murphy.  While checking the contents of the locker, Emily is called away to provide a last-minute estimate for client Quinn Newell; the two form a bond over their hoarding husbands.  However, when Quinn’s husband, Wally, disappears, Quinn calls Emily questioning the seriousness of their shared let’s-kill-each-other’s-husbands drunken joking.  When a body is discovered, Emily suddenly finds herself in the middle of many strange circumstances and a police investigation that is gaining more evidence of her guilt; it quickly becomes clear to Emily that nothing about her life and newest clients are as they first seemed.

This thriller/mystery offers a unique spin on a slightly familiar storyline that is reminiscent of Strangers on a Train. Not a large book, Ephron manages to create a story that flows and captivates readers well without including unnecessary information.  Some readers will pick up on various clues throughout the story to guess at the ending, but the book also works well for quick, no-hard-thinking-required reading.  Perfect for a weekend read, Careful What You Wish For is a thriller that doesn’t disappoint