I really enjoy the Charlotte Adams series, Jack is a favorite of mine so I'm thrilled that he was such a big part of the book! The plot was interesting and had me guessing at the mystery right up until the end.

Mary Jane Maffini is known for her cozy mystery series. Her latest novel is part of the Charlotte Adams series. Charlotte is a professional organizer. Each chapter opens with a tip for organizing an aspect of your life. When Charlotte’s mother disappears and her home is trashed, Charlotte and her partner, Jack, head to Europe attempting to trace her mother. As always, there is a good plot, humour and interesting characters. Like the author, Charlotte has 2 dachshunds.

Charlotte’s character development is elevated in this book she is more relatable and well rounded. The mystery is a twisty adventure that keeps you guessing who is behind messing with Charlotte and her mother. I recommend to fans of the series and cozy mysteries.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been by anyone.

Charlotte Adams, organizer extraordinaire, has her life on a well-tuned schedule, so when her mother fails to call for their usual Tuesday chat, she is concerned. Trying every way she can to contact her Mom, worry creeps in and is not abated when her home is invaded and torn apart as if someone was searching for something. The reader is treated to the backstory of Charlotte's childhood relating to her father's death and why she and mother were on the run. So when things get a bit dangerous, Charlotte and Jack escape to Europe trying to find her mother and figure out what is going on.

I loved this story and the characters that were revealed from Charlotte's past. Charlotte even was organized enough to have disguises , fake passports and burner phones!

I have always liked this series, but wasn't too sure about the main character, Charlotte's mother. Wow, did this book put things in perspective! When her mother suddenly disapoears, Charlotte is determined to track her down and ultimately winds up in Europe. Unfortunately, what Charlotte doesn't know about her mother may lead her into danger!

I enjoyed the book's fast-paced and well-written mystery. So many twists and turns kept me reading and I loved the descriptions of the European countries Charlotte went through to find her mother. The supporting characters she meets along the way are interesting and worthy of a book themselves. While I like the Charlotte character, I found myself not liking her mother very much. The ending was exciting and I can't wait to see what new mysteries Charlotte is involved in!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.




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Professional organizer Charlotte Adams has been having recurring nightmares ever since her author mother Esme has missed 2 of their weekly Tuesday phone calls. Charlotte's worries morph into panic and horror when her Woodbridge NY house is ransacked & then set on fire. Charlotte is convinced that her mother's secretive past life is the key and she sets off on a whirlwind European trip to find Esme with the help of her boyfriend Jack. Charlotte & Jack search for any clues and sightings at Esme's beloved shops and restaurants in Paris, Lisbon & Cinque Terre. Narrowly missing Esme at each location, Charlotte and Jack also manage to elude their violent pursuers. Esme's connection to a bank heist by a Montreal criminal gang in the 1990s and a deadly Italian criminal family seeking revenge from Esme's first true love seem to be the motive for this deadly crime spree. A final confrontation occurs near a cliff in a small Italian village. Travel packing tips are provided at the beginning of each chapter.

This sixth book was a welcome return to Charlotte Adams after a 10-year absence. I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing. My opinions are my own.

Death Plans a Perfect Trip: A Charlotte Adams Mystery
By Mary Jane Maffini
Beyond the Page
May 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

For over a week, professional organizer Charlotte Adams has been having nightmares that have her awakening in panic and dripping in sweat. Something from her childhood is continuing to terrorize her today, and she knows that it must be linked to her mother having missed their regular phone calls for the past two Tuesdays. Charlotte’s friends try to ease her worries by insisting that this unreliable behavior is a characteristic of the impulsive, many-time-married, best-selling author. Esme Adams’ agent is more agitated than concerned over his client’s missed deadlines, but Charlotte worries their past has caught up with them. While her boyfriend Jack suggests that dreams are just dreams and that her mother may have built up a fictional history for them, Charlotte still hides an emergency to-go bag that she was taught to keep as child. It’s hard to ignore the danger when Charlotte’s house is completely trashed and a Molotov cocktail thrown into it, but some of her friends still try to convince her that it’s a bunch of coincidences.

Despite having built her entire life around being organized, planned, and with everything categorized into lists, Charlotte makes the decision to track down her mother to her favorite places in Europe. Even though he may have his doubts, Jacks leaves his CYCotics cycle shop in Upstate New York to follow Charlotte on her spur-of-the-moment trip as they follow the memories Charlotte has of Esme’s past dalliances. Jack is more focused on which new meal and restaurant he can visit than watching Charlotte’s back, so it’s up to her to question Esme’s past acquaintances as they venture through Paris, Portugal, and Spain. Back home police have made her and Jack Persons of Interest in a case of arson and multiple murders, so Charlotte is risking everything to find her mother and uncover the secrets that have been haunting them for decades.

This 6th in the series is a strong departure from the previous entries, as while it includes travel and organizing tips, much more time is spent on an Amazing Race type of adventure through Europe. The fragility of Charlotte’s emotional state has never been more apparent, but the reasoning for it becomes clearer to Jack and to readers. A lifetime based on a false identity and the need to abandon everything at a moment’s notice has resulted in Charlotte’s need for plans, backup plans, and emergency lists for when that all fails. While it has made her a sought-after professional organizer, it hasn’t been great for her mental health. That makes it all the more frustrating when her friends seem to ignore her fears, even if they aren’t aware of her complicated history. Providing both relief to the suspense and envy for those unable to travel are the outstanding descriptions of Lisbon and Milan, centers of fashion and mouth-watering cuisine. The fast race through Europe as Charlotte and Jack don costumes, dodge possible killers, and interrogate suspects can be both an entry point for new readers to the series and a satisfying end for fans who appreciate a mix of mystery, espionage, and world travel.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters were engaging and the plot was appealing. I look forward to reading more from this author. It was an easy read and very enjoyable- great summer read.

This latest Charlotte Adams mystery was a captivating and exciting one. Here Charlotte was in a race against time in trying to find her mom and save her life, including her own. The past was attacking them with a vengeance, and all hidden secrets began to unravel. It was a trying and testing time for Charlotte, with her new relationship with Jack, trying to find her mother, and staying alive.

I love this series. I love Charlotte and jack. I love their backstory. I can never put these books down, and this one didn't disappoint. This one had us traveling all over Europe with Charlotte trying to locate her mother and make sure she was okay. This book had lots of adventures and lots of action and drama. When I'm picking up a book while making dinner or just before bed, I know it's a good one, and that is what I did with this book. I didn't want to stop reading it!

Mary Jane Maffini has written a fast moving thriller in Death Plans a Perfect Trip in which the heroine discovers her mother Esme had a secret criminal past from Montreal which has surfaced after many years. Esme goes on the lam and her daughter follows her trail; murder and mayhem follow. Read and enjoy the plot twists.

After a long hiatus, Charlotte is back! I read the first five in the series 10 years ago and forgot that I had so when they came up on NetGalley, I read them again. I have a newfound appreciation for Charlotte and her organizing ways now that I am older. This latest one is the best one yet! It’s a little darker than the previous ones but it explains so much about why Charlotte is the way she is. The mystery was excellent, the locations were well described (I’ve been to all of them but even if I hadn’t, I could still picture these amazing locations with the descriptions provided), and the food made me hungry! I really hope this isn’t the last in the series but if it is, then it’s a fitting ending. Highly recommended!

<i>**I had written an amazing review, that was much longer than this one, but it just up and disappeared. *POOF* it was gone. HOW annoying. So I rewrote it and here we are.**</i>

I was so excited to see this new book in this series. I had started this book years ago when I found the first one in the little laundry-room library the apartment building I was living in had and that started me on this fun series. I had enjoyed them and after book 5 [which I thought was the last one], I was happy with the series and what I thought was the ending. So getting a book 6 was just icing on the cake.

All that to say, this was a deeply disturbing book for me. An excellent read to be sure, but still deeply disturbing. It really crosses the line between cozy and regular mystery and there were many unsettling parts of the book. The travel [though not the reason for it], the food, and the relationship between Charlotte and Jack are highlights. The murders, the main story and the end are...well, you just need to read it for yourself to see.

I do hope there are other books coming [I will be first in line to read another] as I would like to see how Charlotte moves forward. If not, then this was an interesting way to go out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Jane Maffini, and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My sixth instalment in Mary Jane Maffini's Charlotte Adams Professional Organizer Mystery series was just as good as the first five. Professional organiser Charlotte is a marvellous protagonist whom I find to be compassionate and smart. The author furnishes the reader with a compelling mystery while providing great fodder for those with the travel bug, as Charlotte goes in search of her famous mum, travelling to various locations in Europe. It was also terrific to learn about Charlotte's past. The book is well-crafted, rich in humour, swift-paced and thoroughly entertaining. The mystery is very engaging and I was kept guessing until later on in this lively tale. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This might be the best one yet! It is SO good that I am worried that it might be the end of the series!

Charlotte's mother Esme has disappeared. Charlotte is so worried that something might be wrong, a feeling that is confirmed when someone breaks into her home and trashed everything while looking for something. Esme's personal assistant is also missing. Almost immediately, others who have a past connection to Esme are harmed and Charlotte has to set out with Jack to try and track down Esme in Europe. She and Jack visit Paris, Lisbon (oh how I love Lisbon and the descriptions there are the best of the lot!), Italy. I was able to revisit places I've been vicariously through this book.

The descriptions of everything are wonderful. I wonder how much travel the author did to write this book. I was transported back to places I've been and that could only be done by someone who also experienced these venues.

Sadly, the ending did leave me with the feeling that it is all over now. I hope that isn't true and that Charlotte has many more adventures with Jack, but if she doesn't, I do feel that it has all ended well. That's not a feeling I often get when reading the last book in a series.

I love every minute with Charlotte in the 6 books. I hope there are more coming. But I am happily satisfied with this one.

Thank you, Mary Jane Maffini!

The description sounded good - mother goes missing, daughter's house ransacked and daughter goes to Europe to find mother - murky history. I especially found the chasing around Europe wearisome and unbelievable, just happening to miss the mother in Paris, Milan and so on. Not knowing addresses other than vague 'it had a blue door' but, of course, immediately going to the right blue door. Afraid I lost interest and it was a challenge to finish the book. Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Very rarely do I read a book in a series out of order. If there are 27 books in a series, I will start at one and read until I get to the end. However, I was gifted this book as an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley and the previous volumes were not on my Libby, so I decided to jump right in and read the newest book in the Charlotte Adams series by Mary Jane Maffini. The cozy mystery hook for Charlotte is that she is a professional organizer. Through the previous books, I imagine that all of the characters that support her in this one are introduced through escapes and adventures. In book number six, Charlotte's mystery surrounds the disappearance of her mother. While searching for her mother, Charlotte discovers the secrets of her childhood and puts together pieces of her past that result in her life being in danger. Her partner, Jack, supports her in all of her wacky decisions and they take off for Europe to find her mother, Esme. Will they find Esme before the bad actors do? Read and find out!

Death Plans a Perfect Trip by Mary Jane Maffini was a fun read! This was the first book I’ve read in the series, however I’d recommend starting with the first book. This one has multiple trips in it and focuses less on organizing and more on mystery.

A good and solid mystery with a touch of thriller, Death Plans a Perfect Trip was an exciting addition to this already fun series.

I really enjoyed following Charlotte throughout all of the locations she visited.

The best part was finally learning Charlotte’s backstory. We’ve had a long journey with her and I’m glad we got to know why she is the way she is.

What a great book! I absolutely love ebooks written by Mary Jane Maffini! I enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure out who done-it! Excited to read more in this series!