Clean

(Paperback)

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THE NUMBER 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'A masterclass in suspense' PAULA HAWKINS

A spellbinding nightmare FERNANDA MELCHOR

A book of intense power PHILIPPE SANDS

'A compelling book, with a tightly coiled power' PANDORA SYKES

The shockingly compulsive new literary thriller from the International Booker-shortlisted author of The Remainder.

Clean begins with an inescapable fact: a girl has died. Told by Estela, a maid to a wealthy, middle class family who speaks to us from a locked room, we hear of her plight and the circumstances that led to this moment. As we enter into her account of her daily existence, we see how her apparently simple life begins to sour, but would that drive her to the unthinkable

Disturbing and profound, Clean explores domestic work, class and violence, against the backdrop of Chiles changing political landscape. This is one of the most daring and compelling thrillers in international literature.

'Uncomfortable and provocative a chilling account' FINANCIAL TIMES

'I hardly paused for breath' ALICE SLATER, author of Death of a Bookseller

'Remarkable, gripping' SARAH BERNSTEIN, author of Study for Obedience

'Terrifying, explosive and exhilarating' KATIE KITAMURA, author of Intimacies

Beautifully written and profound LUCIE WHITEHOUSE, author of Last Witness

Number 1 Bestseller in Sweden

Reviews

[A] devilishly well-paced thriller deftly entwined with reflections on class and oppression New Yorker

Extraordinary an intense novel about class and power and the kind of deep down rot that lingers, despite the most vigorous scrubbing NPR Fresh Air

A spellbinding nightmare A biting, addictive portrait of the rot good families conceal Fernanda Melchor, author of Hurricane Season

'Rich and compellingUncomfortable and provocative' Financial Times

Compelling, claustrophobic and irresistible a masterclass in suspense and a clear-eyed portrait of isolation and grief Paula Hawkins, author of Blind Spot

A book of intense power Philippe Sands, author of The Last Colony

'Compelling with a tightly coiled power' Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We're Doing it Right

This unnerving Chilean literary thriller cuts like a knife Trabucco is a rising star The Bookseller

Zern is a powerhouse explosive and exhilarating Katie Kitamura, author of Intimacies

A strong narrative energy drives the novel to its conclusion, by which time the atmosphere is so full of dread you could weigh it Guardian

'Disturbing and commanding [a] gripping intimate story' Laline Paull, author of Pod

A remarkable, gripping exploration of the dynamics of class, agency and culpability Sarah Bernstein, author of Study for Obedience

'Brutal, beautiful, feverishly propulsive Jenny Mustard, author of Okay Days

A white-knuckle ride that kept me gripped from the very first page I hardly paused for breath Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller

'A unique, chilling read' Press Association

Buzzing with tension, crime and menacingly complex class divisions Holly Pester, author of The Lodgers

A novel of disturbing intensity and startling clarity Helen Charman, author of Mother State

Pacy yet vivid Jen Calleja, author of Vehicle

A hypnotic and coldly, powerfully precise novel Marina Kemp, author of The Unwilding

Author Bio

Alia Trabucco Zern was born in Chile in 1983. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for her MFA in Creative Writing at New York University and she holds a PhD in Spanish and Latin American Studies from University College London. Her debut novel, The Remainder was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2019. Her non-fiction title, When Women Kill won the British Academy Book Prize 2022 and was shortlisted for the National Books Critics Circle Criticism Award, and film rights have been sold. Her latest novel, Clean, is being translated into 15 languages. She won the Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writers Award 2024 for her next project. She lives in Santiago.