The Cleaner

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Description

A beautifully sinister, propulsive page-turning adult debut that explores themes of obsession, identity and privilege, about a woman who takes a job as a cleaner - but what she's really after is revenge... It's not dust she's looking for. It's dirt. Esmie is meant to be invisible. Just a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite has time to place, and a uniform of leggings and a duster that allows her to explore the homes of the wealthy Woodlands gated community, unnoticed. Which is exactly what she wants. Because Esmie isn't really a cleaner. One of the residents of Woodlands has ruined her life. And when she finds out who, she's going to make them pay . . .

Reviews

A heart-thumping thriller packed with exciting twists. * Daily Mail *
The Cleaner is a masterclass in tension. Plotted like an intricate spider's web, I was glued to the page for the entirety. * Jennie Godfrey, Sunday TImes bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things *
Revenge is a dish best served up spotless...The relentless attention to detail is wonderfully claustrophobic. * Sunday Independent *
You'll race through this compelling, sinister mystery. * Fabulous *
Propulsive...compulsive and ambitious. * Irish Times *
A sinister page-turner...that takes readers on a psychological journey. * Irish Sunday Times *
Domestic noir at its finest. * i Paper *
A modern fairy tale beautiful, dark, visceral, truly spellbinding. * Sunday Times and Irish Times No. 1 bestselling author Andrea Mara *
Tense from the first page, the pressure builds inexorably. A multifaceted tale of secrets, obsessions and betrayals. * Sam Lloyd, bestselling author of The Memory Wood *
The Cleaner is a richly textured thriller that veritably hums with menace. Taut, twisty and beautifully atmospheric, it pairs a gripping plot with dark, intricate themes. Class, privilege, wealth and entitlement are all put on trial in this immersive tale of betrayal and revenge. * Kia Abdullah, author of Waterstones Thriller of the Month Those People Next Door *

Author Bio

Mary Watson is from South Africa and now lives on the west coast of Ireland. She has a PhD from the University of Cape Town, where she taught for many years. She won the Caine Prize for African Writing for her adult publishing in South Africa, and in 2014 was named on the Africa39 list of writers under 40 with the potential to define trends in African literature. Her YA novels have been nominated for the Irish Book Awards and the Carnegie medal. Her adult debut, The Cleaner, was an instant Irish Times bestseller.