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Book 71 of 2024

A few weeks back I was sent a copy of the upcoming ‘The Cleaner’ (publication January 16) and was automatically intrigued by the synopsis. It was right up my street. This is the debut adult novel by @marym_watson and certainly keeps the tension bubbling throughout. Esmie is the eponymous cleaner, working for three households in an exclusive area of Ireland. She isn’t looking for dust - she is looking for dirt and Esmie is not who she seems. She is not a student taking language classes to improve her English, she is a woman seeking justice. She is Esmerelda Lorenzo, employed by the rich inhabitants of The Woodlands and she is finding answers to the question of what happened to her brother, a brilliantly talented PhD student who was kicked off his course in Ireland. He lodged at The Woodlands and seemed to have interactions with each of the families Esmie cleans for. So, she will keep going as the invisible member of staff who no-one looks twice at.

As I said, tension simmers in this domestic thriller and each of the characters pull you into the story. What I didn’t see coming was the twist. A gasp and a rapid blink of the eyes later I devoured the rest of it hungrily ready to experience the denouement.

If you like a simmering tense thriller this is for you.

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Esmie works as a cleaner for three households in an exclusive area. She is almost invisible to and certainly taken for granted by the rich people she works for. This is fine for Esmie who plans to use this invisibility to take revenge on one of them. The Cleaner is a great thriller with loads of tension and a surprising twist. Most of the characters were well written, particularly the awful employers but I couldn’t take to Mama Bear and, at times, lost patience with Esmie herself. Great plot though.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this review copy.

Mary Watson’s debut adult novel, The Cleaner, is a masterclass in suspense, delivering a gripping and original storyline that had me hooked from the very start.  Without fully reading the blurb beforehand—the proof cover alone was enough to draw me in—I was immediately drawn into Esmie’s world: a cleaner who’s far more than she appears.

The tension as she navigates the secrets of the wealthy had my heart racing, constantly fearing she’d be caught snooping. Watson paints a vivid picture of a secluded street of posh houses on the edge of town, where everyone seems to be lying, hiding secrets not only from their neighbors but also from their own families and spouses. These tangled webs of deceit added layer upon layer to the story, making it even more engrossing.

Watson plays a brilliant game with the reader, putting each character in the spotlight at one point or another, creating a constant guessing game about who is responsible for the actions Esmie is seeking revenge for. I thought I had everything figured out early on, suspecting I knew who was behind it all—but I was wrong. Watson’s clever plotting kept me second-guessing myself, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was a twist that completely changed everything. It was a brilliant, unexpected turn that took the story in a direction I never saw coming.

Esmie’s journey is as emotional as it is thrilling, and her relentless determination kept me turning pages late into the night. The pacing is impeccable, and the narrative brims with tension, making it impossible to put down. Watson has crafted a story that’s both unique and utterly unforgettable.

The Cleaner is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with a fresh twist. Mark your calendars for 16 January — you won’t want to miss this one!

Over the last few years, an interesting domestic staff-turned-avenger subgenre has emerged in thrillers, and each one has been great. This novel has some similarities with the work of Lucy Foley, who often casts domestic staff as ancillary characters whose motives and powers are underestimated by those for whom they toil. The Cleaner does, however, cast such a person in the spotlight: a young female by the name of Esmeralda Lorenzo, determined to find out who is responsible for the downfall of her brother Nico, once a promising PhD student in Ireland who is now a hospital patient in a deep coma. To solve the mystery of his downfall and to exert revenge, Esmeralda cleverly integrates herself into the lives of three families with properties on the upmarket estate where her brother Nico used to live. As a member of this gated community that is built on financial wealth, privilege and secrets, Esmeralda has to work hard to pursue her secret enquiries while remaining invisible to those for whom she cleans. But what to do with the secrets about her own brother she uncovers? And how to react when Nico eventually wakes up from his coma?

An interesting entrant into this new subgenre, this novel was exciting to read but slightly overcomplicated due to too many characters, backstories and layers of gossip. My thanks go to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC gifted to me in exchange for this book review.

This is definitely a slow burn read, follows Esmie who is avenging the hurt caused to her brother Nico who has been expelled from his Irish degree course. They only know the partial story and it takes most of book for you to find it out

The story does go very slowly at times but stick with it as has good ending with few dark twists

An enjoyable book but a slow burn. Esme goes to work as a cleaner at four houses where the owners are all connected. Her brother, Nico once lodged there and is now in a coma. Esme wants to find out what happened to him and seek revenge. None of the characters are particularly likable not even the perfect Nico. Watson drip feeds information often jumping time periods. The twists tend to be obvious.

This was such a gripping revenge thriller! Esmie secures herself a job as the new cleaner for the 3 luxurious homes in The Woodlands, a gorgeous rural Irish setting. Overlooked and underestimated by her rich employees, they have no idea that she’s targeted their homes on purpose - to try to find out what happened to Nico when he stayed there as a student which has changed him forever…

This was quite a slow burner for me, and at first I wasn’t sure if I would fully get into it. But as I got further into the story, I found it totally absorbing, full of darkness and intrigue. There were interesting themes around seeming to have it all - versus what goes on behind closed doors - and where the desire for revenge really comes from.

And the ending - oooooh it was all very clever and quite sinister! A really different and intriguing story!

A slow burn revenge plot. I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately I lost interest so far through. I was curious however as to the outcome. The ending saved the day.

This book really surprised me, the twists and turns were unexpected and the main character, Esmie, was well developed and filled me with sadness for the task that she had undertaken.

THE CLEANER by Mary Watson.
Release date set for the 16th of January 2025.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Penguin and Mary for this ARC.
Revenge is best served cold and all that.
I enjoyed this book.
It wasn't as fast paced as i normally read but still a good book.
The storyline/plot is good.
This is mary's first adult novel

Esmeralda Lorenzo, Esmie for short, is a young woman on a mission. Nico, her older brother, is lying in a coma in hospital, his PhD funding withdrawn and sent home in disgrace from his studies in Ireland. She is determined to find out who was responsible and to destroy them. He was a lodger in a house on the The Woodlands, a very upmarket gated community. Esmie has travelled over to Ireland and manages to engineer an accident in order to meet two of its residents. She offers her services a s a cleaner and begins to insinuate herself into their lives determined to find the person responsible.
As a cleaner, she is invisible in her leggings and t-shirts and just there to clean up their mess to make everything perfect again. It centres on two couples and a pair of warring sisters, Amber and Ceanna. Esmie met Linc, Amber’s husband after the accident. She also met Paul who is their next door neighbour and is married to Isabelle. All is not well behind their picket fence. But Esmie doggedly pursues her own agenda by snooping around their houses while discovering secrets and gossip. Unfortunately, she becomes part of them.
But they all want something they can’t have. Linc wants the lost papers of a dead poetess, Eden Hale, Ceanna wants her stepfather’s cottage and contents and Amber wants to be loved completely by one man despite resorting to others. Isabelle has another life which is becoming too close to the Woodlands as she chafes at her gilded case.
Prior to moving to Ireland, Nico was engaged to a local girl, Simone, who has, to put it mildly, anger management issues and Esmie did not approve of her. Perhaps with good reason.
And then Nico wakes up…..
This is the author’s debut adult novel as she is known for her YA books. This showed in ‘The Cleaner’ as, at times Esmie seemed a lot younger than 25. The book reminded me in parts of ‘Maid’ by Stephanie Land in its depictions of invisibility, cleaning routines and being an unseen part of peoples lives.
However, I didn’t really care about the characters as they seemed to exist in their own vacuum. Linc mooning after Eden Hale and her ‘lost’ work – even Esmie rolled her eyes at him always going on about her and after a while so did I. I also found it hard to believe that Esmie had so much time to go snooping and that incriminating writing such as stories of escape were so easy for her to find and read at length. The book was slow in some places and I thought that it could have been shorter. However, the twist at the end was a surprise as was the bittersweet ending.
There were some good plotlines specially Isabelle’s sideline which has huge and disturbing ramifications. I wasn’t so interested in Amber and her pastimes.
Although this book wasn’t really for me, I would like to read the author’s next book.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

This book is perfect for lovers of Slow-burn, revenge thrillers! The twists at the end took me by surprise and were totally unexpected. I personally found the pacing a bit too slow for my liking.

I loved this, such a brilliant debut read. A beautiful dark twisty atmospheric page turner. The story just pulls you in from the first page. I couldn’t put this book down.
The story is about Esmie, who is a cleaner working for a few families in The Woodlands, a gated neighbourhood. And her journey for revenge. It is told through Esmie’s perspective, present and past.
It’s very well written and the author describes the woodland and the weather in great detail with a complex storyline, plenty of twists and an ending you don’t see coming. Just brilliant. It explores identity, privilege, jealousy, manipulation and revenge.
It’s character driven, and most of these are unlikeable. But I enjoyed getting to know them, their relationships and family secrets. I was rooting for Esmie. I really liked her as a character.
Overall, a powerful, intriguing dark domestic thriller full of tension. Definitely recommend if you enjoy this genre.
First time reading @marym_watson and I look forward to reading more from this author.
With thanks to #NetGallery #RandomHouseUk #TransworldPublishers for an arc of #TheCleaner in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 16 January 2025.

"The Cleaner" is an excellent psychological thriller set in a small enclave of properties somewhere in Ireland. Everyone seems to know everyone else's business - or is this really the case? For 2 months one summer a replacement cleaner from an unspecified Spanish speaking country (possibly somewhere in South America) works in the various properties and tries to discover more about the inhabitants. There is plenty of drama and a plot twist near the end. The novel is well written and atmospheric, but there are not really any empathetic characters.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a twist!!

The tension throughout this book is palpable and I could not put this book down! I devoured this in one sitting and was gripped on every page. You feel so immersed in the story and it consumed me. There is a huge unexpected twist that I just did not see coming and it left me picking my jaw up from the floor. Written in a past perspective and a present perspective, the character development allowed you to learn more about each character through the main protagonist, as she found out things about them herself. This is a true revenge plot domestic thriller!

The Cleaner is a psychological thriller that weaves a dark and complex tapestry of revenge, obsession, and secrets.

At its heart is Esmie, a woman with a quiet, unassuming exterior, working as a cleaner for a wealthy, family. Yet beneath her routine job, Esmie is driven by a far more sinister motive: revenge. Her brother, Nico, has returned from England a broken man, ruined by a betrayal within their small community. Esmie will stop at nothing to uncover the person responsible and bring them to justice.

From the opening pages, the story pulls you into its labyrinth of twists and turns, each one more gripping than the last. The narrative unfolds through a series of intricate revelations that keep the reader on their toes, constantly reevaluating what they think they know. Esmie’s quiet quest for vengeance is set against the backdrop of a seemingly perfect, upscale world where appearances mask hidden truths. As she cleans the homes of her wealthy clients, she gathers the clues that could expose the betrayal that ruined her brother’s life.

What sets The Cleaner apart is the careful, deliberate construction of its plot. Early on, the pacing feels slow, but once you pass the first quarter of the book, the tension steadily builds. Every detail, no matter how insignificant it might seem at first, is purposeful, and each new revelation draws you deeper into the web of secrets surrounding Esmie and her family. The sense of foreboding is pervasive, creating a dark, brooding atmosphere that lingers throughout the novel.

The book also does a brilliant job of exploring the emotional complexity of its characters. Esmie is a fascinating protagonist —calculating, methodical, and yet deeply human in her motivations. Her quiet interactions with those around her reveal a woman who has learned to mask her true intentions, while her flashbacks to her past offer glimpses into the fragile bonds of family and the price of betrayal. Similarly, the supporting characters, particularly the enigmatic individuals Esmie cleans for, are crafted with depth and nuance, making them both suspects and victims in their own right.

As the plot progresses, the story shifts between the present and the past, gradually unveiling more about Nico’s fall from grace and Esmie’s role in uncovering the truth. This non-linear approach heightens the tension, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of the betrayal and what Esmie is willing to do to seek her revenge. The book’s pacing ensures that just when you think you have the mystery figured out, another twist or reveal sends you back to square one.

Ultimately, The Cleaner is a slow-burn thriller that rewards patience with a shocking and satisfying conclusion. It’s a compelling exploration of jealousy, control, and the devastating effects of hidden secrets. If you're a fan of domestic thrillers or enjoy stories about complex, morally ambiguous characters, this one is not to be missed. With its eerie atmosphere, well-crafted characters, and unpredictable plot, it’s a gripping read that will linger in your mind long after you turn the final page

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Revenge fiction
- Slow burn
- Clever plot twist

With thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

This was a really slow burner for me to the point that I almost DNF’d at about 40% but I’m glad I decided to persevere!

Although not my favourite read due to the pacing and backstory, the plot twist was well done and really got me back into the story!

I’m not really sure how I feel about this one, I did really enjoy it but the book felt like a build up and then everything was solved and concluded really quickly. I like that everything was tied up however I felt like the book didn’t really explain how the character got to those conclusions it all clicked with no massive clues.
All the characters were not likeable but they were also very basic, I didn’t really feel like I’d got to know any of them.
All in all an okay book, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Esmeralda Lorenzo is employed as a temporary cleaner for The Woodlands, an exclusive gated neighbourhood in Ireland.

She is hard working and efficient, and the owners of the three homes she cleans are impressed. However, Esmie, as she likes to be called, has tricked her way into the complex for one purpose only. Revenge. Currently her brother Nico is in hospital in a coma. Studying in Ireland, he lodged with one of the owners. He returned home part way through his course, having been dismissed. However, it is unclear why and it gradually sends Nico into a spiral of depression and drug use, resulting in his current situation. This has compelled Esmie to travel to Ireland, not only to try to discover what happened but to exact revenge.

The story is told from Esmie’s perspective, detailing the events that led her here as well as her current interactions with the residents of The Woodlands. As she settles into her cleaning regime, she gets to know them all: privileged, middle class and with secrets of their own.
I have to say, they are without exception, a pretty awful bunch.

It’s a well-paced read, with past and present cleverly intertwined. The plot is complex and although maybe a little slow to start, once the tension builds I was hooked. And then just when you think the story has reached its conclusion, there’s an unexpected twist…

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House UK for an ARC of The Cleaner in exchange for an honest review.