Grace is a forensic cleaner...great start to this book, but for me it lost its way about halfway through and the twist was just a bit beyond believable....still, not a bad read. Many thanks to Netgalley.co.uk, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

What a page turner. This book isn't what I expected at all. The mystery of the story continues throughout, with lots of twists along the way. Grace is a fantastic character and I felt really drawn in to her story. The first half of the book is completely turned on its head by the second half, and I loved how the story was far from boring. Just as you think you have figured the plot out, another twist is thrown in to the mix and you doubt everything you had thought. The scenes and characters were set brilliantly and you could absorb yourself into the book. I found this mystery thriller fiction story to be very original and unique. I think this would also be a great book for a buddy read or a group readalong.

Completely original and unexpected crime mystery!

Let me start by saying that The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill is not to be missed. This novel is an expert blend of mystery, character and social commentary. It’s tinged with sadness and thought-provoking themes, which are wrapped in an utterly compelling and engrossing mystery. It’s a slow-burner and Robertson has expertly crafted the plot to gradually reveal its dark secrets. I was completely wrapped up in what the link might be between the individuals that Grace cleaned up after and did not see the huge reveal coming about two thirds of the way in. This is truly an example of a twist being executed to perfection, flipping the book on its head and drastically changing the direction. I really enjoyed this and absolutely loved the fact that it was so unexpected and surprising. As the final elements wove together, it proved what a clever and intricately plotted novel this is and I was left breathless by just what happened. In fact, it’s taken me a couple of days to be able to process everything and write this review!

As well as the mystery at the core of the plot, I was really drawn into the social commentary at the heart of the story. Grace’s job of cleaning up the homes of the deceased who have lain for weeks (or more) without being found, means she sees the lowest point of life, society and human nature. The novel shines a light on the very real problem of loneliness, particularly in later life. Robertson creates a vivid sense of place in his descriptions of Glasgow, but similarly depicts the severe lack of a sense of community. None of the deceased Grace has cleaned up after we’re really noticed as having disappeared from life by their neighbours. It’s a very sad, yet realistic, aspect of the novel and caused me to pause and think on a number of occasions. It’s often heartbreaking and it makes this book a really powerful read.

However, this book is very much about Grace and WOW! What a character! She will definitely be staying with me for a long time. She’s immediately likeable as somebody who seems to maybe be misunderstood, sitting on the outskirts of life and having suffered in her life. This vulnerability makes her accessible and I felt a great sympathy for her. However, despite the sorrow of her existence, she injects some real humour (at times rather black) into her narrative. It’s written in her first person voice and it’s a really unique and refreshing one. She drew me into her story and I loved how her character developed over the course. She’s definitely a literary onion and as her layers are peeled away we realise she is a complex, deeply flawed character who is not without heart or a sense of morality. She’s completely a product of the tortured upbringing she’s suffered and the continuing abuse of her alcoholic father. Despite her flaws, I found Grace to be a relatable character and I was rooting for her in spite of her questionable actions and decisions.

If you enjoy your crime novels with an unputdownable mystery, suspicious characters and some completely unexpected, gut-wrenching twists, The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill should definitely be on your TBR - you won’t be disappointed!

Grace McGill has George, her beloved cat, and she has her own business - deep cleaning the properties of The Undiscovered's: people who die alone and remain that way until they are found, sometimes months later.

This novel is a morbidly fascinating peek into Grace's dark world as she attempts to understand the mysterious circumstances behind several deaths and one girl's disappearance decades ago, all pieced together from a hidden photograph and a number of newspapers all dated the same date, spread over several years she found in one of the homes she cleaned.

I found this a great novel, and the title is quite ingenious! There is more to Grace McGill than meets the eye. A refreshingly original and gripping dark twisted thriller. I absolutely loved it and the twist, didn't see that coming!

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Brilliant!
This was beyond all expectations I held.
I loved the fact it mentioned recent events , Grace makes a point of how the lockdowns had a big impact on the length of time people were left unfound after passing away.
This main character was something else, so clever and quirky and slightly ocd.
I was fascinated with the in depth cleaning rituals and processes .

The twist in this book is mind blowing !
This is a fabulously dark, disturbing and slightly morbid book that is impossible to tear yourself away from and lives on in your head long after the final page

When people die alone and undiscovered, it's her job to clean up what's left behind - whether it's clutter, bodily remains or dark secrets.

When an old man lies undetected in his flat for months, it seems an unremarkable life and an unnoticed death. But Grace knows that everyone has a story and that all deaths mean something more

I found the idea of the book and initial chapters so interesting as the topic of a woman being a death cleaner and what it entails and what she would go through emotionally after. Then….. the story evolves and twists and turns and I just could not put it down. Such an interesting and different book with a great concept. Read it – you won’t be disappointed at all!

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#TheUndiscoveredDeathsofGraceMcGill #NetGalley

What a read.
I'll be honest, this one was a difficult read for me at the start. The premise was too close to home, and I had to put it down to come back to later.
Grace McGill is a cleaner, but no ordinary one. She cleans the houses of people who have died in their homes weeks, sometimes months before. A close family member was found in 2020, after only a day but I still couldn't bear to read about it. Once I got past this though, I read the second half very quickly.
Grace was the perfect character for the book. She is an angry but emotional character who cares for the dead in a way they never had during ther lives.
Can we talk about her dioramas? Grace builds miniature models of the flats she cleans, and I can't think of a more fascinating medium to portray Grace and her work.
The mystery that the book revolves around is a complex one and did need many characters, but Robertson reminded us throughout who they were in relation to the story.
But wow, that ending. Sensational. There were elements I had suspected as the book progressed, but Robertson blew the book out of the water.

Also posted to my Instagram and Facebook pages Curling up with a coffee and a kindle

I was sent a copy of The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill by C.S. Robertson to read and review by NetGalley. This is a really involved and clever novel. The pace of your reading seems to echo the state of protagonist Grace’s mind. It’s written first person, which I always enjoy as it enables you to get deep inside the character. Grace is a loner with a very unpleasant job to do - but I really don’t want to go into what the story is about, I just want you to get yourself a copy of this book and enjoy!

Grace McGill is a death cleaner. She's the one who's brought in after a body has been discovered, usually after quite some time. There's a lot more to Grace though, and this is what you'll find out in this stunning book. I was gripped from the very start and found it so hard to put this one down. The storyline was unique, the characters were amazing, and the words flowed. Everything was expertly executed and I was sad to finish. The story is told from Grace's point of view and done so well. Grace is a great character and I loved her quirkiness. I loved the tension, I love the writing, and I really loved the story. It is one that will stay with me for quite some time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for the review.
I very much liked the idea of the story in this book but in reality I have to confess it just left me feeling a little flat and I never really got into it very much culminating in not going beyond a third of the way through the book.
I'm sure give the other reviews that it is just me that didn't really get it so awarding it a middle of the road three out of five

Grace McGill was a cleaner, but not your normal, run of the mill cleaner – Grace was a forensic cleaner, a death cleaner. She cleaned up the rooms where people had died and not been found, sometimes for months. It was messy and fetid, but Grace enjoyed her work and took pride in it. Grace would take what she thought were mementoes of a person’s life, things she thought the family would like. And she always looked for things that stood out, perhaps shouldn’t be there. The dioramas she made at home with only George, her cat, looking on, she made as realistic as she could. Grace was decidedly different…

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill by C.S. Robertson was weird – Grace was weird! I didn’t like the book much, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening, and I put it down to read something else a few times. I also did a fair amount of skimming. I’m sorry but this book definitely wasn’t for me.

With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton UK, via NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very different from my usual reads and when I initially picked it up I wasn’t sure if I would like it. but I soon was proven wrong as I started to page turn as my interest in the story grew. Grace lives on her own with just her cat for company. She has a very unusual job, Grace is a cleaner who specialises in cleaning up the homes of the poor people who die alone and are not discovered for some time.

I could not imagine doing Grace’s job. She feels she is helping the people who’s homes she cleans and she feels angry and upset that they have lay undiscovered by friends, family and society.

When Grace begins to find links which connect a few recent deaths to that of a young girl who had disappeared over 50 years ago she feels compelled to learn more about the unresolved mystery.

This book is full of realistic descriptions of the nature of Graces job which some people may find uncomfortable. I feel these did add to the story and sometimes I felt I was alongside Grace and glad when I realised I wasn’t.

I really liked Graces character and felt for her lonely lifestyle., but the big twist in the story took me completely by surprise. The way the author wove the plot and how it all came together was remarkable.

I thought this book was totally unique with a very memorable main character. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this highly original thriller.

Grace McGill has an unusual job , she is a cleaner but with a macabre twist , she cleans up premises where people have lain undiscovered for weeks or even months. She is called in by phone and always goes and makes an excellent job of the clean up . She lives alone but her alcoholic father is very demanding of her . It turns out that Grace is more involved in the stories of the deceased she cleans up after than is evident on the surface. An interesting story with many twists and surprises as it unfolds.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what can I say? This book is by far the best book I have read in a while. So refreshingly different. It deserves the film treatment. Here's hoping. I cannot wait for the next book by the author. Fabulous.

Most people will at sometime in their career will be unhappy with their working life. But if they were to compare their job to Grace’s they might think about things differently. Her job was definitely one that I couldn’t do and I felt a huge relief that I couldn’t smell as I read. Her job was to clean the homes of those who had died alone and were undiscovered for a long time. She found comfort in her work, knowing that she made it easier for any loved ones but also felt anger, frustration and sadness that they had died alone. But she also became obsessive, not willing to let things go, to the extent that despite her promise to George the cat that she wouldn’t take the job home it was all she thought about. Her job was everything to her and in her determination to find answers about a missing teenage girl decades ago she placed herself in danger.

Grace has a lot in common with the people whose homes she cleans. She is one of the loneliest characters I’ve come across in fiction. A difficult relationship with her abusive father, at first her only real friend is her cat who she seemed to regard as human in many ways. Later in the novel she does make a friend, but this is a difficult relationship. The reasons for this are very clear, to the reader by the time she meets him, but her friend has no idea what Grace is actually like.

Grace was a character who affected me in many ways. She made me laugh but also left me feeling sad at her loneliness and the way she only had confidence in company when using an alias to help her find the truth. She was also a character who was impossible to dislike, even in the second half of the novel.

This is definitely one of the strangest novels that I have read and parts of it affected me deeply. It is difficult to say why, the less you know about the storyline the more you appreciate it. But, I can say that I think it will make many people be there for others more

An original idea for a story which I enjoyed.

Grace has a very unusual job as a cleaner that cleans up after people have been found dead.

She finds a link to some recent deaths and one from years before and turns into a bit of a detective.

Easy to read, gripping and left me wondering what was going to happen next

Grace McGill on the face of it lives a pretty unremarkable, solitary life, just her and a cat. She is a cleaner, but not the average type of house or office cleaner - she is a cleaner who specialises in cleaning up homes of the sad, the old and the ill, those who die alone and are not discovered until they have been dead for weeks.

Grace discovers a link between some of the recent deaths and another death of a young woman in 1964 and decides to try to find out what happened to this woman, putting her own safety at risk in the process.

I really had no idea what to expect from this book when reading it. At first it seemed like a murder mystery, then there is a huge twist about half way through the book that I was not expecting.

This might be an uncomfortable story to read, but it does make you think. Maybe we should check up more on those neighbours that live alone.

3 stars because one aspect of the story just didn’t quite make sense to me, and also the fact that Grace kept needlessly putting herself in danger was really frustrating.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Grace McGill knows death, after all her job is to clean up after a body is discovered . “Equip. Remove. Soak. Disinfect. Soak again. Dispose. Decontaminate. Check. Wash hands”, that’s her mantra. She’s proud of her work, of bringing some dignity to those people whose bodies have lain undiscovered for months so, when she stumbles upon some similarities in a couple of these jobs, she’s determined to bring to light the truth behind a 60 year old mystery.

After being offered a widget I was a bit dubious to accept it at first, but then I started seeing several glowing reviews so I had to see for myself what it was all about. And I’m so glad I did! The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill is certainly different!

First of all, if you’re a bit squeamish and not a big fan of graphic descriptions, this one probably isn’t for you. The author is not afraid to describe in detail the decomposition process and the scene it leaves behind. That’s a normal day in my job so I didn’t mind at all!

Grace is such a lovable character. She’s quirky, interacting with other people doesn’t come easily for her, and she has a dark sense of humor that made her much more appealing as a character. You have to root for her, especially after learning about her despicable father (what a prick!).

The mystery itself was very engaging and halfway through there’s an OMG moment that completely changed the direction the story was going. If you think you know where this is directed, think again! I was truly shocked! What unfolded after was a dark mystery that lead to an ending that was heartbreaking but made perfect sense with Grace’s character and her journey.

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill is an engrossing and original story with a quite memorable main character that will grip you right from the start.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never really given much thought to the people who have to clean up after tragedies. Whether they be crime scenes or terrible accidents, it’s something that I haven’t exactly avoided thinking about but I guess I’m my naïveté I never considered.

Nor have I ever given much thought to what would happen after I die.
I live with the love of my life so I know I’d be discovered quite quickly, but what happens when we’re old. If he goes before me?
Now it will be all I think about thanks to the sobering and somber tones of this book.

Thank you to C.S. Robertson, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for an invitation read to this book.

Grace McGill is a forensic cleaner, she’s the one that goes in after a death and cleans the scene
Following the discovery of the corpse of an old man who died alone and several month ago Grace is called in to clean up.
As Grace goes about her job she discovers a pattern emerging and begins to investigate

Grace a bit of a loner is an interesting character to get to know. The narrative has a morbid humour led by Grace. It is dark and disturbing at times with some twists along the way

A very different story and I found it enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title