“I do more than mindlessly clean. I watch over everyone, help them manage their days. I shuffle important work to the top of their inboxes, leave snacks so their blood sugar won’t drop, and help course-correct by weeding out the duds. I can easily spot someone who isn’t a good fit here, someone who’s going to waste the company’s time and resources before moving along to something they think is bigger and better. It’s best to oust these people as quickly as possible.”

Cleaner is the first novel by American author, Brandi Wells. The unnamed protagonist is the night time cleaner of a city building that houses the employees of an unnamed company. The employees, too, are unnamed: sometimes given an initial; sometimes dubbed according to some characteristic that the Cleaner gleans from what is on and in their desks and, if their password is handy, their computer files and their emails.

Thus: Yarn Guy (spools of yarn in his bottom drawer); Mr Buff (travel-sized containers of different protein powders); Sad Intern (bottle of probiotics, some B12 and a book on how to master your feelings); The Vomiter; Good Influence; Scissors Guy (a stash of borrowed scissors); Porn Guy (exchanging lewd gifs). There’s L. the security person, M. the delivery person, C. the CEO.

The Cleaner imagines interactions between the employees, and her own potential future encounters with them. She draws conclusions about them from what she finds and conjures up lives for them. She does what she can to mentor them, to make them all a better, more productive employees, all without actually meeting any but the Sad Intern in real life.

She worries about the company’s downsizing, wonders if there’s some creeping illness affecting the business. Then she makes a disturbing discovery about the CEO, and it has her concerned: “All I want is for the company to run smoothly, but I’ve had to deal with not just his mismanagement but his burgeoning personal life. I wouldn’t have to do any of this if he weren’t hurting the company, trying to sever me from these people who clearly need me. I haven’t invested all this time and work for nothing.”

Clearly, the narrator isn’t entirely reliable. She feels heavily invested in the company and employees who are basically unaware of what she gets up to. “I go home and think about all my employees, everyone still left on the fourth floor, and how I can protect them.” She carries out petty acts of sabotage on those she deems unworthy, or endows little rewards and encouragements for those she feels need/deserve them, many of which are blackly funny. And exactly who deserves either praise or punishment changes with a word, a gesture, a blink of the eye. A laugh-out-loud funny, crazy, entertaining debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Headline Wildfire.

This was entertaining, gripping and full of dark humour. I was hooked from the beginning. Definitely recommend.

A thought-provoking thriller that explores the nature of truth and perception, with a gripping storyline and complex characters

I struggled with this if I'm honest. It just didn't grip me. After around 100 pages I had to admit defeat and DNF

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc! I appreciate the privilege of reading it and experiencing the world the author has created!

An interesting take on what it means to live an insular life that is nothing more than work. I found it to be a thought provoking read with a solid smattering of dark humor thrown in for good measure. The main character is a woman who works cleaning a large office in a metropolitan area who has assigned themselves a role of deep importance in the lives of the people who work there. They few themselves as the universal office fixer/parent...despite the fact that the staff literally have no idea who they are. They meddle, they throw out peoples health supplements, encourage in-house fighting, makes judgement calls on who deserves what in terms of gifts, snacks etc.

When they uncover a secret after some of their regular snooping things start to take an interesting turn and sometimes an office will discover that the biggest cause of trouble in the person you never see or think of.

Overall a solid read that I enjoyed.

I thought this book was very entertaining. A lot of dark humour with many thought provoking moments. Explored a lot of interesting themes too.

In Cleaner by Brandi Wells, readers are immersed in the enigmatic world of an unnamed metropolitan city's corporate office block. The night shift of a diligent cleaner becomes the focal point, unravelling a compelling tale of concealed secrets and unforeseen repercussions. Wells skillfully crafts a gripping narrative that delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the latent power dynamics within seemingly ordinary workplace interactions.

The story commences with the cleaner meticulously attending to her nightly tasks, unveiling the personal struggles and hidden vices of the office employees she encounters. From questionable health supplements to covert smoking habits and concealed office romances, Wells astutely captures the nuances that define workplace dynamics, shedding light on the complexity of human behaviour.

As the plot develops, the cleaner stumbles upon a covert email, exposing a secret that has the potential to disrupt not only her job but also the livelihoods of the individuals she has silently observed. Wells adeptly navigates the tension and suspense, creating a palpable sense of impending threat that underscores the consequences of concealed agendas and unspoken truths.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

In Cleaner by Brandi Wells, readers are thrust into the intriguing world of an unnamed metropolitan city's corporate office block, where the night shift of a diligent cleaner unravels a captivating tale of hidden secrets and unforeseen consequences. Wells weaves a gripping narrative that explores the complexities of human relationships and the power dynamics that lurk beneath the surface of seemingly mundane workplace interactions.

The novel opens with the cleaner undertaking her nightly duties, meticulously tending to the desks of various office employees. With a keen eye for detail, she uncovers the personal struggles and vices of the individuals she encounters, ranging from questionable health supplements to hidden smoking habits and clandestine office romances. Wells masterfully crafts a narrative that delves into the intricacies of human behaviour, highlighting the often overlooked nuances that define workplace dynamics.

As the story unfolds, the cleaner stumbles upon a clandestine email, revealing a secret that has the potential to upend not only her job but also the livelihoods of the very individuals she has been quietly observing. Wells skilfully navigates the tension and suspense that permeate the narrative, building a sense of impending threat that underscores the consequences of hidden agendas and unspoken truths.

The author's prose is sharp and incisive, drawing readers into a world where appearances often mask the true intentions and motivations of those within the corporate setting. Wells' vivid descriptions and keen observations offer a compelling glimpse into the intricacies of office politics, unveiling a world where loyalty and betrayal are delicately balanced on the edge of discovery.

Cleaner is a riveting exploration of power, deception, and the precarious balance between trust and betrayal. Wells' astute portrayal of the protagonist's journey highlights the complexities of navigating a world fraught with hidden agendas and unforeseen challenges. This gripping tale serves as a poignant reminder that, sometimes, the most formidable adversaries are the ones we least expect, underscoring the enduring power of secrets and their potential to unravel even the most carefully curated facades.

Not really for me, I didn't gel with the main character and didn't feel there was much happening from a plot perspective.

“I clean the offices and bathrooms and lobbys five nights a week, but my actual job is to take care of everyone. They need so much help”
Cleaning in an anonymous building, full of anonymous people, she gave an abstract view of life.
Her only interactions really were with the security guard and the delivery driver.
However she rifles through the contents of each desk to get little snippets of their habits, building a make believe world of the people who work there.
What would your workspace say about you?
A slow paced novel that’s a social commentary on how workers view the cleaning service - dispensable and unforgettable.
I loved how she made her presence known, what she got up to when no one else was around, and a reminder that you should always be kind to the support staff.
Thanks @brandiwells @headlinepg & @netgalley for the eARC

An interesting thought provoking novel from the pov of one of life's unseen workers, an unnamed office cleaner who creates personalities for the people she cleans up after based on the items they leave in their drawers or how messy they are.
The story follows her indirect involvement with some of the office block employees, finding out what she can and imagining what she can't find out.
I didnt really warm to the writing style and found it quite hard to read and engage with, the lack of names and passive style of writing weren't for me.

I thought this was an interesting read. I liked pieces in this and what it was trying to do but i just didn't love it fully. My main issue with this was the writing and it not really keeping me hooked. It was an interesting character study and i liked how it had a slightly abstract approach to some characters whilst others were explored in a much more straightforward way. It's not a bad book by any means but i don't think was entirely the book for me.

Oh my gosh this book will get you wondering what’s going on when you’re not at work! A really creative story about a cleaner in some offices who feels like it’s her job to also look after the workers, even though she only ever sees one face to face regularly in the workplace. Sometimes the ‘looking after’ is more meddling which leads to all sorts of consequences.
Which reminds me, I must change my computer passwords! Ha ha!
Enjoyable, original story!

A night cleaner of an office block imagines the personalities of staff, and what’s happening in the company, based on what’s on desks, in drawers and on computers (she manages to find or work out passwords - I like to think it would be a bit harder to do this in real life!). She influences what happens in the company through her actions during her shift, and her interactions with an intern who works late. The cleaner is the narrator and as she interacts with so few people, the focus is on her thoughts, feelings and actions, I found the story interesting at first but it became repetitive and trailed off towards the end. However, it did make me think about what my office desk said about me! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy

I rather love our narrator, judging people by their desks. I’m not in an office anymore but I wonder what my former office desk said and my current home set up says about me to a total stranger. I’m the weird person with a talking kangaroo on her desk (yes Skippy is my work buddy).

Wherever my Cleaner works is toxic. The signs are there. The pills, the self help, the intern working when no one else is… So my narrator is trying to help the people who work during the day (and make the mess to clean up). All based on what is on or in their desks. Assumptions maybe slightly misguided ones) are made about these individuals as the paths of Cleaner and office workers never really cross.

The interaction between the Cleaner and the other night owls is so varied; the protectiveness towards the Intern, the annoyance towards L the security guard and the indifference towards M the delivery person. I thought it interesting that Wells gave me very little about the Cleaner, I struggled to create an image of the character.

Cleaner is an entertaining read. My narrator made me smile and smirk through the commentary but I was slightly concerned for them at points. This is a different type of read for me which I did enjoy.

I loved this. The witty voice, the detached closed set, the slow burn. It could have gone lots of ways, and while I was partly expecting it to be more outright thrillery, I was so pleased it went left field.

The blurb of this book intrigued me so much, did it you ?.

The Cleaner ( not named) cleans in an office building on the night shift and she thinks she knows the people who occupy the desks personally, she rifles through the draws and personal belongings, she adds and subtracts things she thinks they need or don’t need.

This was so different to what I’m used to reading, that’s not a bad thing I really enjoyed it as I’m a quite nosy person myself so I liked going around with our cleaner but they took it too far in my opinion.

It’s set a slower pace but I still enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for this eCopy to review

This is all told from The Cleaner's point of view and the other characters are know by initials, I was initially worried that this would get boring but thankfully the whole story was gripping.

The Cleaner of an office building is drawn to those who work on the 4th floor, she tries to help them in their lives and career but is she truly helping them or leading them to destruction? Be careful or she might find out your secrets and turn against you

I'm not sure how plausible this book was, as they apparently manage to gain access to everyone's computer passwords and the ending was a quite a let down

Disappointed by this book. It didn't draw me in or my intrest and I was just skim reading it by the end. Not one for me.