Sadly this book just wasn't for me and did not live up to the description. I couldn't relate to any of the characters or truly get into the story. The cleaner just did not draw me in.

The set up for this is a good idea - an anonymous cleaner who has access to the homes and lives of a wealthy set of dysfunctional adults looking for revenge for a family member. There could have been a lot to play with here, sadly however this novel became an overblown, overwritten tale of red-herrings and far too many pointless storylines, with a quite light motivation behind it.
The endless internal monologue of the cleaner Esmie detailing her reasons for being there and what she wanted to do became boring, the path to the 'reveal' and ending became so arduous - as we were lead down various dead ends over and over again - that I just didn't care by the end whether she succeeded or not.
The characters were unlikeable and there were too many of them, there were also too many houses and descriptions of the various cottages etc plus a ridiculous 'dead author obsession' thrown in that didn't need to be there - especially as it was never resolved.
If this had been tightly plotted, kept within four walls, with one family, and a good motive for the revenge (not the quite watery reason that 'Esmie' has) then it could have been good.

A novel with many layers and sub plots. It delves into the lives of three wealthy families in Ireland. All of who have something to hide. It opens with a young girl Esmie who having engineered her way in to becoming their shared cleaner sets about investigating her own tragedy. Esmie is attempting retrace the steps of her brother Nico. He managed to obtain a scholarship to the university only to have it taken from him in suspicious circumstances. We learn early on that he has returned home and is in a coma.
The narrative goes back and forth covering Nico before he left and we see his close relationship with a young girl called Simone, who it appears, has a rather questionable anger issue. Needless to say Esmie does not approve of that match.
With Nico in hospital Esmie wants to find out about his secret life in Ireland and married lover who she sees is responsible for his demise and shame.
As the invisible cleaner, Esmie is able to get close to the families and realises that they are all as corrupt as each other. Linc, the professor is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to gain the "lost “papers from the dead poet Eden Hale, while Ceanna wants the cottage and its contents. Isabella is consumed in an abusive marriage and Amber can't seem to keep her hands to herself.
The sub plots for me were a little unnecessary and detracted from what had the potential to be an exciting read. The twist at the end however did surprise.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication

So i am not great with books which are a little slow paced however, I am glad that I stuck with this one. Interesting idea, strong characters and a really good twist!

I have to say that I didn't really like this book despite the intriguing description. Esmie has arrived at The Woodlands as a cleaner. She is actually trying to find out who is responsible for bad things happening to her brother when he was living there. She is out for revenge. However, I found the story quite far fetched and I didn't warm to any of the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is an intriguing and dark domestic thriller. Esmie has just started cleaning for families living in a gated community. With her limited English she tries to stay invisible as she goes about her duties. But Esmie has a hidden agenda. She is trying to uncover what happened to her beloved brother, Nico, who was friends with each family in ‘The Woodlands’ gated community. This was a slow burn, character driven novel, told from the POV of Esmie in the present day and through flashbacks. Plenty of twists and full of suspense, overall it was an entertaining and fun read.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC

"Houses know"

The first sentence of The Cleaner is a perfect set-up for what is to come. Esmie becomes a cleaner for a gated community. She is invisible to those that she cleans for, and she uses this to her advantage as she looks for revenge on the person that hurt her the most. One issue: she doesn't know who that person is. Will she find the person that changes her life, and what will she do when those she cleans for suddenly start to notice her?

This book was full of reveals as Esmie gets to know her employers, and what happened in her past. There were some complex characters and dynamics, but it all worked very well in the overall story. I found the ending quite satisfying, as it was apt and fitted the characters well.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheCleaner #NetGalley

Such an interesting idea for a novel! I enjoyed the way Esmie is focused and resourceful, planning an accident to get work as a cleaner then using her position to find out what she needs to know in her attempts to avenge what happened to Nico. There’s lots of tension when she’s searching for clues and risking being discovered. The story is intriguing and there are some great twists and turns towards the end that I wasn’t expecting.

A great story with so many twists and turns along the way, it leaves you not quite sure if this is fully over or not....

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publisher's for this ARC. Due to be published 30/01/2025.

This is a slow burn full of suspense. There's a twist nearer to the end which does come as a surprise. I did feel like Esmie didn't deserve the justice she was seeking so it was tricky when you've built up sympathy but then the secrets start coming out and you find yourself challenging everything.

Really enjoyed this. Some things seemed obvious/predictable but there were a lot of secrets and darkness around the family that you didn't quite expect. I did expect a bit more action particularly as Esmie seemed primed for it but on reflection you realise that she's actually quite clever and isn't going to let herself get caught out.

Definitely worth a read!

Lengthy, somewhat repetitive and far fetched - admittedly there were twists. Didn't do much for me I'm afraid.
However my thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for this arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

The Cleaner by Mary Watson introduces us to Esmie, a woman who is meant to be invisible. As a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite bothers to place, she moves through the wealthy, gated neighbourhood of Woodlands unnoticed. Her uniform of leggings and a duster allows her to slip into the homes of the privileged, quietly observing the fractured lives within. But Esmie isn’t just there to clean.

As she treads softly across the polished floors and plush carpets, she gathers more than just dust. She collects the secrets of broken marriages, betrayals, and failures, stowing them away for later use. Because Esmie isn’t just a passive observer. One of the residents took from her the person she loved most, and now she’s here for revenge. Armed with the knowledge her employers unknowingly handed her, she plans to use their secrets against them.

Watson’s debut adult book is an absolute page-turner. I devoured The Cleaner in less than a day, drawn in by its twists, tension, and the thoroughly dislikeable characters that populate Esmie’s world. The book is full of unexpected moments, with the story unravelling in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Dark, gripping, and satisfying, this is a highly recommended read for anyone who loves suspense and sharp character-driven stories.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

The Cleaner is the twisty, dark and tense thriller by Mary Watson.
Our protagonist is Esmie, who has become a cleaner in a gated community- and Esmie quickly tells us that she has to take this job in order to learn more about the families that live here. Why? Well, she is seeking the truth about what happened to Nico. Oh, and she is also seeking revenge.
Over the 300 or so pages, Esmie slowly reveals her backstory and why she wants revenge. My problem is that, by the time, we uncover the truth, I had stopped caring. None of the characters are particularly likable and I didn't care if Esmie did harm them. And has for Esmie's "reason" for revenge when ... (and I want to be careful not to give any spoilers away here), Nico was an adult and made his own decisions. His is equally culpable for many of the events. Treated unfairly? Yes, but Esmie's actions seem over the top. Prehaps if the storyline was shorter, then my interest would not have wained and I would have continued to care about the ending. Admittedly, the twists towards the ending are shocking and one one of the best parts of the story. And that is the reason for 3 stars.

The Cleaner a thriller by Mary Watson is my first time reading a novel by her.

I found this thriller long drawn out but as it moved along it became more interesting.

Esmie becomes a cleaner for the Woodlands cottages a gated secluded community where there are three cottages where certain families are keeping secrets close to their heart and woe betide anyone who gets in their way.

Esmie is a cleaner who herself has a hidden agenda on her mind and is out for revenge as someone among the families she cleans for is responsible for the death of her brother.

Mary Watson brings out passion, pain, heartache, infidelity, murder and revenge and she describes the woodlands rural beauty and the weather elements in great detail.

Thank you to publisher Transworld Digital and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For me there are too many characters in the book to get my head around and really ‘know’. As this is a personal response I didn’t think it fair to give less than a four star review, I have a preference for fewer people who I can get to understand as a storyline evolves. It’s very well written, uncomfortable in a good way (literally had my heart beating too fast at times), and intriguing as to what Esmie’s agenda is, posing as a cleaner to infiltrate these families lives. I think the pace is good, there are some great twists and turns, and it really kept my interest through most of it. I like when I think I know what way a plot is going and am then proved wrong. I recommend this read.

A great read. Once started I could not put this book down. It was totally captivating, creepy, tense, twisted and dark. It keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the end, which has a twist that I did not see coming. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good psychological thriller

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, we follow Esmie, who has arrived in Ireland to uncover the truth about what happened to her brother Nico, who is currently in a coma. The details of what occurred to Nico remain a mystery until the end, but I had my suspicions early on that Esmie wasn’t who she claimed to be. The intimidating messages she receives didn’t quite fit, and that set off alarm bells for me.

Esmie manages to bribe a cleaner for a posh estate to let her take over their duties, allowing her access to the homes of wealthy residents. Once inside, she secretly observes the occupants, discovering a few clues that may or may not be linked to Nico’s situation. She keeps her relationship to Nico hidden and works hard to make herself indispensable, all in an effort to gather more information about the people living there.

While I didn’t connect with Esmie and found myself questioning her motives from the start, and none of the other characters were particularly likable, the story itself kept me engaged. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the book overall and would definitely read more from this author. I’d rate it between 3.5 and 4 stars.

I found this book slightly hard going at first but it soon ramped up and I couldn’t put it down. There are some great twists and turns and in my opinion it is definitely worth reading.

The book jumps straight in with intrigue where Esmie purposely falls off her bike in the lane to enable her to worm her way in as a Cleaner.

This book has vibes of Nita Prose’s The Maid and Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t relate to the characters and I found the story slow and repetitive. I do appreciate the opportunity to read it.

Excellent story. Twists and turns and plots of revenge. Whats not to like?
Thoroughly enjoyable read and once started its hard to put down