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.

I was very excited to receive a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It sounded like the type of thriller that I like to read. For the most part I was not disappointed. It is a great plot with a few good twists especially the twist at the end of the book. The characters are interesting. Most of them with secrets. However, the story is a little too drawn out. I was glad I stuck with it but at times, the story dragged.

This is an easy read with a lack of spark. The story focuses on Esmie, who is set to take revenge for Nico. He left his homeland with a prestigious post-graduate scholarship for Ireland full of hope and promise, only to return prematurely as a broken man. Esmie’s plan to find out what happened to Nico and to revenge him, takes her into a wealthy gated community in Ireland, something called the Woodlands. She picks up work as a cleaner and as everyone knows, cleaners are invisible but able to get everywhere. So, she starts to unpick what happened there when Nico was around and discovers many an ugly secrete on the way.

Her investigation takes the reader beyond the polished façade of this entitled community and concludes that they are one thing on the outside and something selfish and shrivelled on the inside. Given that the main protagonist is a non-white female cleaner, the story touches on issues of class, gender and race, which very much remain on the surface of the narrative.

I found it difficult to emotionally engage with her story and felt it to be wooden and somewhat contrived. As a thriller the story failed to thrill – me anyway.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers / Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC by Mary Watson.
I did enjoy the book, and while the narrative was good, I felt that it was a bit drawn out in parts.
The story follows Esmie, who has managed to worm her way into the lives of a disfunctional family who have ruined her brother's life. She is out for revenge and so takes a cleaning job with the family to learn more about them, and to find the best way to get even.
A great idea for a story, and there is a twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
Overall, I enjoyed this book.

I tried, but try as I might, this book was not for me. I found it repetitive. Very repetitive. I also felt that the language seemed quite juvenile. I ended up not caring about Nico at all.

Esmie ingratiates herself into the lives of a small community of 3 houses - friends/relatives - with the intention of wreaking revenge. Exactly what has preceded all this is not clear, information is slowly dripped into the story.
None of the characters in this story are likeable, they are all self-serving. Despite the dislike I felt for the characters I was totally drawn into the story and all their relationships and dislikes of each other.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Mary Watson/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dark, Compelling..
Esmie has a mission, a personal goal. Esme is determined to succeed. A cleaner in a gated community, Esmie is confident that she is nigh on invisible to all around her - but cleaning is the very last thing on her mind. Nothing is quite as it seems in this slow burn, suspenseful thriller with a carefully drawn cast of characters, a sinister undertone and a multi layered plot. Dark and compelling.

This is a slow burn thriller, but nevertheless has an eerie, dark and brooding atmosphere to it right the way through. Esmie’s brother Nico, once full of ambition who had been in England as a foreign student has returned home an apparently broken man. He had lost his place in the University where he was studying along with his student visa and as far as Esmie can make out, it’s as a result of a betrayal of someone within the small community where Nico had lodged. Esmie aims to find out exactly who betrayed him, why and to seek revenge. She manages to ingratiate herself into the lives of those she suspects, working as their cleaner, and this is where we follow Esmie as she quietly searches for clues to the identity of who might have been responsible for her brothers downfall.

Whilst Esmie sneaks around the various houses she cleans, the book goes back in time occasionally and reveals Esmie’s family background, what happened before Nico left for university in England through to his return to the family after his fall from grace. There is the occasional twist as the book moves on and the tension mounts as the book draws to its conclusion. I found it a compelling read. Definitely a psychological thriller covering the traits of jealousy, obsession, control and vengeance.

Just after I finished this book, I watched the TV drama Dead and Buried screened on BBC and was struck by the similarities between that story and the plot in this book, so if you’ve seen that and enjoyed it, you will definitely enjoy this book. A fab read and I loved the ending.

I overall liked the book, however I felt it lacked in places. The suspense just wasn't there and I felt like parts dragged. This is the part that unfortunately stands out to me and has dragged down my review.

Although I reached the end of the book and generally enjoyed the story I thought it dragged in parts. I did not particularly like or empathise with any of the characters. I did like the reveal towards the end of the book, I hadn’t seen this coming so it added a dimension. The book is well written but lacked in something.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review and to the author for her work.

The premise of this book is excellent. There are several excellent twists and turns And I was certain that I knew what was coming but really didn’t. But I never liked or cared about any of the characters and it never fully drew me in.

Esmie had come to Ireland to seek revenge on her brother Nico who is now in a coma. She becomes a cleaner to a gated community that her brother rented a room from. But as doing so she finds out what the residents of the community are really like and wants to find out who wronged her brother. Secrets are unfolded as Esmie finds out things about her brother she never knew about.
I was really looking forward to reading this as I sounded like it was right up my street. I did like the premise of this story line. But with many layers of this story I found that it went off the main object of this story and the story got rather slow that I started losing engagement of the story.
3 stars from me.

The plot seemed intriguing, but it didn't have quite the intrigue and suspense that I was expecting. Undercover as a cleaner to extract revenge for what has happened to your brother. A very clever twist towards the end of the book, but it didn't keep me interested for long enough.