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The Cleaner: A Novel
It’s not dust she’s looking for . . . it’s dirt.
Esmie is meant to be invisible. A cleaner for an exclusive gated neighborhood in Ireland, Esmie fades into the background, slipping in and out of kitchens and closets, quietly observing her clients’ perfect domestic lives. These entitled families only see a quiet woman with a mop in hand, who speaks with an accent they don’t bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants.
Esmie is well aware that her employers don’t truly see her. To them, she’s a foreigner who cleans up their messes. But there’s one mess she refuses to clean up. Because Esmie is not a cleaner. She’s come to this neighborhood for one purpose and one purpose only. Revenge. Armed with a duster and a cunning plan, Esmie could soon find herself entangled with the very people she came to destroy.
The Cleaner exposes the dark underbelly of a protected society, revealing the dirty truths that lie beneath its polished facades of privilege.
Esmie is meant to be invisible. A cleaner for an exclusive gated neighborhood in Ireland, Esmie fades into the background, slipping in and out of kitchens and closets, quietly observing her clients’ perfect domestic lives. These entitled families only see a quiet woman with a mop in hand, who speaks with an accent they don’t bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants.
Esmie is well aware that her employers don’t truly see her. To them, she’s a foreigner who cleans up their messes. But there’s one mess she refuses to clean up. Because Esmie is not a cleaner. She’s come to this neighborhood for one purpose and one purpose only. Revenge. Armed with a duster and a cunning plan, Esmie could soon find herself entangled with the very people she came to destroy.
The Cleaner exposes the dark underbelly of a protected society, revealing the dirty truths that lie beneath its polished facades of privilege.
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First published July 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 570 reviews
October 17, 2025
A slow burn domestic thriller that was packed with as much intrigue as juicy drama, The Cleaner took me behind the exclusive gates of a wealthy Irish community while Esme sought to exact her revenge. Cleverly plotted via dual timelines and plenty of gripping flashbacks, the past and the present easily intertwined into a heartrending tale layered with poignant emotion. Asking the question of how far you might go for revenge, the slow reveal of dark secrets made me desperate to learn the who, what, where, when, and why behind this cunning plan. After all, with an unreliable narrator as my guide, I didn’t know who or what to trust—up to and including Esme herself.
The only teeny, tiny issue that I had with this adult debut was the fact that I was able to guess each of the twists before their reveals. That, of course, most likely wasn’t down to the writing, but instead thanks to my insatiable appetite for all things suspense. Despite my ability to see through the twists, though, I was won over completely by the deft plotting and the morally gray characters. The definition of rich people behaving badly, these unlikeable individuals had a whole heaping dose of eye-popping dirty laundry, which was a blast to uncover. You see, I got to be a fly on the wall as their illicit deeds were laid bare and Esme contemplated how to exact her revenge.
All said and done, this character-driven novel was a thought-provoking examination of class, entitlement, and privilege. With secrets behind secrets in this onion-like plot, the depth had my fingers flying at speed. After all, it was a high-stakes game that seethed with a quiet rage and obsession, both of which pulled me deeply into the story. A taut, nuanced tale of revenge, it had me thinking long and hard about the lengths one might go if given the chance. So if you love seeing behind the gates as dirty truths are exposed, I highly recommend grabbing this book now. Just be sure to ask yourself one question. How far would YOU go if you were Esme? Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Esmie is meant to be invisible. A cleaner for an exclusive gated neighborhood in Ireland, Esmie fades into the background, slipping in and out of kitchens and closets, quietly observing her clients’ perfect domestic lives. These entitled families only see a quiet woman with a mop in hand, who speaks with an accent they don’t bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants.
Esmie is well aware that her employers don’t truly see her. To them, she’s a foreigner who cleans up their messes. But there’s one mess she refuses to clean up. Because Esmie is not a cleaner. She’s come to this neighborhood for one purpose and one purpose only. Revenge. Armed with a duster and a cunning plan, Esmie could soon find herself entangled with the very people she came to destroy.
Thank you to Mary Watson and Crown Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: July 29, 2025
Content warning: murder, violence, infidelity, child abuse, racism, drug use, domestic abuse
The only teeny, tiny issue that I had with this adult debut was the fact that I was able to guess each of the twists before their reveals. That, of course, most likely wasn’t down to the writing, but instead thanks to my insatiable appetite for all things suspense. Despite my ability to see through the twists, though, I was won over completely by the deft plotting and the morally gray characters. The definition of rich people behaving badly, these unlikeable individuals had a whole heaping dose of eye-popping dirty laundry, which was a blast to uncover. You see, I got to be a fly on the wall as their illicit deeds were laid bare and Esme contemplated how to exact her revenge.
All said and done, this character-driven novel was a thought-provoking examination of class, entitlement, and privilege. With secrets behind secrets in this onion-like plot, the depth had my fingers flying at speed. After all, it was a high-stakes game that seethed with a quiet rage and obsession, both of which pulled me deeply into the story. A taut, nuanced tale of revenge, it had me thinking long and hard about the lengths one might go if given the chance. So if you love seeing behind the gates as dirty truths are exposed, I highly recommend grabbing this book now. Just be sure to ask yourself one question. How far would YOU go if you were Esme? Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Esmie is meant to be invisible. A cleaner for an exclusive gated neighborhood in Ireland, Esmie fades into the background, slipping in and out of kitchens and closets, quietly observing her clients’ perfect domestic lives. These entitled families only see a quiet woman with a mop in hand, who speaks with an accent they don’t bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants.
Esmie is well aware that her employers don’t truly see her. To them, she’s a foreigner who cleans up their messes. But there’s one mess she refuses to clean up. Because Esmie is not a cleaner. She’s come to this neighborhood for one purpose and one purpose only. Revenge. Armed with a duster and a cunning plan, Esmie could soon find herself entangled with the very people she came to destroy.
Thank you to Mary Watson and Crown Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: July 29, 2025
Content warning: murder, violence, infidelity, child abuse, racism, drug use, domestic abuse
December 17, 2025
“The Cleaner”, by Mary Watson
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me 5 attempts to get into this book.
When the audiobook was available from the library I decided to download a copy to see if it would help me to go through it. Although the narration felt the same for every character, it was more enjoyable than reading the book on its own.
I liked the concept, even if’s done before, but the development was very slow and not that gripping. The writing was also very repetitive.
The main character’s obsession with her brother was on the verge of being incestuous, so it may not please every reader. Nico’s name was mentioned over 500 times.
The story was a bit interesting, but its development lost direction and it failed to capture my full attention, especially with the confusing timeline structure.
I picked this book because I liked the cover, which was constantly coming up on my feed by its publishers.
Overall I thought that the author tried too hard, and at the end I didn’t care for this work.
This the author’s first book written for adults. She started writing this book in 2020, during the pandemic.
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me 5 attempts to get into this book.
When the audiobook was available from the library I decided to download a copy to see if it would help me to go through it. Although the narration felt the same for every character, it was more enjoyable than reading the book on its own.
I liked the concept, even if’s done before, but the development was very slow and not that gripping. The writing was also very repetitive.
The main character’s obsession with her brother was on the verge of being incestuous, so it may not please every reader. Nico’s name was mentioned over 500 times.
The story was a bit interesting, but its development lost direction and it failed to capture my full attention, especially with the confusing timeline structure.
I picked this book because I liked the cover, which was constantly coming up on my feed by its publishers.
Overall I thought that the author tried too hard, and at the end I didn’t care for this work.
This the author’s first book written for adults. She started writing this book in 2020, during the pandemic.
December 18, 2024
We meet Esmie (Esmeralda) who’s come to Ireland from her own, far away country. She’s on her bike but waiting by the edge of the road for something. That something turns out to be a fast driving car with two men in it. Of course there’s a small accident but Esmie is being carried into a lovely home by the owner of the car – and the home – by the name of Linc. His friend is Paul. Together with their wives Amber and Isabelle they live in The Woodlands, a very fancy neighbourhood. There’s also Ceanna, sister of Amber, who lives alone after the death of her husband, child ánd father, who’s only recently passed away.
But why is Esmie there? She’s there to take revenge on these people. On of them was the cause of the death of her brother Nico, who came to Ireland for his PhD but came home broken and unrecognisable to his and Esmie’s mother and their best friend Simone, his fiancée.
Complicated? Not at first sight. But Esmie slowly gains the trust of the people she meets at The Woodlands, not in the least because she actually is a very good cleaner (although she has a completely different profession) and because all those people share different secrets and Esmie is someone who can keep a secret.
Before long, we read about Esmie’s background and begin to understand what happened to her brother – and there are secrets behind secrets.
I read this book in just a few short hours because it grabbed me from the first few pages. There are secrets behind secrets, and some unexpected twists. None of the characters were very deep but just interesting enough to want to know how this very well written story would end.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this review copy.
But why is Esmie there? She’s there to take revenge on these people. On of them was the cause of the death of her brother Nico, who came to Ireland for his PhD but came home broken and unrecognisable to his and Esmie’s mother and their best friend Simone, his fiancée.
Complicated? Not at first sight. But Esmie slowly gains the trust of the people she meets at The Woodlands, not in the least because she actually is a very good cleaner (although she has a completely different profession) and because all those people share different secrets and Esmie is someone who can keep a secret.
Before long, we read about Esmie’s background and begin to understand what happened to her brother – and there are secrets behind secrets.
I read this book in just a few short hours because it grabbed me from the first few pages. There are secrets behind secrets, and some unexpected twists. None of the characters were very deep but just interesting enough to want to know how this very well written story would end.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this review copy.
January 2, 2025
Argh, this is a tough review to write because sadly I really didn't enjoy this book.
Right from the start I struggled to connect to the plot or the characters and this feeling of disconnection from the story only got worse the more I read.
I found it extremely difficult to tell which character was which. Mainly because they were all so flat and lacked any personality or defining characteristic.
The story felt repetitive and so overwhelmingly dull and so boring, that by 50% of the way in I had lost all interest in the book and I started to skim read. In fact if this hadn't been an ARC I would have DNF'd. And by the end of the book I really wished I had.
I didn't find this in the least bit of a thriller or mystery and it certainly lacked any tension.
Unfortunately I can't think of anything I did like about this book.
This book just did not work for me at all.
Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
Right from the start I struggled to connect to the plot or the characters and this feeling of disconnection from the story only got worse the more I read.
I found it extremely difficult to tell which character was which. Mainly because they were all so flat and lacked any personality or defining characteristic.
The story felt repetitive and so overwhelmingly dull and so boring, that by 50% of the way in I had lost all interest in the book and I started to skim read. In fact if this hadn't been an ARC I would have DNF'd. And by the end of the book I really wished I had.
I didn't find this in the least bit of a thriller or mystery and it certainly lacked any tension.
Unfortunately I can't think of anything I did like about this book.
This book just did not work for me at all.
Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
July 20, 2025
3.5 ⭐
“God knows there’s enough broken around here.”
This domestic thriller debut whisks readers away to rural Ireland where they’ll be absorbed in a chilling tale of justice and revenge.
Don’t misjudge Esmerelda Theodora Lorenzo . She’s not there to clean. She’s there for revenge.
Find out why and how.
For a debut, this is amazing. The tension, twists, betrayal, manipulation and revenge were well plotted and executed. I enjoyed the message about not pigeonholing people and the themes of revenge, belonging and self worth. Just as a cleaner would clean and get rid of/tidy up broken pieces, Esmie, too, cleans up the irreparably broken pieces of marriages, relationships and secrets. Her ability to weave in and out of homes, picking up ‘tools’ to use in her revenge, gives the reader more information than some of the characters, adding to the tension and propelling the story. Just as in the criminal world, ‘cleaners’ are sent in to fix things, so does Esmie. She’s there to right a wrong, or exact revenge for a loved one. I knew Esmie was perfect for ‘the job’ when she craftily planned and executed the perfect accident to gain access to the private lives of the privileged in the Woodland gated neighbourhood.
The Cleaner - I love the title and its duality, both referring to the domestic engineer and the role of a mafia/crime scene finisher/cleaner.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
“God knows there’s enough broken around here.”
This domestic thriller debut whisks readers away to rural Ireland where they’ll be absorbed in a chilling tale of justice and revenge.
Don’t misjudge Esmerelda Theodora Lorenzo . She’s not there to clean. She’s there for revenge.
Find out why and how.
For a debut, this is amazing. The tension, twists, betrayal, manipulation and revenge were well plotted and executed. I enjoyed the message about not pigeonholing people and the themes of revenge, belonging and self worth. Just as a cleaner would clean and get rid of/tidy up broken pieces, Esmie, too, cleans up the irreparably broken pieces of marriages, relationships and secrets. Her ability to weave in and out of homes, picking up ‘tools’ to use in her revenge, gives the reader more information than some of the characters, adding to the tension and propelling the story. Just as in the criminal world, ‘cleaners’ are sent in to fix things, so does Esmie. She’s there to right a wrong, or exact revenge for a loved one. I knew Esmie was perfect for ‘the job’ when she craftily planned and executed the perfect accident to gain access to the private lives of the privileged in the Woodland gated neighbourhood.
The Cleaner - I love the title and its duality, both referring to the domestic engineer and the role of a mafia/crime scene finisher/cleaner.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
February 26, 2025
One of the worst books I’ve ever read lol - absolutely shit hahahah
Read
September 5, 2025DNF @ 21%
Not for me! Not interested in this storyline. The relationship between the main character and her brother is off-putting for me.
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!
Not for me! Not interested in this storyline. The relationship between the main character and her brother is off-putting for me.
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!
August 24, 2025
Esmie arrives in a posh neighborhood in Ireland with a clear goal: to land a job as a house cleaner. It’s not her dream job or anything, but it serves a larger mission. One of the people who lives here ruined the life of someone she loves dearly. She just doesn’t know yet which one of them did it. So she’s not just cleaning up dirt, she’s digging for it. And once she finds her target, she’ll seek her revenge.
This was a fun, character-driven thriller told across two timelines. I love a good revenge thriller and Esmie is exactly the kind of morally grey vengeance-seeker I want to read about. I love when characters aren’t quite what they seem, and everyone in this book is hiding something—even the protagonist. There were some solid red herrings and a final twist that made my jaw drop. I definitely recommend this one to thriller fans.
Thank you to Random House Canada for gifting me a copy of this book!
This was a fun, character-driven thriller told across two timelines. I love a good revenge thriller and Esmie is exactly the kind of morally grey vengeance-seeker I want to read about. I love when characters aren’t quite what they seem, and everyone in this book is hiding something—even the protagonist. There were some solid red herrings and a final twist that made my jaw drop. I definitely recommend this one to thriller fans.
Thank you to Random House Canada for gifting me a copy of this book!
February 14, 2025
3.5★s
The Cleaner is the third stand-alone novel by prize-winning South African-born author, Mary Watson. Why is twenty-five-year-old music teacher Esmerelda Theodora Lorenzo, calling herself Esmie, posing as a cleaner on the outskirts of an Irish university town? She has fled trauma, distress and violence in her small South American town, leaving behind a loving mother, an older brother in a coma, and a once-best-friend, now fiancée of her brother.
Almost three years earlier, Nico Lorenzo enthusiastically took up a scholarship to continue his neuroscience studies in Ireland. Six months ago, he returned, a changed person. A love affair gone wrong had seen his funding withdrawn, his dream over. But he is taciturn, won’t explain, and seeks consolation in drugs and alcohol.
Esmie manages to con her way into cleaning for three families at The Woodlands, knowing the cleaner is usually invisible. Her job gives her access to the intimate details of the three families with whom Nico was close while he was here. Her well-honed revenge plan has three stages: find Nico’s lover, learn what she cared about most, and take that away from her.
But as she probes their private lives, she discovers a lot going on behind the scenes in these apparently happy families: an academic obsessed with his wife’s dead aunt; a doctor exerting coercive control over his wife; a woman selling prescription drugs to bored housewives and students; a grieving woman determined, at any cost, to block the disposal of her beloved father’s home; and a wife who dallies with her husband’s students. There’s drugs, theft, extra-marital affairs, and blackmail.
The astute reader will soon guess that Esmie might not be an entirely reliable narrator, and that her mental state is less than stable. Watson uses flashbacks to drip-feed the back story that results in Nico’s coma state. And the reader needs to don their disbelief suspenders for a number of aspects of the plot, including how easily she falls into the job, and how a woman cleaning at least six houses manages to spend so much time snooping. And is the motive for all this really credible…? A slow-burn thriller that drags more than it should.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK – Transworld.
The Cleaner is the third stand-alone novel by prize-winning South African-born author, Mary Watson. Why is twenty-five-year-old music teacher Esmerelda Theodora Lorenzo, calling herself Esmie, posing as a cleaner on the outskirts of an Irish university town? She has fled trauma, distress and violence in her small South American town, leaving behind a loving mother, an older brother in a coma, and a once-best-friend, now fiancée of her brother.
Almost three years earlier, Nico Lorenzo enthusiastically took up a scholarship to continue his neuroscience studies in Ireland. Six months ago, he returned, a changed person. A love affair gone wrong had seen his funding withdrawn, his dream over. But he is taciturn, won’t explain, and seeks consolation in drugs and alcohol.
Esmie manages to con her way into cleaning for three families at The Woodlands, knowing the cleaner is usually invisible. Her job gives her access to the intimate details of the three families with whom Nico was close while he was here. Her well-honed revenge plan has three stages: find Nico’s lover, learn what she cared about most, and take that away from her.
But as she probes their private lives, she discovers a lot going on behind the scenes in these apparently happy families: an academic obsessed with his wife’s dead aunt; a doctor exerting coercive control over his wife; a woman selling prescription drugs to bored housewives and students; a grieving woman determined, at any cost, to block the disposal of her beloved father’s home; and a wife who dallies with her husband’s students. There’s drugs, theft, extra-marital affairs, and blackmail.
The astute reader will soon guess that Esmie might not be an entirely reliable narrator, and that her mental state is less than stable. Watson uses flashbacks to drip-feed the back story that results in Nico’s coma state. And the reader needs to don their disbelief suspenders for a number of aspects of the plot, including how easily she falls into the job, and how a woman cleaning at least six houses manages to spend so much time snooping. And is the motive for all this really credible…? A slow-burn thriller that drags more than it should.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK – Transworld.
April 23, 2025
The Cleaner is the ultimate one-sitting read—a dark and visceral tale that is as much about class and privilege as it is a high-stakes game of obsession and revenge. A sinister, slow-burn of a thriller positively simmering with rage.
December 3, 2024
I tried, but try as I might, this book was not for me. I found it repetitive. Very repetitive.
Read
January 16, 2026A DNF for me...but thank you, Goodreads, as I won this through your program.
I got about 25 pages in, but the thing is: it's repetitious. On almost every page the same thing, a young girl, working as a cleaner for three rich families, is determined to get revenge for someone named Nico. Nico's in a coma. Nico got involved with these people. Something happened to him. He got into drinking and drugs and is now in a coma.
Over and over and over...
I think I need a little more. So to be fair, no rating. There are those who might say I should have read more, that it 'gets better,' but I need 'better' by page ten or so. And I've found the books I really like engage me on Page One.
So, thanks again GR, but I'm putting this one aside.
I got about 25 pages in, but the thing is: it's repetitious. On almost every page the same thing, a young girl, working as a cleaner for three rich families, is determined to get revenge for someone named Nico. Nico's in a coma. Nico got involved with these people. Something happened to him. He got into drinking and drugs and is now in a coma.
Over and over and over...
I think I need a little more. So to be fair, no rating. There are those who might say I should have read more, that it 'gets better,' but I need 'better' by page ten or so. And I've found the books I really like engage me on Page One.
So, thanks again GR, but I'm putting this one aside.
October 13, 2024
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.
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.
February 12, 2025
This is a who, why, what, where and when and slowly info is revealed and it becomes clearer why Esme has gone to Ireland seeking revenge for her brother Nico
Esme does this by taking on the role of a cleaner and integrating herself into the lives of the people she suspects
It was a quick read but I have to be honest and say I much preferred the ‘now’ story to the diary entries from the past, also the characters are not on the whole likeable but that’s part of the story!
There is intrigue and a mystery to solve, also the question that I had throughout ‘where is Esmie from!’
A quickish read and does all that’s needed to make it a viable psychological thriller that will get you thinking trying to work out who did what and why……..
Esme does this by taking on the role of a cleaner and integrating herself into the lives of the people she suspects
It was a quick read but I have to be honest and say I much preferred the ‘now’ story to the diary entries from the past, also the characters are not on the whole likeable but that’s part of the story!
There is intrigue and a mystery to solve, also the question that I had throughout ‘where is Esmie from!’
A quickish read and does all that’s needed to make it a viable psychological thriller that will get you thinking trying to work out who did what and why……..
July 17, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Cleaner.
I love revenge tales so this sounded right up my alley.
** Minor non-suspenseful spoilers ahead **
A young, unassuming woman named Esmie is hired to clean the house of an affluent family.
She's unseen and disregarded as staff but she's here for a good reason and someone should watch their back.
Esmie's brother, Nico, has been wrongfully treated and is in the hospital as a result of the actions of the family Esmie is cleaning for.
She's not sure what went down but she aims to find out and wreak vengeance.
The problem is, Nico is not a nice guy.
I don't know why everyone is sweating him, including his sister. Not creepy at all. 🙄
If I hear the word Nico again, it would be too soon.
She's got a freaky deaky Freudian relationship with her brother, and even after the twist, the way the cleaner continues to moon over Nico is in no way healthy.
The cast of haves and have-nots are not likable and I didn't like or care about anyone especially Nico.
Typical of novels in this genre, everyone has a secret, everyone is backstabbing everyone else, everyone has something to hide, and nearly everyone is adultering, including Nico. What a prince.
Esmie or whoever she is is no princess either.
The narrative lacks suspense and urgency; the story drags and becomes repetitive as Esmie digs around for info and clues, follows people, watches them, gathers info, etc.
Stuff happens in the last 20 pages or so and though I liked the ending, I didn't like the narrative or the characters.
The writing was fine, but there wasn't anything new I haven't read before in countless 'domestic thrillers' with similar premises.
I love revenge tales so this sounded right up my alley.
** Minor non-suspenseful spoilers ahead **
A young, unassuming woman named Esmie is hired to clean the house of an affluent family.
She's unseen and disregarded as staff but she's here for a good reason and someone should watch their back.
Esmie's brother, Nico, has been wrongfully treated and is in the hospital as a result of the actions of the family Esmie is cleaning for.
She's not sure what went down but she aims to find out and wreak vengeance.
The problem is, Nico is not a nice guy.
I don't know why everyone is sweating him, including his sister. Not creepy at all. 🙄
If I hear the word Nico again, it would be too soon.
She's got a freaky deaky Freudian relationship with her brother, and even after the twist, the way the cleaner continues to moon over Nico is in no way healthy.
The cast of haves and have-nots are not likable and I didn't like or care about anyone especially Nico.
Typical of novels in this genre, everyone has a secret, everyone is backstabbing everyone else, everyone has something to hide, and nearly everyone is adultering, including Nico. What a prince.
Esmie or whoever she is is no princess either.
The narrative lacks suspense and urgency; the story drags and becomes repetitive as Esmie digs around for info and clues, follows people, watches them, gathers info, etc.
Stuff happens in the last 20 pages or so and though I liked the ending, I didn't like the narrative or the characters.
The writing was fine, but there wasn't anything new I haven't read before in countless 'domestic thrillers' with similar premises.
Read
February 26, 2025DNF. I managed around a fifth of the book before throwing in the towel. Too much telling, not enough showing. Too many characters, none of whom felt real or authentic. This just wasn’t for me.
December 23, 2024
Esmie is supposed to be invisible. Just a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite has time to place. Her uniform of leggings and a duster allows her to explore the homes of the wealthy, unseen; an outsider creeping around the edges of privilege.
But as she sweeps through the exclusive Woodlands gated neighbourhood, cleaning is the last thing on her mind. Treading silently over the polished wooden floorboards and cloud-soft carpets, Esmie gathers up the mess of broken marriages, quiet deceptions and careless failures. She tucks away their fragments, keeping them safe. For now.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this story and it seems to be overwritten. Extra sentences added to drive home a point and unnecessary. The concept is good but it didn’t work for me. It’s a slow burn that never really ignited in my opinion.
But as she sweeps through the exclusive Woodlands gated neighbourhood, cleaning is the last thing on her mind. Treading silently over the polished wooden floorboards and cloud-soft carpets, Esmie gathers up the mess of broken marriages, quiet deceptions and careless failures. She tucks away their fragments, keeping them safe. For now.
I didn’t like any of the characters in this story and it seems to be overwritten. Extra sentences added to drive home a point and unnecessary. The concept is good but it didn’t work for me. It’s a slow burn that never really ignited in my opinion.
December 1, 2024
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.
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.
December 30, 2024
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book. I found the plot to be very slow. I am really disappointed as the write-up made it sound really interesting but sadly it wasn't for me.
August 14, 2025
The Cleaner by Mary Watson is an engaging read with a mystery that keeps you curious. Some twists are a bit predictable and the characters could be deeper, but the story moves along nicely and holds your attention. It’s an enjoyable thriller that’s easy to get into and makes for a satisfying read.
January 6, 2025
Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this one.
We meet Esmie, our lead character, who fakes an accident to give her an ‘in’ to get a cleaning job, in a quiet secluded area. Cleaning for several households who could be responsible for her brother failing to continue his university course and arriving home a broken person.
It’s made very clear that she is there for retribution from the start.
Unfortunately I couldn’t engage with any of the characters, none of them were particularly likeable and everything just seemed a bit disjointed and slow, also repetitive in nature.
The characters needed more depth and you needed to be able to feel something for the people in this book.
We meet Esmie, our lead character, who fakes an accident to give her an ‘in’ to get a cleaning job, in a quiet secluded area. Cleaning for several households who could be responsible for her brother failing to continue his university course and arriving home a broken person.
It’s made very clear that she is there for retribution from the start.
Unfortunately I couldn’t engage with any of the characters, none of them were particularly likeable and everything just seemed a bit disjointed and slow, also repetitive in nature.
The characters needed more depth and you needed to be able to feel something for the people in this book.
March 31, 2025
3.5 stars.
February 11, 2025
The Cleaner is a slow burn thriller that's builds suspense and tension throught. I found myself flying through the pages in order to find out what was happening quicker.
As o got to know and learn more about the characters involved, I found myself disliking all of them. Although they did have some good qualities, they were mainly shrouded in lies and secrets. I did feel sorry for the fmc, Esmie, she was desperate to find out what happened to her brother Nico.
I enjoyed the plot with its dual timeline. You get to slowly find out about what happened when Nico returns home and the goings on at The Woodlands and why Esmire seeks to get revenge for him. I didn't work out what was going on, but the first twist boy, it's a good one! I got goose bumps just reading it unfold. A clever plot that had me gripped through to the end.
The Cleaner is atmospheric, full of tension and suspense. It shows you the selfishness that's in people, how they feed their obsessions, and the lengths they go to to hide their secrets and get what they want.
As o got to know and learn more about the characters involved, I found myself disliking all of them. Although they did have some good qualities, they were mainly shrouded in lies and secrets. I did feel sorry for the fmc, Esmie, she was desperate to find out what happened to her brother Nico.
I enjoyed the plot with its dual timeline. You get to slowly find out about what happened when Nico returns home and the goings on at The Woodlands and why Esmire seeks to get revenge for him. I didn't work out what was going on, but the first twist boy, it's a good one! I got goose bumps just reading it unfold. A clever plot that had me gripped through to the end.
The Cleaner is atmospheric, full of tension and suspense. It shows you the selfishness that's in people, how they feed their obsessions, and the lengths they go to to hide their secrets and get what they want.
May 1, 2025
I didn’t like or care for any of these characters and had I not been listening to the audiobook I think I’d have given up. The twist was clever but it was too late to turn things around, I was just willing the misery to be over and the book to end!
February 9, 2025
This was a slow burner with lots of characters. Got a bit confused at times. Guessed a little twist near the end. I wouldn’t rush to read any more of her books.
July 28, 2025
This domestic thriller delves deeply into the darker sides of class, privilege, and entitlement. Taut and full of unexpected turns, it’s a character-driven narrative set against the hauntingly atmospheric backdrop of an exclusive gated community in Ireland—a perfect stage for a story steeped in obsession, deception, and revenge.
While it didn’t completely blow me away, this marks Watson’s debut in adult fiction, and she’s made an impressive entrance.
Also—major credit for the clever duality of the title. 👌
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads
While it didn’t completely blow me away, this marks Watson’s debut in adult fiction, and she’s made an impressive entrance.
Also—major credit for the clever duality of the title. 👌
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads
February 4, 2025
Esmie is a cleaner at the exclusive Woodlands gated resort. Her job is keep these homes spotless and sparkling, and she does just that. She also listens and observes, because she’s not here just to clean, she’s here for revenge.
A dark and unsettling debut novel. Esmie is an unusual character, it’s hard to work out whether she’s likeable or dislikeable, she has many traits that aren’t pleasant but I still felt admiration for her at times. The rest of the characters in the neighbourhood are awful! Horrible rich snobs who definitely deserve their comeuppance. I couldn’t warm to any of them.
It’s an interesting tale of deception and obsession; Esmie is hell bent on seeking revenge for one man, but it takes a while to uncover the true story so you need to stay focused and pay attention. Watch these Woodlands residents, they’re all up to no good. I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them!
A dark and unsettling debut novel. Esmie is an unusual character, it’s hard to work out whether she’s likeable or dislikeable, she has many traits that aren’t pleasant but I still felt admiration for her at times. The rest of the characters in the neighbourhood are awful! Horrible rich snobs who definitely deserve their comeuppance. I couldn’t warm to any of them.
It’s an interesting tale of deception and obsession; Esmie is hell bent on seeking revenge for one man, but it takes a while to uncover the true story so you need to stay focused and pay attention. Watch these Woodlands residents, they’re all up to no good. I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them!
May 31, 2025
*Post contains spoilers*
*******************
Meet Esmie! The person you are going to hate for the next 380 pages.
She is seeking revenge for her brother, Nico - although it is hard to tell as she only mentions it about 30 times within the first 12 pages.
She decides to pose as a cleaner in desperate times whilst in Ireland to 'learn English' and infiltrate the lives of the uber-wealthy who all live next door to each other and apparently all share the same cleaner.
Basically her brother lived with them whilst he was in Ireland studying and then returned home all drugged and depressed because one of the women who ruined his life!
We follow Esmie as she looks for clues in the houses and is really stupid and doesn't notice obvious things until the end of the book.
A literal drug deal happens in front of her and she's like 'oh that's weird, that woman now has a brown bag that she is being suspicious about and that other woman is counting money.. I'm sure that information isn't important'.
In one chapter, Esmie is following one of the women to a bar to see who they meet. Her disguise - she put on a bit of makeup and used her hair to cover her face when she looked down.
Someone call the secret service - this must be a magic technique because it somehow works!
There are like 3 other people in the bar and she isn't spotted?!
Throughout the book we go back and forth from the past learning about Nico before the incident and the current Esmie.
We learn that Esmie had a childhood bestie who grew up next door and was considered a sister, her name is Simone. Eventually Simone and Nico fall in love and Esmie is not having it! She considered it as losing both of them to each other and Simone wasn't good enough for her brother. Whilst Nico is away, she tells him that Simone doesn't help out and tries to sabotage and then is shocked when Simone is pissed about it.
Esmie talks about her brother almost incestuously, his thick curls that she wants to run her hands through and how gorgeous and magnetic he is... barf.
We learn throughout the story that Nico (engaged to Simone) fell in love and had an affair with one of the MARRIED women. He helps another one of the women sell prescription drugs to college students, he failed at his research that he was studying and drank and took the drugs himself. All the while, Esmie talks about how her amazing brother must have been fooled by these rich people and it's all their fault that her brother was actually a dick.
Everyone cheats on everyone, secret abusers (though never called abusers), and not nearly as much death as I was hoping for.
Esmie sleeps with one of the married men, must run in the family.
The man is called Linc and he is boring af. All he talks about throughout the whole book is this dead poet called Eden - he is literally obsessed with her and I'm convinced if he knew where she was buried he would dig up her corpse and dress it up. Why she described Linc as 'magnetic', I'll never know.
The big magic twist - Esmie was actually Simone all along!
Simone travelled to Ireland with Esmie's documents and posed as her whilst investigating.
It does make the way she talks about Nico feel a little better but you still have to suffer over 300 pages of her talking about her 'brother' in a gross af way.
In the end, Nico dies and Esmie/Simone stays in Ireland with Linc to lead a really boring life judged by all the other rich folk and listen to the same poems until she dies.
This book will sadly stay on my shelf as I like the cover but I will not recommend to anyone who asks about it.
Apparently there's a TV show based on this book, maybe that's better?
*******************
Meet Esmie! The person you are going to hate for the next 380 pages.
She is seeking revenge for her brother, Nico - although it is hard to tell as she only mentions it about 30 times within the first 12 pages.
She decides to pose as a cleaner in desperate times whilst in Ireland to 'learn English' and infiltrate the lives of the uber-wealthy who all live next door to each other and apparently all share the same cleaner.
Basically her brother lived with them whilst he was in Ireland studying and then returned home all drugged and depressed because one of the women who ruined his life!
We follow Esmie as she looks for clues in the houses and is really stupid and doesn't notice obvious things until the end of the book.
A literal drug deal happens in front of her and she's like 'oh that's weird, that woman now has a brown bag that she is being suspicious about and that other woman is counting money.. I'm sure that information isn't important'.
In one chapter, Esmie is following one of the women to a bar to see who they meet. Her disguise - she put on a bit of makeup and used her hair to cover her face when she looked down.
Someone call the secret service - this must be a magic technique because it somehow works!
There are like 3 other people in the bar and she isn't spotted?!
Throughout the book we go back and forth from the past learning about Nico before the incident and the current Esmie.
We learn that Esmie had a childhood bestie who grew up next door and was considered a sister, her name is Simone. Eventually Simone and Nico fall in love and Esmie is not having it! She considered it as losing both of them to each other and Simone wasn't good enough for her brother. Whilst Nico is away, she tells him that Simone doesn't help out and tries to sabotage and then is shocked when Simone is pissed about it.
Esmie talks about her brother almost incestuously, his thick curls that she wants to run her hands through and how gorgeous and magnetic he is... barf.
We learn throughout the story that Nico (engaged to Simone) fell in love and had an affair with one of the MARRIED women. He helps another one of the women sell prescription drugs to college students, he failed at his research that he was studying and drank and took the drugs himself. All the while, Esmie talks about how her amazing brother must have been fooled by these rich people and it's all their fault that her brother was actually a dick.
Everyone cheats on everyone, secret abusers (though never called abusers), and not nearly as much death as I was hoping for.
Esmie sleeps with one of the married men, must run in the family.
The man is called Linc and he is boring af. All he talks about throughout the whole book is this dead poet called Eden - he is literally obsessed with her and I'm convinced if he knew where she was buried he would dig up her corpse and dress it up. Why she described Linc as 'magnetic', I'll never know.
The big magic twist - Esmie was actually Simone all along!
Simone travelled to Ireland with Esmie's documents and posed as her whilst investigating.
It does make the way she talks about Nico feel a little better but you still have to suffer over 300 pages of her talking about her 'brother' in a gross af way.
In the end, Nico dies and Esmie/Simone stays in Ireland with Linc to lead a really boring life judged by all the other rich folk and listen to the same poems until she dies.
This book will sadly stay on my shelf as I like the cover but I will not recommend to anyone who asks about it.
Apparently there's a TV show based on this book, maybe that's better?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Esmie is a cleaner for an exclusive neighbourhood in Ireland. Wearing plain t-shirts and leggings, Esmie is invisible to the privileged families who live at The Woodlands.
But Esmie isn’t really a cleaner. She’s only there for one thing, revenge. Quietly sneaking around and scrambling for pieces of information, Esmie soon finds herself entangled in the lives of the people that she came to destroy.
The Cleaner is Mary Watson’s debut adult book. I read this in less than one day, a real page turner. Full of thoroughly dislikeable people, plot twists and a few surprises along the way.
Esmie is a cleaner for an exclusive neighbourhood in Ireland. Wearing plain t-shirts and leggings, Esmie is invisible to the privileged families who live at The Woodlands.
But Esmie isn’t really a cleaner. She’s only there for one thing, revenge. Quietly sneaking around and scrambling for pieces of information, Esmie soon finds herself entangled in the lives of the people that she came to destroy.
The Cleaner is Mary Watson’s debut adult book. I read this in less than one day, a real page turner. Full of thoroughly dislikeable people, plot twists and a few surprises along the way.
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