The Specialist: An extraordinary memoir of trauma and biohazard cleaning

by Ben Giles

What Britain’s greatest extreme cleaner learned from 25 years on the job

Who cleans up the messes others can't bear to face?

Ben Giles offers a gripping insight into the world of crime scene cleaning, where the macabre meets the mundane. With over 25 years of experience, Giles shares his harrowing yet fascinating tales from the frontlines of ‘biohazard remediation’. From gruesome murder scenes and tragic suicides to the unexpected challenges of hoarders, industrial spillages and animal remnants, each chapter reveals the gritty realities of a profession few dare to enter.

In this candid memoir, Giles recounts the emotional toll of his work, the ingenious methods he developed to tackle the most stubborn stains, and the surprising human stories behind each job. With a blend of dark humour and heartfelt reflection, he navigates the complexities of life and death, revealing how he transformed a small window-cleaning business into rapid-response trauma cleaners.

Whether you’re a true crime aficionado or simply curious about the extraordinary lives of those who restore order from chaos, this book promises to entertain, shock, and enlighten. Prepare for a wild ride through the unfiltered world of extreme cleaning.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Autobiography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2026

Reviews

[Natalie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating.

Well written without being unnecessarily graphic. I don’t imagine this type of read will appeal to everyone, but if you’re interested in this type of thing, it’s one of the better books out there.

I really appreciated the plethora of examples Giles covers.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grisly but fascinating

[Hilâl · Rating 2 out of 5]

So.....I thought this was going to be more centered around a criminological-focus but instead it was more biographical and business-informed. But bad but not what I signed up for.

A weirdly hopeful message at the end: every stage of the physical human condition is beautiful, even post-mortem as we are miraculously complex - it makes our worldly anxieties feel really frivolous in a freeing way.

[Donal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully warped read

[Amy Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Aneira Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! It was very informative.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Post-Dune palate cleanser

[Tahnee Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a palate cleanser. Only 4 stars because I could have used more gore 😂

[Vanessa (Nessreadsalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, following Ben Giles journey setting up his specialist cleaning company. It was really interesting to hear how poor the available training was when he first started out and how he has now developed more comprehensive training to deliver. 

He explains the types of scenes he is called to in a really sensitive way but it's not for the faint of heart! At times it was a little repetitive but overall it was quite good. 

The narration by Welsh actor Siôn Alun Davies was top notch!

[Nicki Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating true crime read about the cleaning up of crime/death scenes. Ben details how he started in the industry and learned on the go to become a leader in this field of work and to develop training for other people/companies starting out in this field of work. He speaks of some of the scenes he has had to clean with sensitivity and compassion for the deceased and their loved ones.⭐⭐⭐⭐ #bengiles #thespecialist #harpernorth #truecrime #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #fable #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookqueen #bookstagram

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and at-times humorous memoir about how the author started his cleaning business and became a specialist in his field. This book reflected on the many jobs he attended and how it impacts the way he interacts with the world now. I especially appreciated the insights on suicide (the lack of painless ways to die), hoarding (mental illness and treating people with kindness), overconsumption (constantly creating landfill) and education (the current one-type-fits-all model). Plus there was a cleaning guide at the back! I very much enjoyed this book and will buy a physical copy of my own.

[Danielle Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded down from a 3.75

A nice listen with a really good little insight into the world of cleaning gross stuff on a big scale.

Based on the opening bit of the book I perhaps did expect it to include a bit more grossness/nitty gritty details but it was still a fascinating insight anyway.

It did start to feel a little repetitive as we went further on. Even though it was different scenarios the chapter/section on it felt very formulaic and that potentially made it feel less impactful.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book certainly shocks, entertains and enlightens! It is quite fascinating, while not glossing over the tragedy and the sadness. How the workers cope with some of these situations is something not everyone could do. As many say “Not for a million dollars!” Some great lessons in living a worthwhile life, also.

[Becki Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. I practically inhaled this book....but I'm also glad I wasn't actually able to.

A peak into the strange and not for the faint hearted world of biohazard cleaning, well worth a read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gory but fascinating and surprisingly funny

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this however I felt this was sold to me more as a crime scene cleaner and it actually focused on cleaning places in general.....

[Becky Mealyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant insight

[Lucy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and surprisingly insightful. Some parts were hard to read though and I won't forget them any time soon, so I'm not sure I could recommend this for everybody...

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating listen, great audiobook. Humorous enough to be entertaining but always remained respectful.

[Cathy Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very interesting and informative.
Written by a man who has no ego, just a work ethic that is inspirational.

[abs · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟3.5🌟
Interesting autobiography on a subject I didn’t know much about

[alw · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Memorable.