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Lena Szarka Mysteries #1
In Strangers' Houses
When you clean strangers' houses you learn their dirty secrets...
Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner working in London, knows that all too well. So when her friend Timea disappears, she suspects one of her clients is to blame. The police don't share her suspicions and it is left to Lena to turn sleuth and find her friend.
Searching through their houses as she scrubs their floors, Lena desperately tries to find out what has happened. But only Cartwright, a police constable new to the job, believes that this will lead to the truth. Together they uncover more of Islington's seedy underbelly than they bargained for.
But Lena soon discovers it's not just her clients who have secrets. And as she begins to unravel Timea's past, exposing long hidden truths, she starts to wonder if she really knew her friend at all.
Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner working in London, knows that all too well. So when her friend Timea disappears, she suspects one of her clients is to blame. The police don't share her suspicions and it is left to Lena to turn sleuth and find her friend.
Searching through their houses as she scrubs their floors, Lena desperately tries to find out what has happened. But only Cartwright, a police constable new to the job, believes that this will lead to the truth. Together they uncover more of Islington's seedy underbelly than they bargained for.
But Lena soon discovers it's not just her clients who have secrets. And as she begins to unravel Timea's past, exposing long hidden truths, she starts to wonder if she really knew her friend at all.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2018
11 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Mundy
4 books21 followersElizabeth Mundy’s grandmother was a Hungarian immigrant to America who raised five children on a chicken farm in Indiana. An English Literature graduate from Edinburgh University, Elizabeth is a marketing director for an investment firm and lives in London with her messy husband and baby son. In Strangers’ Houses is her debut novel and the first in the Lena Szarka mystery series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 11, 2018
Really really enjoyed this – it’s a different kind of crime caper and I LOVED Lena, she is so coolly oblivious to anything approaching subtle, but in the best way. She says what she thinks, she does what is right and doesn’t take any crap from anybody. So when her friend goes missing, she is determined to get to the truth, despite the distinct lack of interest from the police…
In Stranger’s Houses has a beautifully immersive mystery element, a hugely refreshing change from your standard detective/Private Investigator/Lawyer route – Lena is like the Poirot of cleaners – she cleans your house, she see’s your routines, she can tell an awful lot about you from what you leave lying around and is inevitably proven right in her assumptions. When she finds it likely that the answer to Timea’s disappearance will be found somewhere within the community she cleans for, she’s like a dog with a bone. The police eventually allocate an officer – Cartwright – and the two of them take on an under the radar investigation and build up a relationship that was one of the biggest strengths of the story.
Descriptively this is beautiful, the sense of place is brilliant, both here and in Lena’s memories of Hungary. The differences in our cultures is authentically recognised but mostly celebrated – you can’t help but love Lena despite her sometimes intransient attitude. and Elizabeth Mundy captures the hustle and multi-cultural realities of London vividly and to great effect.
Overall this was a wonderfully quirky, gorgeous crime drama with a main protagonist you can really get behind, some cracking dialogue, a intricately fascinating plot and really, despite the dark nature of the crime elements, a whole lot of fun. Can’t WAIT for Lena’s next adventure. I’ll miss her stoic and heartfelt voice in my head.
Highly Recommended.
In Stranger’s Houses has a beautifully immersive mystery element, a hugely refreshing change from your standard detective/Private Investigator/Lawyer route – Lena is like the Poirot of cleaners – she cleans your house, she see’s your routines, she can tell an awful lot about you from what you leave lying around and is inevitably proven right in her assumptions. When she finds it likely that the answer to Timea’s disappearance will be found somewhere within the community she cleans for, she’s like a dog with a bone. The police eventually allocate an officer – Cartwright – and the two of them take on an under the radar investigation and build up a relationship that was one of the biggest strengths of the story.
Descriptively this is beautiful, the sense of place is brilliant, both here and in Lena’s memories of Hungary. The differences in our cultures is authentically recognised but mostly celebrated – you can’t help but love Lena despite her sometimes intransient attitude. and Elizabeth Mundy captures the hustle and multi-cultural realities of London vividly and to great effect.
Overall this was a wonderfully quirky, gorgeous crime drama with a main protagonist you can really get behind, some cracking dialogue, a intricately fascinating plot and really, despite the dark nature of the crime elements, a whole lot of fun. Can’t WAIT for Lena’s next adventure. I’ll miss her stoic and heartfelt voice in my head.
Highly Recommended.
February 25, 2018
In Hungarian cleaner Lena Szarka, the author has come up with a great premise for a detective because of course cleaners have unparalleled access to the homes of their clients. They learn things – possibly intimate things - about their clients from the way they keep their houses to what’s in their cupboards. They can get to know all about their dirty laundry – and I’m not just talking about yesterday’s socks.
Of course, a cleaner may only know their client from their house but if, like Lena, you’re smart and observant, there’s a lot you can tell about someone from their home. There’s a great scene in the book where Lena, in the manner of Sherlock Holmes, is able to deduce a long list of facts about a client she’s never met just from their flat.
“It is a woman, “ said Lena. She is thin and short. With long dark hair But I have seen her hair brush, full of long dark hairs. Her clothes are size eight. The trousers have been shortened. She always wears high heels.”
As someone who employs a cleaner (and always tidies up before they come), I had to laugh at some of the double standards Lena observes in her clients. For instance, expecting cleaners to clean more thoroughly than we do ourselves. ‘People would never look under the sofa, she’d learnt, unless they’d hired a cleaner. Then they’d be checking every week. Lena couldn’t understand it. If they didn’t want dust in their houses, they shouldn’t live in places built a hundred years ago.’
I liked the cast of supporting characters reflecting the range of immigrants who come to London in search of work from Eastern Europe and beyond. I have to pick out Greta, Lena’s quite appalling mother as a personal favourite.
I really enjoyed getting to know Lena. She’s clever, resourceful, perceptive and determined...very determined. However, her deductions are not always spot on and can send her off on a tangent. Sometimes there is an innocent explanation, Lena! However, it’s understandable that she gets caught up in her desire to get to the bottom of her friend’s disappearance, especially when the police initially show little interest.
There were a couple of scenes in the book that I found a bit too melodramatic and which rather stretched credibility but overall I really enjoyed In Strangers’ Houses. It was a fun read. If you enjoy it, you’ll be pleased to know Elizabeth is working on a second book in the series due for publication later in 2018. (3.5 stars)
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Little, Brown Book Group in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Of course, a cleaner may only know their client from their house but if, like Lena, you’re smart and observant, there’s a lot you can tell about someone from their home. There’s a great scene in the book where Lena, in the manner of Sherlock Holmes, is able to deduce a long list of facts about a client she’s never met just from their flat.
“It is a woman, “ said Lena. She is thin and short. With long dark hair But I have seen her hair brush, full of long dark hairs. Her clothes are size eight. The trousers have been shortened. She always wears high heels.”
As someone who employs a cleaner (and always tidies up before they come), I had to laugh at some of the double standards Lena observes in her clients. For instance, expecting cleaners to clean more thoroughly than we do ourselves. ‘People would never look under the sofa, she’d learnt, unless they’d hired a cleaner. Then they’d be checking every week. Lena couldn’t understand it. If they didn’t want dust in their houses, they shouldn’t live in places built a hundred years ago.’
I liked the cast of supporting characters reflecting the range of immigrants who come to London in search of work from Eastern Europe and beyond. I have to pick out Greta, Lena’s quite appalling mother as a personal favourite.
I really enjoyed getting to know Lena. She’s clever, resourceful, perceptive and determined...very determined. However, her deductions are not always spot on and can send her off on a tangent. Sometimes there is an innocent explanation, Lena! However, it’s understandable that she gets caught up in her desire to get to the bottom of her friend’s disappearance, especially when the police initially show little interest.
There were a couple of scenes in the book that I found a bit too melodramatic and which rather stretched credibility but overall I really enjoyed In Strangers’ Houses. It was a fun read. If you enjoy it, you’ll be pleased to know Elizabeth is working on a second book in the series due for publication later in 2018. (3.5 stars)
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Little, Brown Book Group in return for an honest and unbiased review.
February 25, 2018
I wasn’t expecting to find literary excellence in a paperback chosen as a light read but I was pleasantly surprised by this first crime novel by Elizabeth Mundy. Her descriptions of places I know in London rang true and I now feel I know rural Hungary as well, although I’ve never been there. The unfolding of the plot is satisfyingly tantalising while remaining realistic and plausible. The many touches of insight and humour leaven the narrative. Echoes of Alexander McCall Smith or even Jane Austen. This left me with a warm feeling on reaching the final pages and I look forward to the next book from this author.
February 7, 2018
Excellent book. Very well drawn characters. Really original concept for a detective, works. Crisply written and a good pace. North London setting seems realistic and adds to the flavour. Think it will be a series and looking forward to the next one.
February 13, 2018
I was enthralled by In Strangers' Houses - totally drawn in to the vivid lives of the characters via someone who has second-to-none access to all their secrets - their cleaner! Such a clever concept and a brilliantly drawn main character - feisty, fun and memorable. This book gives effortless insight into some of the zeitgeist issues of our time, whilst being brilliantly written and a real page turner. Loved journeying through London and Hungary with warmth, wit and intrigue. This book will keep you guessing until the end. Can't wait for the next in the series!
April 25, 2018
Review published on Reviewing the Evidence in March 2018:
As a rule, the fundamental premise for most mystery series featuring an amateur detective is a shaky one. After all, elderly spinsters, small town librarians, and mystery authors don't generally live the kind of lives that lead them to get mixed up with one violent crime, let alone many. This, then, is one of the fundamental delights of Elizabeth Mundy's debut In Stranger's Houses: her protagonist—the plucky and ambitious Lena Szarka—literally goes through other people's dirty laundry for a living.
Lena is a Hungarian cleaner in London, living a version of that all-too-common and none-too-glamorous immigrant experience. Namely, she works exhausting hours at an unskilled, low-paying job while living with multiple roommates and dreaming of the day that she'll finally get a foothold in her adopted home. Add to that the fact that she's an Eastern European in post-Brexit London, forced weather all manner of oblique microagressions and blatant discriminations ("You're Romanian, too, aren't you? You come here to beg"), and you have the perfect of-our-moment set-up that would be compelling even if it weren't for the crime plot.
The crime in question is the disappearance of Lena's younger childhood friend, Timea, who's left her son behind in rural Hungry to try and make a better life for them both in London. So far, however, Timea only has a small room in Lena's apartment and a roster of failed relationships to show for her trouble and has become increasingly secretive and edgy with her well-meaning, but often pushy friend. When Timea goes missing, Lena is sure that the police aren't taking her disappearance seriously, and being the well-organized, Type A go-getter that she is, thinks nothing of jumping right into her own investigation—with occasional help, that is, from PC Cartwright, a young police academy grad who wants to prove to his rough and ready colleagues he's got more than just book smarts and can close cases, too.
Centering on Timea's client list and a former flame who never entirely left the picture, Lena's investigation is often rather pat, with one clue leading, quite conveniently, to another. And while there are a few clever red herrings and dead ends and even some genuine moments of tension—moments which thankfully compel Lena to show some genuine ingenuity in getting herself and her sidekicks out of trouble—the unraveling of the crime itself, while enjoyable, is not actually where this book's primary strengths lie.
Rather, Timea's disappearance forces Lena to reckon with her past, her choices, and her impact on the lives of people she cares about, often to unflattering effect. And she's a very compelling character, flawed in genuine and relatable ways, with a history that she didn't ever manage to put quite as far behind her as she may have once thought. The narrative then moves between past and present, between new acquaintances and old lovers, between fields outside of rural Hungarian villages and the bustling sidewalks of London's Angel and Islington neighborhoods. This journey is always bringing Lena closer to finding out what happened to her friend, perhaps, but more importantly, it's giving her cause to learn some deeper things about herself.
In Stranger's Houses is then not only an airing of other people's dirty laundry, but of Lena's (and Timea's) as well. Having doggedly pursued answers in a crime that hits very close to home, it will be interesting to see where the next, possibly less personal, case takes this very compelling leading lady.
As a rule, the fundamental premise for most mystery series featuring an amateur detective is a shaky one. After all, elderly spinsters, small town librarians, and mystery authors don't generally live the kind of lives that lead them to get mixed up with one violent crime, let alone many. This, then, is one of the fundamental delights of Elizabeth Mundy's debut In Stranger's Houses: her protagonist—the plucky and ambitious Lena Szarka—literally goes through other people's dirty laundry for a living.
Lena is a Hungarian cleaner in London, living a version of that all-too-common and none-too-glamorous immigrant experience. Namely, she works exhausting hours at an unskilled, low-paying job while living with multiple roommates and dreaming of the day that she'll finally get a foothold in her adopted home. Add to that the fact that she's an Eastern European in post-Brexit London, forced weather all manner of oblique microagressions and blatant discriminations ("You're Romanian, too, aren't you? You come here to beg"), and you have the perfect of-our-moment set-up that would be compelling even if it weren't for the crime plot.
The crime in question is the disappearance of Lena's younger childhood friend, Timea, who's left her son behind in rural Hungry to try and make a better life for them both in London. So far, however, Timea only has a small room in Lena's apartment and a roster of failed relationships to show for her trouble and has become increasingly secretive and edgy with her well-meaning, but often pushy friend. When Timea goes missing, Lena is sure that the police aren't taking her disappearance seriously, and being the well-organized, Type A go-getter that she is, thinks nothing of jumping right into her own investigation—with occasional help, that is, from PC Cartwright, a young police academy grad who wants to prove to his rough and ready colleagues he's got more than just book smarts and can close cases, too.
Centering on Timea's client list and a former flame who never entirely left the picture, Lena's investigation is often rather pat, with one clue leading, quite conveniently, to another. And while there are a few clever red herrings and dead ends and even some genuine moments of tension—moments which thankfully compel Lena to show some genuine ingenuity in getting herself and her sidekicks out of trouble—the unraveling of the crime itself, while enjoyable, is not actually where this book's primary strengths lie.
Rather, Timea's disappearance forces Lena to reckon with her past, her choices, and her impact on the lives of people she cares about, often to unflattering effect. And she's a very compelling character, flawed in genuine and relatable ways, with a history that she didn't ever manage to put quite as far behind her as she may have once thought. The narrative then moves between past and present, between new acquaintances and old lovers, between fields outside of rural Hungarian villages and the bustling sidewalks of London's Angel and Islington neighborhoods. This journey is always bringing Lena closer to finding out what happened to her friend, perhaps, but more importantly, it's giving her cause to learn some deeper things about herself.
In Stranger's Houses is then not only an airing of other people's dirty laundry, but of Lena's (and Timea's) as well. Having doggedly pursued answers in a crime that hits very close to home, it will be interesting to see where the next, possibly less personal, case takes this very compelling leading lady.
January 25, 2019
If you are looking for a cozy mystery, I recommend that you look elsewhere. The idea at the heart of this book, that cleaners know all of our dirty secrets, had the potential to become a good basis for a murder mystery. The immigrant angle is always worth exploring, especially at this time. But Lena is a cardboard character in a world filled with cardboard people that really all want to be in a romance novel instead. Mundy seems to have wanted to write a romance novel with a classic love triangle at it centre, and somehow she produced a mystery novel instead. The plot, which is everything in a mystery novel, is featherweight. The characterization, the second most important thing in a mystery, is bland at best. Lena is super insightful at certain points, but mindbogglingly obtuse at others. Cartwright is her nauseating cheerleader, and like Istvan and Tomek, is straight out of "Bridget Jones Diary". The writing is competent, but the characters' diction is muddled. Only London shines as a backdrop for this mess.
May 29, 2018
Don't you just love when you find a little gem of a tale? This book is packed with humour, honesty and a little sorrow. A real treat to discover Mundy's very likeable character Lena Szarka, looking forward to her 2nd book about this fiery Hungarian cleaner working in London.
April 16, 2018
I enjoyed this book.
Lena and her very best friend Timea have come to London from Hungary to earn money. They work as cleaners. They live in a grotty flat along with Lena’s Polish boyfriend Tomek.
One day, when out cleaning an agitated Timea receives a text messages and says she has to go leaving Lena to finish off. But Timea never comes home.
The story is about Lena refusing to give up hope in finding her friend with or without the help of the police.
Lena is a very resourceful character but she has a bit of a temper and is not very trusting. At times she is annoyingly short of compassion but nothing will stop her finding out what became of Timea. She has help from a young eager policeman though the appearance of a long lost love from her homeland causes its own problems.
I liked how she went round cleaning the homes of various clients of Timea’s looking for clues. You can tell a lot about people from the state of their homes, she says. I also grew to like her slob of a boyfriend who was really rather sweet and her pet policeman with his head full of data and graphs.
There is a second book and I hope some of these other characters will be back.
Lena and her very best friend Timea have come to London from Hungary to earn money. They work as cleaners. They live in a grotty flat along with Lena’s Polish boyfriend Tomek.
One day, when out cleaning an agitated Timea receives a text messages and says she has to go leaving Lena to finish off. But Timea never comes home.
The story is about Lena refusing to give up hope in finding her friend with or without the help of the police.
Lena is a very resourceful character but she has a bit of a temper and is not very trusting. At times she is annoyingly short of compassion but nothing will stop her finding out what became of Timea. She has help from a young eager policeman though the appearance of a long lost love from her homeland causes its own problems.
I liked how she went round cleaning the homes of various clients of Timea’s looking for clues. You can tell a lot about people from the state of their homes, she says. I also grew to like her slob of a boyfriend who was really rather sweet and her pet policeman with his head full of data and graphs.
There is a second book and I hope some of these other characters will be back.
April 1, 2018
Lena came to London in the hope of a better life away from her small village in Hungary. Living with her boyfriend Tomek and friend Timea, Lena cleans houses for the people of north London. When Timea disappears Lena in concerned, Timea had secrets. However when Timea's body is discovered and the police treat it as suicide, Lena decides that she must find out the truth.
This is a rather interesting little book which is more than it first appears. It seems on the surface like a rather lightweight crime novel, more Agatha Raisin than Agatha Christie. To this end it is very successful, engaging characters, bouncy plot, lots of twists and turns. However there is more...Lena is an immigrant and encounters casual discrimination at every turn, Cartwright is from a privileged background and is an anachronism in the police station, there is a nasty undercurrent to life in Islington. The murderer was clear from about halfway but it did not spoil my enjoyment and I hope to see more from Mundy.
This is a rather interesting little book which is more than it first appears. It seems on the surface like a rather lightweight crime novel, more Agatha Raisin than Agatha Christie. To this end it is very successful, engaging characters, bouncy plot, lots of twists and turns. However there is more...Lena is an immigrant and encounters casual discrimination at every turn, Cartwright is from a privileged background and is an anachronism in the police station, there is a nasty undercurrent to life in Islington. The murderer was clear from about halfway but it did not spoil my enjoyment and I hope to see more from Mundy.
February 2, 2018
A little slow to start as the characters and the opening chapters weren’t especially engaging BUT once the action started, this was an interesting book and a little bit different than other thrillers/mysteries/police procedurals.
If you liked Graham Norton’s Holding, then you will probably like this book too. It’s a gentler kind of crime book, touching on the underbelly of London and the people who have chosen to make their lives here.
Lena is convinced that her friend’s disappearance is out of character. During the course of the book, we find out lots about Timea but not very much about Lena. Their childhood in Hungary isn’t really discussed until towards the end of the book to give context to the events that have just happened.
Despite its languid style, it is a pacy book that kept my interest once I’d got into it.
A little bit different but a little bit tricky to start with. 3* ish...
If you liked Graham Norton’s Holding, then you will probably like this book too. It’s a gentler kind of crime book, touching on the underbelly of London and the people who have chosen to make their lives here.
Lena is convinced that her friend’s disappearance is out of character. During the course of the book, we find out lots about Timea but not very much about Lena. Their childhood in Hungary isn’t really discussed until towards the end of the book to give context to the events that have just happened.
Despite its languid style, it is a pacy book that kept my interest once I’d got into it.
A little bit different but a little bit tricky to start with. 3* ish...
October 7, 2018
Lena and Timea are Hungarians living and working in the UK. When Timea goes missing the police don't believe it's anything serious so Lena begins her own investigation. After a body is found, the Met allows a rookie constable to look further into the matter but they don't believe he'll find anything suspicious. This was a kind of cosy crime as we follow Lena around as she tries to find out what happened. You need to suspend your disbelief somewhat when PC Cartwright actually starts working with a civilian and even more when he breaks the Data Protection Act by giving Lena someone's home address. Apart from that, this is an okay debut and Lena makes for a good heroine.
July 23, 2020
Mivel az első felében kidühöngtem magam, a másodikban már egyre kevésbé, majd egyáltalán nem is érdekelt a magyartalanságok tárháza, így könnyen előfordulhat, hogy folytatni fogom. Mert ahogy mondtam, egy kellemes, nem túl összetett, laza krimi. Ezért nem húztam le nagyon pontokban sem, mert ez csak nekünk zavaró, nekünk fáj.
https://napifalat.blogspot.com/2020/0...
https://napifalat.blogspot.com/2020/0...
February 9, 2018
From page one I was pulled in by the characters and suspense. That Lena is the most unlikely detective, cleaning her way through the clues, only adds to the thrill. An unputdpwnable debut novel, I devoured it in one sitting. When’s the second book out? I’m already feeling lost without Lena!
March 18, 2018
In Strangers’ Houses is the first quirky crime caper to feature brilliantly snarky Hungarian immigrant and thirty-one-year-old domestic cleaner, Lena Szarka. Tenacious, smart and fiercely determined to make the best of her lot in London along with her six years younger Hungarian best friend friend, Timea, she spends her days cleaning the homes of the upwardly mobile in fashionable Islington, north London. When naive and rather wet Timea gives Lena cause for concern with her increasing pale and anxious appearance her eventual disappearance leaves a feeling of guilt and responsibility on the part of her friend who encouraged her to come to London. Convinced that Timea’s disappearance has something to do with one of her clients, a spot of undercover digging combined with some light cleaning duties bears little fruit for Lena. As Timea’s eventual fate becomes known an unsatisfied and distressed Lena decides to take matters into her own hands and, with or without police assistance, secure justice for Timea’s eight-year-old and newly orphaned son.
After a great start and firebrand Lena arousing the interest of a very green and eager newbie PC Cartwright, with his litany of spreadsheets and quotable statistics, actual discoveries are slow to be made and for much of the first part of the novel the story treads water with Elizabeth Mundy risking losing readers attention as the vibrant multicultural setting of London gives way to memories of Lena and Timea’s childhood in Hungary. Whilst I loved bold as brass and outspoken Lena and Mundy’s eye for poking fun at the many British idiosyncrasies, habits and preoccupations proves wryly amusing, in the second half of the novel I found Lena’s band of companions lacked her spark. Cartwright’s unwitting humour is confined to his mundane quoting of statistics and quickly grates and alongside Lena’s oafish boyfriend, the whining Tomek and her dull as ditchwater childhood sweetheart, Istvan, my interest waned. Thankfully Lena’s effusive mother, Greta, weighs in with some embarrassing comedy moments of her own but with Timea neither a sympathetic or wholly interesting character I struggled to care about her fate. Much of the resulting tale goes off at a tangent with Timea’s clients prove of far less relevance than her relationship with shady ex-boyfriend Faisal and his own murky dealings and her old life in Hungary.
Credit goes to some diligent research on the cleaning front, with my mother, who herself is a cleaner testifying to the veracity of some of brilliant tongue in cheek truisms of those who hire cleaners. Full of common sense and practical skill and about as subtle as a brick through a window, Lena undoubtedly has more to offer and together with a meatier crime plot and a story more concerned with making a life in London I might be tempted to read the expected follow up. An engaging enough read, but sadly the originality loses something in an increasingly pedestrian second half.
After a great start and firebrand Lena arousing the interest of a very green and eager newbie PC Cartwright, with his litany of spreadsheets and quotable statistics, actual discoveries are slow to be made and for much of the first part of the novel the story treads water with Elizabeth Mundy risking losing readers attention as the vibrant multicultural setting of London gives way to memories of Lena and Timea’s childhood in Hungary. Whilst I loved bold as brass and outspoken Lena and Mundy’s eye for poking fun at the many British idiosyncrasies, habits and preoccupations proves wryly amusing, in the second half of the novel I found Lena’s band of companions lacked her spark. Cartwright’s unwitting humour is confined to his mundane quoting of statistics and quickly grates and alongside Lena’s oafish boyfriend, the whining Tomek and her dull as ditchwater childhood sweetheart, Istvan, my interest waned. Thankfully Lena’s effusive mother, Greta, weighs in with some embarrassing comedy moments of her own but with Timea neither a sympathetic or wholly interesting character I struggled to care about her fate. Much of the resulting tale goes off at a tangent with Timea’s clients prove of far less relevance than her relationship with shady ex-boyfriend Faisal and his own murky dealings and her old life in Hungary.
Credit goes to some diligent research on the cleaning front, with my mother, who herself is a cleaner testifying to the veracity of some of brilliant tongue in cheek truisms of those who hire cleaners. Full of common sense and practical skill and about as subtle as a brick through a window, Lena undoubtedly has more to offer and together with a meatier crime plot and a story more concerned with making a life in London I might be tempted to read the expected follow up. An engaging enough read, but sadly the originality loses something in an increasingly pedestrian second half.
February 14, 2018
This highly readable crime novel fits into the category of the ordinary person on the street challenged to solve a crime.
Except Lena Szarka is no ordinary person. She’s a Hungarian immigrant , determined to make her way in a society that can be bewildering, unwelcoming and untrusting.
Lena’s friend, Timea, almost a little sister, mysteriously goes missing. Lena believes the police are not taking her disappearance seriously and resolves to find Timea with or without their help.
Like many immigrants, Lena and Timea both clean houses while their English improves. Lena’s only clue is that Timea seemed anxious about a client. With access to their clients’ posh Islington residences, Lena methodically begins to search their houses to uncover any dirty secrets that might implicate them in Timea’s disappearance.
The tension builds slowly as Lena investigates each client’s life. But a sudden discovery makes the search take a sinister turn and the stakes higher.
This novel is impeccably plotted. As Lena investigates each client, she builds a scenario of guilt that gradually reaches a peak before it suddenly falls apart, and she must begin again. We are taken along her rollercoaster ride of hope, despair, and sometimes, danger. Accepting that she got it wrong, while not giving up, is part of what makes Lena so endearing.
The characters in this novel are indicted by flaws and foibles: lust, lies, conceit, pride, grief, betrayal, and jealousy all play their part. If you like a bit of romance mixed in with crime, there is unrequited love, budding love and dying love.
There are laugh out loud comic moments. The prose is peppered with gems of observation. This is a writer who has an eye for detail and who knows her world. Definitely a book to devour and a writer to watch.
Except Lena Szarka is no ordinary person. She’s a Hungarian immigrant , determined to make her way in a society that can be bewildering, unwelcoming and untrusting.
Lena’s friend, Timea, almost a little sister, mysteriously goes missing. Lena believes the police are not taking her disappearance seriously and resolves to find Timea with or without their help.
Like many immigrants, Lena and Timea both clean houses while their English improves. Lena’s only clue is that Timea seemed anxious about a client. With access to their clients’ posh Islington residences, Lena methodically begins to search their houses to uncover any dirty secrets that might implicate them in Timea’s disappearance.
The tension builds slowly as Lena investigates each client’s life. But a sudden discovery makes the search take a sinister turn and the stakes higher.
This novel is impeccably plotted. As Lena investigates each client, she builds a scenario of guilt that gradually reaches a peak before it suddenly falls apart, and she must begin again. We are taken along her rollercoaster ride of hope, despair, and sometimes, danger. Accepting that she got it wrong, while not giving up, is part of what makes Lena so endearing.
The characters in this novel are indicted by flaws and foibles: lust, lies, conceit, pride, grief, betrayal, and jealousy all play their part. If you like a bit of romance mixed in with crime, there is unrequited love, budding love and dying love.
There are laugh out loud comic moments. The prose is peppered with gems of observation. This is a writer who has an eye for detail and who knows her world. Definitely a book to devour and a writer to watch.
March 24, 2018
Fabulous. I genuinely had no idea who’d done it. Well plotted. Great characters. Great premise. Looking forward to the next in the series. A very clever plot.
did-not-finish
September 29, 2021DNF, it just wasn't for me
April 4, 2018
Cleaner
Lens had her own cleaning company, after her friend was murdered, bit confusing but good, had to keep up with the dectectives, what happened to the one that liked Lena?
Lens had her own cleaning company, after her friend was murdered, bit confusing but good, had to keep up with the dectectives, what happened to the one that liked Lena?
August 7, 2018
I enjoyed this contemporary thriller. Provides some insight into modern day London
March 4, 2018
marvellous tightly plotted and written
February 3, 2019
Lena's best friend and fellow Hungarian cleaning woman goes missing one day after running off from a mysterious text. She highly suspects one of Timea's clients has done something to her, based on her skittish behaviour and the words she said just before disappearing.
Only Cartwright at the local police station takes Lena seriously and offers to help her out. As Lena starts digging into the Islington area and the houses she and Timea used to clean, she slowly realizes that she didn't know as much about Timea as she thought. Secrets, even secrets from their native Hungary, seem to start bubbling up. And when others go missing and turn up dead, there is more to Timea's disappearance than originally meets the eye.
Together with Cartwright, her sweet Polish boyfriend Tomek and a host of interesting characters, Lena slowly unravels Timea's story, finding out just how tangled up it could be, and how much one's past can't really be forgotten.
I enjoyed Lena's no-nonsense character, bravery, and courage, along with her persistence. She absolutely refused to give up despite hitting many walls and seeing the general prejudice against or misunderstanding of Eastern European immigrants in London. She earns the respect of many as she tenaciously moves forward, and when she needs to have a bit more heart, she is capable of being kind and tender toward those she truly cares about.
Only Cartwright at the local police station takes Lena seriously and offers to help her out. As Lena starts digging into the Islington area and the houses she and Timea used to clean, she slowly realizes that she didn't know as much about Timea as she thought. Secrets, even secrets from their native Hungary, seem to start bubbling up. And when others go missing and turn up dead, there is more to Timea's disappearance than originally meets the eye.
Together with Cartwright, her sweet Polish boyfriend Tomek and a host of interesting characters, Lena slowly unravels Timea's story, finding out just how tangled up it could be, and how much one's past can't really be forgotten.
I enjoyed Lena's no-nonsense character, bravery, and courage, along with her persistence. She absolutely refused to give up despite hitting many walls and seeing the general prejudice against or misunderstanding of Eastern European immigrants in London. She earns the respect of many as she tenaciously moves forward, and when she needs to have a bit more heart, she is capable of being kind and tender toward those she truly cares about.
June 30, 2019
Fast paced and enthralling
Lena’s friend goes missing out of the blue, so after contacting the police who don’t seem interested at first, Lena starts investigating herself. She’s quite tenacious, putting herself in dangerous situations, eventually with help from the police force, it emerges she knew little about her friend’s life back in Hungary or in London. Clues are uncovered, people aren’t who they seem, bodies are turning up dead. Finally the real mastermind is uncovered. I guessed who, I’m pleased about. I was completely engrossed in this book even staying up late last night watching Glastonbury ( distracted more like) - and look forward to reading the next book A Clean Canvas. I enjoyed the humour woven into this book , I’m a fan of Lena !
You won’t be disappointed.
Lena’s friend goes missing out of the blue, so after contacting the police who don’t seem interested at first, Lena starts investigating herself. She’s quite tenacious, putting herself in dangerous situations, eventually with help from the police force, it emerges she knew little about her friend’s life back in Hungary or in London. Clues are uncovered, people aren’t who they seem, bodies are turning up dead. Finally the real mastermind is uncovered. I guessed who, I’m pleased about. I was completely engrossed in this book even staying up late last night watching Glastonbury ( distracted more like) - and look forward to reading the next book A Clean Canvas. I enjoyed the humour woven into this book , I’m a fan of Lena !
You won’t be disappointed.
July 13, 2020
Lena is my hero. She combines fiery Hungarian spirit with her wry observations of a new city that tends to overlook her presence. The characters are realistic by being both lovable and flawed, and it reads differently from many other books in the genre. As someone who is now married to a Hungarian immigrant and has friends from all over Eastern Europe who make their living by cleaning, this story felt extra personal to me and Ms. Mundy definitely did her research into the lives of those she portrays. This was one of my favourite series' of the year and I hope we will have many more adventures with Lena to come.
January 24, 2019
Loved this! Loved Lena,she was such a strong kind and clever character,she would be the perfect next Bond! I was sad about Timea and was hoping for a different outcome. Tomak was very funny and I liked the romance blossoming between Lena and Cartwright,also all the separate stories about the people they cleaned for was interesting. It was believable and realistic with some good humour,really enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2018
In my neverending quest to find good or at least tolerable contemporary murder mysteries/thrillers (I haven't finished a single Nordic crime novel), I stumbled upon In Strangers' Houses somehow and was immediately intrigued by the unique premise. Although the characters are a little wispy, overall the story turned out to be an OK page-turner. Well-written, with good pacing, and fun (and apparently very true) observations about the clients of cleaners. Mundy also knows how not to bloat the plot and when to linger in the characters' past without going off on a tangent too much (often a stumbling point for crime writers). Not a cozy mystery, but there's no graphic violence and it's suitable for similar moments when you just need something light and addictive. I'll probably check out the second installment as well.
November 3, 2020
If I could describe this book in one word it would be average. I honestly found it difficult to finish at first and almost wanted to give up reading it, but eventually pushed through just because I wanted to know what happened at the end. However, the climax and big reveal came out of nowhere and left no impact on me; at that point I just wanted to get this book done and over with. The writing is very monotone and unremarkable, it was just boring to read for me, personally. A lot of major plot points got dismissed and were just irrelevant all of a sudden. Yeah can't say I liked this one very much
April 6, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed my first crime read! Excellent character development and cannot wait to see what happens next for Lena. Highly recommend.
February 23, 2020
The story line was good but the ending is a lil bit off and there are some characters that are not necessary at all. But I love the plot 💜💜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2018
Highly visible as an “issue” and yet highly invisible as individuals, East European immigrants and best friends Lena Szarka and her friend Timea Dubay clean London’s houses in the daytime and its offices at night. Although the work offers them more upward mobility than would be possible back in Hungary, working in a foreign country isn’t easy. The language is difficult, the systems and culture are unfamiliar, and nasty anti-immigrant sentiment lies just below the surface.
Most of Elizabeth Mundy’s debut murder mystery is told from Lena’s point of view, enabling a close-up perspective on the complexities and hazards of immigrant life on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. As house cleaners, she and Timea work in others’ private spaces, see their most intimate secrets, and observe their habits. It is an act of faith that they can do so safely and will be paid for their efforts. Mundy has created engaging characters facing believable challenges. It’s no surprise this is intended as the first of a series featuring the warm-hearted Lena.
Lena is a few years older than Timea and coping fairly well. But Timea, a single mother, is struggling. She’s never told anyone who her son Laszlo’s father is—and though it was hard to leave the boy behind, she expects this sojourn abroad to jump-start a better life for them both. The women’s childhood friend Istvan, a handsome television actor, also lives in London. Istvan is married to a well-off woman who has helped his career, and he’s achieved a lifestyle starkly contrasting with that of the women, one that lets him concentrate on what is most important, himself.
Early in the story, Lena begins to worry about Timea. Her friend is increasingly unhappy and confesses that the problem is someone she must get away from. When Timea doesn’t come home one night, Lena’s worry blossoms into fear, and when she doesn’t return by the next day, Lena goes to the police. They are disinclined to take the disappearance seriously. Experience tells them Timea is most likely with a boyfriend and will turn up.
When Timea’s body does turn up, floating in Regent’s Canal, the police take a brief interest, but conclude the death was suicide. They hold this opinion even more strongly once the autopsy reveals Timea was three months pregnant. Mundy rounds out her characters in a series of flashbacks to Lena, Timea, and Istvan as children, a history that convinces Lena that Timea would never kill herself. In true amateur detective form, Mundy gives Lena no choice but to embark on the investigation herself.
Mundy shows a somewhat different facet of London than we usually see and makes Lena’s situation fresh and interesting. The writing is solid, though the police detective sometimes sounds as if he’s memorized a criminology textbook. By contrast, Lena’s slight awkwardness in expression is part of the book’s charm. After all, English is a bit of a struggle for her, but she sticks with it bravely, just as she does the pursuit of Timea’s killer. A quick read without a lot of graphic violence or sex. I’ll be interested to see more from Mundy.
Most of Elizabeth Mundy’s debut murder mystery is told from Lena’s point of view, enabling a close-up perspective on the complexities and hazards of immigrant life on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. As house cleaners, she and Timea work in others’ private spaces, see their most intimate secrets, and observe their habits. It is an act of faith that they can do so safely and will be paid for their efforts. Mundy has created engaging characters facing believable challenges. It’s no surprise this is intended as the first of a series featuring the warm-hearted Lena.
Lena is a few years older than Timea and coping fairly well. But Timea, a single mother, is struggling. She’s never told anyone who her son Laszlo’s father is—and though it was hard to leave the boy behind, she expects this sojourn abroad to jump-start a better life for them both. The women’s childhood friend Istvan, a handsome television actor, also lives in London. Istvan is married to a well-off woman who has helped his career, and he’s achieved a lifestyle starkly contrasting with that of the women, one that lets him concentrate on what is most important, himself.
Early in the story, Lena begins to worry about Timea. Her friend is increasingly unhappy and confesses that the problem is someone she must get away from. When Timea doesn’t come home one night, Lena’s worry blossoms into fear, and when she doesn’t return by the next day, Lena goes to the police. They are disinclined to take the disappearance seriously. Experience tells them Timea is most likely with a boyfriend and will turn up.
When Timea’s body does turn up, floating in Regent’s Canal, the police take a brief interest, but conclude the death was suicide. They hold this opinion even more strongly once the autopsy reveals Timea was three months pregnant. Mundy rounds out her characters in a series of flashbacks to Lena, Timea, and Istvan as children, a history that convinces Lena that Timea would never kill herself. In true amateur detective form, Mundy gives Lena no choice but to embark on the investigation herself.
Mundy shows a somewhat different facet of London than we usually see and makes Lena’s situation fresh and interesting. The writing is solid, though the police detective sometimes sounds as if he’s memorized a criminology textbook. By contrast, Lena’s slight awkwardness in expression is part of the book’s charm. After all, English is a bit of a struggle for her, but she sticks with it bravely, just as she does the pursuit of Timea’s killer. A quick read without a lot of graphic violence or sex. I’ll be interested to see more from Mundy.
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