Recently read Clean by Alia Trabucco and really enjoyed it. The premise of this one kind of reminded me of that book. It wasn't quite executed in a way that lived up to my expectations. I struggled with the pacing issues and not feeling engaged enough or wanting to continue, and I'm not sure the payoff was worth it. It was just okay, not sure I'd recommend.

I found this book to be a little slow for me. I have a hard time paying attention to a book that doesn’t immediately grab my attention. I also found this book to be a bit confusing at times. I’m sure others will love this book, the storyline was very interesting

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Crown Publishing.

It is not dust she is looking for it is 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 do not bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants.

Esmie is well aware that her employers do not truly see her. To them, she is a foreigner who cleans up their messes. But there is one mess she refuses to clean up. Because Esmie is not a cleaner. She has 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. I was really looking forward to reading this after reading the synopsis. The Cleaner was definitely a slow burn thriller that drags more than it should. The sub plots for me were just a little unnecessary and detracted from what had the potential to be an exciting read. There is a twist here and a turn there but not enough to hold my attention. I did like the premise of this story line. But with the many layers of this story I found that it went off the main plot of this story and the story got kind of boring. I just started not looking forward to continue reading it. I also did felt no connection to the many characters, even Esmie. And all the side characters were flat, which just made it hard to tell which character is who. This is Watson's first adult fiction book, having written YA in the past. Perhaps that sheds some light on the writing style being mostly telling than showing. If you enjoy mysteries that make you think , The Cleaner might be for you.

The Cleaner by Mary Watson is a dark, twist-filled thriller that plunges readers into a tangled web of secrets, lies, and unexpected turns. From the very first chapter, the story builds a gritty, immersive atmosphere that keeps you on edge, unsure of who to trust or what’s coming next.

Watson’s writing is detailed and deliberately chaotic—in the best way—mirroring the emotional and psychological turmoil of her characters. The story may feel messy at times, but that sense of disorder serves the narrative well, reflecting the spiraling tension and complex plotlines. Every new revelation peels back another disturbing layer, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, a shocking twist resets everything you thought you knew.

Dark, intricate, and utterly absorbing, The Cleaner is a gripping read that pulls you into its murky depths and refuses to let go. Mary Watson delivers a powerful psychological thriller that thrives on its unpredictability, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

Esmie takes a job as a cleaner. No one pays attention to the cleaner. She is there to learn information and get revenge. I liked the characters and the plot. This one went a little slow for me, but overall a decent thriller.

Who pays attention to the help? Esmie is betting that no one does so she gets a job as a cleaner in the community where her brother previously resided. She wants to discover why he was ejected from the university, who his lover was, and what drove him away. She can't ask him because he's now in a coma so undercover she goes.

I struggled to finish this book. I found the premise weak, the story seemed to drag on forever, and the characters were flat and unlikable. There is promise in the writing and this is the author's first novel so I will definitely revisit her later work.

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this ARC.

Esmie's pursuit of the person who hurt her brother is relentless, and the truth she seeks may be more nuanced than she expects.

Had I not been so busy this week, I would have finished this book in a single sitting. I read a lot of thrillers, but this one easily kept me on the edge of my seat, (incorrectly) guessing what would happen next! 🫠

Mary Watson's first adult novel was an absolute success, and I hope she will continue to publish more in this genre.

Thank you #NetGalley and #CrownPublishing for the ARC.

A lot of betrayal, distrust and scandal within this prominent and dysfunctional society. Although there are broken marriages, secrets and behavior unbecoming among the neighborhood, you will be focused on their housekeeper. Esmeralda will become an observer witnessing secrets and scandals, judging their choices.
Esmie will be an unknowingly confidante, listening to members of this high society. What will she do with these confessions and crucial information? She has her own secrets that contrast with the drama of the elite and will be a catalyst for revealing their dysfunctional endeavors. As she works in exclusive homes, slithering in and out, never leaving any dust, but gathering her tools for revenge...revenge for a brother Nico, who came to Ireland for a degree, but left broken and in a coma after a love affair went wrong. Who is responsible?
Esmie was a music teacher before she saw her brother disintegrate before her eyes and decided she was going to clean house, literally and physically. She listens and observes creeping into their dark society to find Nico's lover and the one who destroyed his promising dreams.
This was an extensive, long read at some points dragging, but there is so much to investigate inside the lives of the filthy and rich. Esmie will find out more than she needs to. I love a good maid to an investigator!
A great job with this debut and can't wait to see what else she will write.
Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this ARC.

This was just okay. I was intrigued with the premise, but it ultimately ended up being super unbelievable and a bit too drawn out. Who would just hire some random lady off the street to clean their houses? How did she have so much time to snoop? It was also unfortunate that I really didn't like a single character in the book. The plot had definite promise, it just wasn't executed how I would have liked. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC of this novel.

A dark tale of revenge. No one looks at the house cleaner. Esme knows that and that becomes the way she gets into the Woodlands neighborhood where someone who destroyed her brother Nico's life resides. Nico was a golden boy but his slide into drugs and other things has put him in a coma so Esme has left their country looking answers. There are lots of secrets in this neighborhood. The story moves back and forth in time to give you a better sense of Esme, who has her own secrets, as well as of the women she's working for. This leans in on classicism and on responsibility. for others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The Cleaner by Mary Watson is a recommended mystery. Esmerelda Theodora Lorenzo, or Esmie, 25, has moved from her South American country to an Irish university town seeking revenge for her older brother, Nico.

Nico was attending the university on a scholarship and on his way to a PhD. He was having an affair when something happened resulting in the loss of his scholarship and he returned home a drug addicted, ruined man. Currently he is in a coma and Esmie needs to know who ruined her brother. After moving to Ireland, Esmie has managed to get a position as a house cleaner in the exclusive small gated community out side of town where Nico had a rented a room. As a cleaner Esmie knows she will be invisible and able to look for evidence on what they did to Nico.

The narrative is told through Esmie in the present day and flashbacks to her past. Every single character in this novel is untrustworthy and a mess in one way or another. Subterfuge, deception, and enigmas abound. In the slow-burning, repetitive plot there are secrets, but no tension. However, all the characters have plenty of dirt to dig up. There are several twists at the end.

It must be noted that several things are never addressed and disbelief must be set aside. Nico is an adult. Traveling to another country to clean houses, hoping to seek revenge for the consequences of his actions is ridiculous. Then Esmie managed to get the job cleaning way-too-easily and while working she seems to have a whole lot of extra time to look for secrets.

The Cleaner is a good choice for those who enjoy mysteries with secrets amidst a steady pace. Thanks to Crown Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I loved so many things about this book. The cover, the setting, the format with the flashbacks.
I even loved the big twist- which doesn’t happen as often as you’d think.
After Esmie’s true identity was revealed, the way she spoke about her family made much more sense. It’s as if the author was giving us little clues as to who she was all along.
The reason for 3 stars instead of 4 is because of a few unbelievable happenings amongst the characters. Still an enjoyable read with a thrilling cast of characters.

Esmie becomes the cleaning woman for two sisters, and their neighbor, and is drawn into their chaotic world. But Esmie has secrets and she will stop at nothing to find out what really happened to her brother Noah.

Esmie is driven by the need to avenge her fallen brother. This slick, twisty tale has all the makings of a good thriller and it definitely delivers. Beneath the dirt and darkness that surrounds the three women is Esmie's struggle against race and class divides. As the cleaning woman, she is expected to be invisible, to blend into the background, but eventually she emerges as a part of the women's world and shows herself as a force to be reckoned with.

Filled with strong characters and plenty of action, The Cleaner is a good, solid story and an entertaining thriller. If you enjoy multiple twists and turns and a compelling story, this is a great book to pick up.4 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book had a great hook right from the start and it was a wild ride. The characters were all suspicious and seemed horrible at first, but I love how the author got into their emotions and personalities and presented us with a picture that not everything is clear cut. There were so many twists and A LOT of drama that kept me hooked and finishing this book in one day. The way the characters blindly trust and kind of wrote off Esmie says a lot about these people and how they treat others. The setting and atmosphere was also really well done, just the way these houses were secluded and seemed fancy, but held lots of dark secrets, was a great setting for a thriller. It had my FAVORITE twist and was so well done (which is hard to do) and I was gasping out loud when getting towards the end. I loved the unconventional and again not black / white ending.

Mary Watson’s The Cleaner is a twisty, psychologically rich thriller that digs deep into the cost of revenge and the weight of unresolved trauma. The novel’s unsettling power lies in its grounding in real-world tensions—particularly class and privilege—while delivering the taut pacing and surprises of a top-tier suspense story.

Esmie, the protagonist, is a fascinating study in contradictions: meticulous, wounded, and fiercely determined. When she gets exactly what she wants, the satisfaction is hollow, underscoring the old adage “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." Watson refuses tidy resolutions, instead leaving Esmie (and the reader) to sit with the messy aftermath of her choices.

What sets The Cleaner apart from other thrillers is its willingness to sit in moral gray areas. It’s not just about what happens, but why—and whether any of it truly fixes the broken pieces. Fans of slow-burn, character-driven suspense (think Promising Young Woman meets The Silent Patient) will devour this.

🧽 W I C K E D W E D N E S D A Y review 🧽 featuring “The Cleaner” by Mary Watson!

Esmie arrives in Ireland with a calculated plan and the burning need to seek revenge for her brother. She sets herself up perfectly for a run in (literally) in a posh neighbourhood called The Woodlands and successfully weasels herself into getting a cleaning job at 3 different houses.

But Esmie is not an actual cleaner and is primarily there to dig up dirt on her targets and unveil their secrets. As she sneaks around these people in the background, she is desperate to dig up the truth and connection this crowd has to her brother Nico who is currently in a coma.

What dirt will she dig up? And what secrets are hidden behind the surface of the high and mighty of society?

💭 This book is a SLOW BURN to begin with and then takes off unexpectedly! Pay attention to the bread crumbs that Esmie begins to pick up on and add it to your archive of dirt on each messy character! Esmie is fueled by rage and raw emotion which creates an atmosphere of animosity, twisted behaviour and darkened obsession!

“Revenge was one of those words that meant something different, depending on how you looked at it. Revenge could be small and petty, a sign of moral weakness. Or it could be majestic, biblical; a grand retribution, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”.

Thank you kindly to @marym_watson @crownpublishing @penguinrandomca @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on July 29, 2025!

A slow-burn thriller with bite, “The Cleaner” (out July 29 from Crown) follows Esmie, a woman posing as a house cleaner in an elite Irish neighborhood, hellbent on uncovering who destroyed her brother’s life. Beneath the pristine surfaces and manicured lawns lie secrets, betrayals and enough dirt to bury reputations.

Mary Watson’s adult debut is moody, morally murky and brimming with quiet rage. While some characters feel thinly drawn, Esmie’s sharp-eyed quest for vengeance will keep readers hooked till the final sweep.

This book is well written but rather dark and unpleasant for me. It will be a good fit for people who want a slow burn revenge story.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. I couldn’t put this book down! Definitely a twisty thriller. The plot was fantastic! I really loved Esme’s character. Complete with drama, secrets, sneakiness, and a great example of how you can be treated depending on your “class” this book was juicy and hard to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Cleaner.

I love revenge tales so The Cleaner sounded right up my alley.

A young, unassuming woman named Esmie is hired to clean the house of an affluent family. She's unseen and disregarded but she's not what she seems and someone should watch their back.

If I hear the word Nico again, it would be too soon.

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.

She's got a freaky 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 or even empathetic; I didn't like or care about anyone.

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 people or anything else.

The writing was fine, but there wasn't anything new I haven't read before in countless 'domestic thrillers' with similar premises.