An outstanding debut novel! What an adrenaline rush, my heart is still on a rollercoaster ride! This is a taut, character-driven psychological thriller, filled with suspicion and tension. The author’s wonderfully developed characters that you will love or otherwise love to hate make this a riveting read.

This is a well-written, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will leave you breathless at times in anticipation of the next twist in the plot. Don’t start reading this book if you are not prepared to stay up all night. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this one!! A cleaner with a hidden agenda, sneaking through the homes of the rich and privileged, quietly collecting secrets and plotting revenge? Yes please. Loved how dark and twisty this novel was. The writing kept me on the edge of my seat, and the characters, though flawed, were incredibly compelling. I found myself constantly guessing what would happen next, and the ending, while unexpected, felt satisfying. Definitely a book I'd recommend to fans of suspenseful thrillers!

I think the story was well thought out and interesting. The twists were pretty good and the characters all had several facets to them. Some parts dragged on and the first half went on far longer than the second half which unwrapped itself at a very fast pace. Overall I was entertained and it was worth the read. I think this is a step above a Freida book.

I received an early copy from NetGalley to read and review.
I think I thought I was going to be reading a different novel than the one I read based on the description. Maybe I skimmed it too fast. And this is not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I did. It just felt like the story wasn't the one I was planning on reading.

I found this a difficult novel to review. Halfway through I was going through the paces, reading it just to finish it. And at that point I was not going to give it 4 stars. The story was fine. The characters were described well, the setting sounded lovely, it was just that a few things weren't making sense to me. I wasn't understanding some of the motivations of the main character.
However I am glad I continued and kept reading because soon enough the motivations were all too clear and made sense. And then the story all fell into place.
With that said, the ending really tied the whole story together. I would much rather read a story like this where the ending is a surprise and brings it all together than an engaging book throughout that has a disappointing ending.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Canada for this ebook-ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, the FMC takes on the role of a cleaner in three separate homes to investigate the incidents that occurred while a family member was studying abroad. At the start, this book was quite interesting, but I experienced a dry spell 25% into the book and considered putting it down. However, I persevered and I’m so happy I did! Once at 50% things picked up and with every chapter the book pulled me in more and more. Everything tied in beautifully in the end and the poetic retribution was mind blowing. Definitely worth the read!!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

"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."

The premise of this book was solid (if a little "been there, read that" at least for me) but for me it failed to deliver. An overly-complicated storyline set in a few different time periods with a LOT of different characters to keep up with. None of the characters were particularly likable (though I guess in a twisty thriller you might expect that!), especially Esmie which made it a challenge. I read to the end, really to see how it all played out but I was not super invested in the plot :(

Title: The Cleaner
Author: Mary Watson
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: eBook
Publication Date. 29 July, 2025
Publisher: Random House Canada

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for the eARC of The Cleaner in exchange for an honest review.**

I'd requested this title on the premise alone. The synopsis divulged it as kind of creative story plot that immediately catches your attention with its promise of layered secrets and uncomfortable truths. "The Cleaner exposes the dark underbelly of a protected society, revealing the dirty truths that lie beneath its façades of privilege." That one line sealed the deal for me, and I knew I would have to make this my final read to round out July.

This is my first introduction to Mary Watson's work, and while the experience was mixed, I can't deny her ability to craft atmospheric and tension.

Esmie has quietly slipped into a world that doesn't belong to her. Posing as a cleaner for the wealthy families of The Woodlands, an upscale housing development near an Irish University. She isn't just mopping floors and folding laundry, though. She's watching, listening, and digging. She's there for once reason only: revenge.

Three years earlier, Esmie''s brother Nico left home to pursue a scholarship opportunity abroad in Ireland. Six months ago, he came home a changed man. Shattered. An affair gone terribly wrong had cost him everything. Now, Nico lies in a coma, and Esmie knows one of The Woodlands residents is responsible—she just needs to find out who, prove it, and destroy them from the inside out.

The bones of this story are brilliant. It's sinister, brooding, slow-burnings, and emotionally charged. The idea of someone infiltrating the lives of the elite through something as seemingly mundane as housework? Delicious. And Esmie herself is compelling, utterly grief-ridden, obsessive, calculating, and human in all the right ways. She's a character you both root for, and fear for. There's a razor-sharp focus to her intent that keeps you locked in, waiting to see how far she'll go...and what it'll cost her.

But where the premise shines, the executive stumbles.

The repetitiveness was the biggest hurdle for me personally. We're reminded, constantly that Esmie is working as a cleaner, that Nico is in a coma, and that these families are at fault. The inner monologue treads the same emotional ground, chapter after chapters, without much variation. Instead of building suspense, it began to feel like the narrative was stalling. I found myself wishing the story would dig deeper, move faster, do more with its setup.

Some of the plot devices also required a stretch of believability. Esmie's seamless entry into this world, her freedom to snoop and spy without raising alarm... it was all a little too convenient. And while Esmie is richly drawn, the supporting characters felt underdeveloped by comparison. They orbit her rather than exist beisde her, which weakened the overall impact of the more emotional and revealing moments of the story.

Still, there's something undeniably gripping about the Cleaner.. When Watson leans into the tension, the reveals, the moral ambiguity—it works, and it works very well. The writing has the ability to be lyrical and laced with dread. There were scenes that genuinely unnerved me, and several twists that I didn't see coming. The ending lands with a sharp sting, and for readers who enjoy a more psychological approach to revenge fiction, this will likely satisfy.

Watson's adult fiction debut shows promise, and while the writing didn't quite deliver for me, her thematic approach hit hard. I admire her imagination, and her command of atmosphere. Themes of grief, class divide, sisterly love, guilt, and vengeance—it is all there. I'll be keeping an eye on where her adult fiction journey goes next, because the foundation is strong.. She just appears to still be finding her footing in the adult category.

The Cleaner is a very interesting concept - something has happened to Nico and Esmie has a plan to get revenge. She gets a job as a cleaner with the women who Nico spent time with when he was at school and was the start of his downfall. The middle of the novel did drag for me - alot of repetitive scenes and Esmie was getting a bit too close with the families that she was cleaning for. The ending was really surprising to me and I enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgallery and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this one!! A cleaner with a hidden agenda, sneaking through the homes of the rich and privileged, quietly collecting secrets and plotting revenge? Yes please.

The atmosphere was definitely dark and tense, and I liked being in Esmie’s head as she observed the world around her. I also appreciated the commentary on class and invisibility it’s always eerie how much staff can see that the rest of us overlook.

BUT I struggled a bit with the pacing. The first half moved pretty slowly, and there were moments where I felt a little disconnected from the characters outside of Esmie. By the time the tension finally ramped up, I was invested again, but it took a while to get there.

Overall, a solid psychological/domestic thriller with some clever moments, but it didn’t fully hook me the way I’d hoped.

Esmie fades into the background, invisible, as a cleaner for an exclusive neighborhood in Ireland. She’s a quiet woman with mop in hand, observing her client’s lives. Esmie knows her employers don’t really see her, she’s a foreigner who cleans their messes… but there’s one mess she refuses to clean up. She’s come to this neighborhood with one sole purpose… revenge.

THE CLEANER is Watson’s debut into adult fiction and though it is my first experience with her work, I really enjoyed myself.

THE CLEANER is told in Esmie’s POV with short chapters flashing to the past at different time intervals. Esmie is investigating what happened to her brother Nico while he was away studying abroad in Ireland on a scholarship.

I was gripped within the first few chapters and though I had little idea what was to come, I was thoroughly invested in the journey. THE CLEANER is a dark and twisty read with many twists and turns. The ending was not at all what I expected but was very well done and fit the trajectory of the story nicely. It’s a well-crafted story that looks at class and privilege through a lens of obsession and revenge.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

The novel tells the story of a woman, Esmie, bent on revenge for her brother’s demise and humiliation. She travels from her home country to Ireland and beguiles her way to become the cleaner for the suspects in her potential revenge plot.

I enjoyed the novel though kept wondering what had put her brother, Nico, into a coma and why a sister might be so bend on revenging a downfall that seemed so self-created?

They dynamics between family members and neighbours was entertaining, as well as the scenery.

4 out of 5 stars!

Esmie has arrived at the gated neighbourhood of the woodlands. Pretending to be a cleaner, she inserts herself in these wealthy homes looking for any clues about what could have happened to her brother Nico who was living in the area while working on his schooling. Who was Nico’s mysterious lover and why was he unceremoniously cast out of the school and homes. This is what Esmie plans to discover.

It was ok. A little slow and the story was a little far fetched for my liking. None of the characters were lovable. The twist was decent but ultimately the story dragged a bit too much for me to fully enjoy.

3⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the book in exchange for a review

Ominous, intense, and gripping!

The Cleaner is a suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Esmie, a young foreign maid whose obsessive compulsion to snoop and discover what really happened to her brother while he was away may finally catch up with her when her wealthy clients are willing to do whatever it takes to keep their secrets hidden for good.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are complex, secretive, and troubled. And the plot is a devious tale full of twists, turns, lies, deception, manipulation, suspicions, revelations, tragedy, mayhem, revenge, and obsession.

Overall, The Cleaner is a tortuous, sinister, unnerving tale by Watson that was surprising, relentless, and bursting with misdirection.

A dark, twisted, and utterly captivating thriller that pulls you into the secrets of a secluded woodland gated community. Esmie, driven by revenge, goes undercover as a house cleaner to uncover the truth behind her brother’s downfall. What follows is a gripping unraveling of lies, jealousy, betrayal, and addiction. The story is layered with suspense and delivers a twist that you may—or may not—see coming. I devoured this in just a couple of days and was hooked the entire time. A haunting, deliciously tense read.

Esmie gets a job as a cleaner in an exclusive neighbourhood. Her plan is to get in, get revenge on whoever hurt her brother, and then get out. But the longer she is there, the more she gets pulled into family drama and realizes her revenge might not be as cut and dried as she planned.

I thought this was a decent read. I was expecting a pretty straight forward "personal revenge" novel and was pleasantly surprised with some of the plot twists. The tension builds slowly and secrets abound. I appreciated the intermittent flashbacks as they provided tantalizing tidbits of insight into Esmie’s need for revenge. I found myself fascinated with and/or in disbelief about situations and choices made in this novel. In the end, I’m still not certain whether most of the characters got what they deserved.

This novel will likely appeal to readers who enjoy revenge themes as well as reading about morally grey characters.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

The Cleaner was an engaging mystery/thriller that I read in just a few days. Esmie is a 25 year old woman from an undisclosed Latin country who has arrived in an upscale country Irish neighbourhood, seeking revenge for the abuse and assault of her brother Nico. Nico had been here as a university scholarship student, with room and board in one of these houses. But 6 months after his arrival, he is suddenly sent home in shame, soon becoing addicted to drugs and alcohol. Esmie is determined to find out why. She sets herself up as a cleaner for 3 women in the neighbourhood and begins the search for details on what happened to Nico. Along the way she discovers secrets about each of the couples, and starts to put together a picture of what happened to Nico.
The story was told in a way that left very little to the imagination of the reader. I found the plot very predictable and the characters undeveloped and unlikeable. The story was compelling enough to keep me going, and I read it quickly.
This is the author's first adult fiction book, having written YA in the past. Perhaps that sheds some light on the writing style being mostly "tell" and little "show".
There was a twist near the end, and the story wrapped up neatly. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick and easy mystery. It would make a great airplane book.
My thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really held my attention, and I read most of it in one night. The characters were interesting, and while I guessed a few of the major twists, the book still really held my attention and interest. I enjoyed the writing and the little snippets of the character's past that were sprinkled throughout the novel. A fun mystery!

Netgally ARC read

I thought this book was alright, although it was a relatively quick read for me I wasn't overly excited to see what happened next like some of the thrillers/ mystery books I've enjoyed. I did enjoy the writing style though.

I requested this title because of the description and the cover. I feel like we're reaching the end of the thriller era, however, and this book is one of the reasons why I think that.
I understand the desire to publish a book that could hook onto the coattails of The Maid (and its not great sequels), but this falls flat for many reasons. The twist is not engaging and I had figured it out. None of the characters are likeable, even Nico. The book is far too long.
And there are some aspects of this that just show the writing/plot arc are lazy. For example, on page 203, Elsie answers a phone call and frets that now the woman that's chasing her has her number. But she ALREADY has her number because she's been texting her threats.... Additionally, Esmie jumps to the conclusion that she now knows she’s in Ireland but that doesn’t make sense. When you call someone you don’t know where they are.
That's lazy. Build suspense another way.
I really wanted to like this and I feel terrible giving such a bad review, but this book is not great.
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an advance copy.

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 great. 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.

To elevate this story, I'd tone down the unbelievable drama and tighten the pacing, but for a debut, I was entertained. That's all I'm asking!

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.