Publisher: Bantam
Release date: 16 January 2025
Back cover blurb: It's not dust she's looking for. It's dirt. Esmie is supposed to be invisible. Just a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite has time to place. Her uniform of leggings and a duster allows her to explore the homes of the wealthy, unseen; an outsider creeping around the edges of privilege. But as she sweeps through the exclusive Woodlands gated neighbourhood, cleaning is the last thing on her mind. Treading silently over the polished wooden floorboards and cloud-soft carpets, Esmie gathers up the mess of broken marriages, quiet deceptions and careless failures. She tucks away their fragments, keeping them safe. For now. Because one of the residents took from her the person she loves most. She’s not here to clean; she’s here for revenge – and she’ll get it using the weapons her employers unwittingly handed her along with the keys to their homes: their own secrets…
Esmie is supposed to be invisible in her job as 'The Cleaner' in the big houses of the Woodlands exclusive gated community. It's a job she has landed by being calculated and manipulative, just like those who live there.
Esmie isn't actually interested in cleaning. She is looking for revenge, on whoever bought harm to her Brother, Nico.
Nico was a lodger at the Woodlands, a student at the local University. He was doing well, a model student, until he started taking prescription drugs to help him stay up all night studying and everything started to spiral out of control.
Now Nico is in a coma back home, Esmie distraught and determined to get answers from those who put him there.
It is easy for Esmie to snoop whilst trailing a duster behind her, after all, no one pays any attention to the cleaner. Especially those with wealthy privilege. But then the Woodlands residents aren't exactly like other wealthy people, and soon enough questions begin to be asked about Esmie.
Is she really who she says she is? And if she isn't why is she there, and what does she want?
None of the characters in this novel are particularly likeable, and that's okay, because I don't think they are supposed to be. In fact, I think the plot itself is easier to swallow if you don't like the characters because it would be very difficult to understand some of the things that happen if these people were at all likeable - or normal!
I enjoyed the Cleaner, but I'm not sure it's a novel for everyone, but of course you can be the judge of that!
The Cleaner is available from 16 January 2025. You can pre-order it now via Amazon online and all good book shops.
Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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