The Cleaner: The gripping psychological thriller and #1 Irish Times bestseller, perfect for fans of The Housemaid

· Random House
69 reviews
Ebook
400
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Prepare to be hooked by the bestselling psychological thriller, a must-read tale of obsession, identity and privilege – perfect for fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, C. L. Taylor and Lisa Jewell.


THE NUMBER 1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘Beautiful, dark, visceral.’ Andrea Mara, Sunday Times bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing

‘The Cleaner is a masterclass in tension.’ Jennie Godfrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

‘A heart-thumping thriller packed with exciting twists.’ Daily Mail

It's not dust she's looking for. It's dirt.

Esmie is meant to be invisible.

Just a cleaner with a foreign accent that no one quite has time to place, and a uniform of leggings and a duster that allows her to explore the homes of the wealthy Woodlands gated community, unnoticed.

Which is exactly what she wants. Because Esmie isn’t really a cleaner.

One of the residents of Woodlands has ruined her life. And when she finds out who, she’s going to make them pay . . .

Everyone is talking about The Cleaner...


'The twist completely blew my socks off' – 5* Reader review

'This book is amazing, a real page turner. Loved it' - 5* Reader review

'I literally could not put this down' – 5* Reader review

'Absolutely brilliant. Had me gripped from the start' – 5* Reader review

'Addictive reading' – 5* Reader review

‘Wonderfully claustrophobic.’ Sunday Independent

‘A sinister page-turner.’ Irish Times

‘Domestic noir at its finest.’ i Paper

‘Taut, twisty and beautifully atmospheric, it pairs a gripping plot with dark, intricate themes.’ Kia Abdullah, author of Waterstones Thriller of the Month Those People Next Door

‘I couldn’t put it down.’ Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Between You and Me

Prepare to be hooked by the bestselling psychological thriller, a must-read tale of obsession, identity and privilege – perfect for fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, C. L. Taylor and Lisa Jewell. THE NUMBER 1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Beautiful, dark, visceral.’ An...

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Ratings and reviews

69 reviews
Stacey Turley
April 21, 2026
absolutely loved it the writer had me hooked from chapter 1 with all the twists and turns. definitely a good read for crime passion and how nobody is what they seem to be we all face so many demons in our lives it's how we deal with them what matters. actions have consequences.
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mike
May 31, 2025
gave up half way through.
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Isabella McLeod
March 13, 2025
great stories full of twist and turns
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About the author

Mary Watson is from South Africa and now lives on the west coast of Ireland. She has a PhD from the University of Cape Town, where she taught for many years. She won the Caine Prize for African Writing for her adult publishing in South Africa, and in 2014 was named on the Africa39 list of writers under 40 with the potential to define trends in African literature. Her YA novels have been nominated for the Irish Book Awards and the Carnegie medal. Her adult debut, The Cleaner, was an instant Irish Times bestseller.
Mary Watson is from South Africa and now lives on the west coast of Ireland. She has a PhD from the University of Cape Town, where she taught for many years. She won the Caine Prize for African Writing for her adult publishing in South Africa, and in 2014 was named on the Africa39 list of writers...

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