This beautifully sinister, propulsive page-turner that explores themes of identity and privilege is perfect for fans of Harriet Tyce and Lisa Jewell.

'A heart-thumping thriller packed with exciting twists' - Daily Mail

'The Cleaner is a masterclass in tension.' - JENNIE GODFREY, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

'Beautiful, dark, visceral, truly spellbinding.' - ANDREA MARA, Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author

‘Taut, twisty and beautifully atmospheric.' - KIA ABDULLAH, author of Waterstones Thriller of the Month Those People Next Door

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…


*** Readers love The Cleaner! ***

'Domestic noir at its finest.' - i Paper

'In The Cleaner, Mary Watson creates an immersive, twisty, character-driven web of family secrets.' - FIONA MCPHILLIPS, author of When We Were Silent

'Dripping in atmosphere, this tale of revenge is edgy and immersive.’ - LOUISE MUMFORD, author of The Hotel

'I could not put this one down, it had me consumed... If you love domestic thrillers then this one needs to be on your radar in 2025!!' *****

'An outstanding adult novel debut... dark and atmospheric' *****

'Excellent' *****

'This is a powerful and intriguing novel, which really does keep the reader guessing until the very end.' *****

'This book was brilliant, I could not put it down and read it in one sitting.' *****

'An incredibly gripping thriller that had me hooked from the start.' *****

'Cleverly ratchets up the tension...The perfect mix for a highly readable physiological thriller.' *****

Irish Times bestseller February 2025

A heart-thumping thriller packed with exciting twists. * Daily Mail *
The Cleaner is a masterclass in tension. Plotted like an intricate spider's web, I was glued to the page for the entirety. * Jennie Godfrey, Sunday TImes bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things *
Revenge is a dish best served up spotless...The relentless attention to detail is wonderfully claustrophobic. * Sunday Independent *
You'll race through this compelling, sinister mystery. * Fabulous *
Propulsive...compulsive and ambitious. * Irish Times *
A sinister page-turner...that takes readers on a psychological journey. * Irish Sunday Times *
Domestic noir at its finest. * i Paper *
A modern fairy tale – beautiful, dark, visceral, truly spellbinding. * Sunday Times and Irish Times No. 1 bestselling author Andrea Mara *
Tense from the first page, the pressure builds inexorably. A multifaceted tale of secrets, obsessions and betrayals. * Sam Lloyd, bestselling author of The Memory Wood *
The Cleaner is a richly textured thriller that veritably hums with menace. Taut, twisty and beautifully atmospheric, it pairs a gripping plot with dark, intricate themes. Class, privilege, wealth and entitlement are all put on trial in this immersive tale of betrayal and revenge. * Kia Abdullah, author of Waterstones Thriller of the Month Those People Next Door *

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.