Mary Watson’s addictive, page-turning new thriller The Cleaner is out now from Penguin Random House SA!
Watson is from South Africa and now lives on the west coast of Ireland. While living in South Africa she published a collection of short stories, Moss (2004) and a novel, The Cutting Room (2013).
She won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2006, and in 2014 was named on the Africa39 list of writers under 40 with the potential to define trends in African literature. Her Young Adult novels have been nominated for the Irish Book Awards and the Carnegie medal. The Cleaner, was an instant Irish Times bestseller.
‘The Cleaner is a masterclass in tension.’—Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
‘Beautiful, dark, visceral, truly spellbinding.’—Andrea Mara, bestselling author
‘Taut, twisty and beautifully atmospheric.’—Kia Abdullah, author of Those People Next Door
In the latest issue of The Penguin Post, Watson talks about the genesis for her new book:
The Penguin Post: Esmie is a unique and complex protagonist who uses her role as a cleaner to exact revenge. What inspired you to explore this character, and why choose the cleaning profession as her vehicle for seeking justice?
Mary Watson: I’m fascinated by what drives people to do bad things. Transgression, which means ‘to walk across’, suggests a journey—starting in one place and ending in another. In The Cleaner, there’s a dark fairy tale within the story about a bride moving through her villain groom’s house. As she crosses each threshold, she comes closer to discovering true villainy. This mirrors Esmie’s journey—moving deeper into the homes she cleans, uncovering their dark secrets.
About the book
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 …
This beautifully sinister, propulsive page-turner that explores themes of identity and privilege is perfect for fans of Harriet Tyce and Lisa Jewell.
Listen to an excerpt from the audiobook here:
