We’re thrilled to share a compelling blog piece from Mary Watson in celebration of her upcoming novel, The Cleaner. This beautifully dark and gripping page-turner delves into themes of identity and privilege, making it a must-read.
Some years ago on a neighbourhood group chat, I noticed that three women in the chat all used the services of the same cleaner.
I thought to myself: wouldn’t it be fun if these women had secrets?
Stephen King talks about the ‘what if’ question as a springboard for writing, and this scenario created lots of ‘what ifs’ for me. What if these women had deep, dark secrets, things they wouldn’t want their friends and neighbours to know? What if someone came and scratched at that surface?
This got me thinking about how we get to know people. How there is a sociable, ‘outside self’ that is usually pleasant and affable, but there is also a more hidden ‘inside self’ who could be worried or devious or trapped or broken-hearted. I became obsessed with the idea of writing a character who could access and observe this ‘inside self’ – a cleaner, who remains mostly ignored while she quietly watches and learns. Houses know, is the first line of this book and while walls can’t talk, a house does reveal things about the people who live inside it.
This book, The Cleaner, is about Esmie, a smart, resourceful woman who gets a job as a cleaner working at three houses near each other. But Esmie isn’t being entirely honest. She isn’t really a cleaner, she’s come to find out what happened to her brother when he lived in this neighbourhood as a scholarship student, and why he was forced to leave in disgrace. Esmie knows that somebody here told a lie that cost her brother everything, ruining his life, and she is determined to return the favour.
But instead of watching quietly, Esmie gets drawn in.
My favourite stories are those that explore human motivation, what makes us do the things we do, and this is at the heart of The Cleaner. This story makes us think about the lines between good and bad, right and wrong, and what it might take for someone to blur their own lines. What lies in that gap between our inside and outside selves?
I loved working on this book, exploring the ideas that interest me and writing them into exactly the kind of story, one with intricate plotting and twists and turns, that I enjoy reading.
You can now pre-order The Cleaner by Mary Watson on our website!
