The Cleaner: A Novel

It’s not dust she’s looking for . . . it’s dirt.

Esmie is meant to be invisible. A cleaner for an exclusive gated neighborhood in Ireland, Esmie fades into the background, slipping in and out of kitchens and closets, quietly observing her clients’ perfect domestic lives. These entitled families only see a quiet woman with a mop in hand, who speaks with an accent they don’t bother to place, and this is exactly what she wants.

Esmie is well aware that her employers don’t truly see her. To them,...