The Cleaner is an enjoyable read with a question mark from beginning to end as we follow an unnamed woman who cleans a building at night which includes the offices on the fourth floor. Wells does not give us too many hints as to what is happening, not even the names of those involved. The cleaner only gives initials or names she has made up. They are L (the cleaner’s boss) and M (a nighttime driver who brings supplies). Told in one full chapter it details the obsession the cleaner has with the workers of the fourth floor, as well as who she imagines them to be in their lives outside of the office. We don’t know much about the cleaner which just adds to the mystery and intrigue of the story. The snippets we learn about her are aha moments.
The cleaner cleans a building at night in New York City. There she fantasizes about the workers on the fourth floor the offices she is responsible for cleaning. She takes her job very seriously. But she does more than just fantasize. She gives these unknown workers names such as Scissors Guy, The Intern, Mr. Buff and Yarn Guy. She sits and goes through their desks as she allows herself to imagine their life inside and outside the office. She signs into their computers, moves things not only around their desks, but to other’s desks when she feels the workers should actually get to know each other better. She sabotages a secret smoker by spraying disinfectant on his stash of cigarettes she finds. She hides and moves scissors from someone she feels is hording them. And then there are her “favorites”. The Intern who just started and keeps vitamins and laxatives in her desk and Yarn Guy who she seems to fancy who has knit items in his desk.
They are her life. She despises her boss L who does nothing but follow her around and M seems to have a small crush on the cleaner, but she doesn’t have time for that as the worker’s on the fourth floor keep her very busy. Especially Yarn Guy whom she imagines when she is away from the office how well the two would get along if only, she could meet him in person.
When she discovers the CEO of wrongdoing, she takes it upon herself to figure out how to ruin him to help the workers on the floor keep their jobs. Forget the fact she has no idea what the CEO does but what she discovers while browsing his office and computer makes her decide to destroy him.
She takes care of the people she cleans for. She knows what’s best for them, even when they don’t.
The Cleaner is a wonderfully written story which is both funny and scary at the same time. It will make you uncomfortable, yet you won’t be able to stop reading. It will make you question if this story is far from the truth in some offices. It will certainly make you check your desk if you work in an office just to make sure someone isn’t “taking care” of you at night!
Thank you #NetGalley #HanoverSquarePress #TheCleaner #BrandiWells for the advanced copy.
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