MAKE ME CLEAN
BY TINA BAKER
Published: 16th November 2023
VIPER BOOKS
Maria is a good woman and a good cleaner. She cleans for Elsie, the funny old bird who’s losing her marbles, with the terrible husband. She cleans for Brian, the sweet man with the terrible boss. She cleans for the mysterious Mr Balogan with the terrible neighbours. But if you’re thinking of hiring her, you should probably know that Maria might have killed the terrible husband, the terrible boss and the terrible neighbours. She may also have murdered the man she loved.
She didn’t set out to kill anyone, of course, but her clients have hired her to clean up their lives, and she takes her job seriously – not to mention how much happier they all are now. The trouble is, murder can’t be washed out. You can only sweep it under the carpet and pray no one looks too closely…
Deliciously dark and quintessentially quirky, Make Me Clean is such a joy. Protagonist Maria is a wonderful multilayered character; the more I got to know her while progressing through this book, the more I wanted to envelop her in the biggest hug.
Maria’s close relationship with Elsie is supremely written, in terms of both dialogue and implication. Although this is the main focus of the plot, Tina Baker wraps each of Maria’s intertwining concerns around it. This book is unpredictable, moving, funny, compelling, and a bit grisly. What a combo!
Thanks to Viper Books and Tina Baker for the ARC provided via NetGallet; this is my honest review.
5 / 5
Wonderfully written and deliciously dark