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Cleaner #1
The Cleaner
Joe is in control of everything in his simple life, both his day job as a janitor for the police department and his night work. He isn't bothered by the daily news reports of the Christchurch Carver, who, they say, has murdered seven women. Joe knows, though, that the Carver killed only six. He knows that for a fact, and he's determined to find the copycat. He'll punish him for the one, then frame him for the other six. It's the perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police.
All he needs now is to take care of all the women who keep getting in his way, including his odd, overprotective mother and Sally, the maintenance worker who sees him as a replacement for her dead brother. Then there's the mysterious Melissa, the only woman to have ever understood him, but whose fantasies of blackmail and torture don't have a place in Joe's investigation.
All he needs now is to take care of all the women who keep getting in his way, including his odd, overprotective mother and Sally, the maintenance worker who sees him as a replacement for her dead brother. Then there's the mysterious Melissa, the only woman to have ever understood him, but whose fantasies of blackmail and torture don't have a place in Joe's investigation.
387 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
167 people are currently reading
3,536 people want to read
About the author
Paul Cleave
81books832followersPaul Cleave is an internationally bestselling author who is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His work has been translated into fifteen languages. He has won the Ngaio Marsh award for best crime novel in New Zealand, he won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Edgar Award and the Barry Award in the US, and shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award in Australia. When he's not writing, he spends his time swearing on a golf course, swearing on a tennis court, or trying to add to his list of 25 countries where he's thrown his Frisbee.
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September 15, 2023
Seven women in Christchurch, New Zealand have been brutally raped and murdered by a killer dubbed the "Christchurch Carver."
The homicide squad, led by Detective Carl Schroder, is working hard on the case......
.....and Joe - the police station's mentally challenged janitor - sometimes asks "Any new leads?" before getting Schroder his morning coffee.
Joe has reason to be be interested because in reality HE'S the Christchurch Carver. Joe pretended to be disabled to get the cleaning job, and his vacant stare and big goofy smile has everybody fooled. In reality, Joe is a clever guy who - as he goes about his daily tasks - copies police files, follows the investigation, and changes out the voice recorder he hid in the police station conference room.
Outside of work hours Joe steals cars to get around, murders people, and sometimes visits his mother - who makes bad meatloaf; talks about things she bought on sale; does jigsaw puzzles; and complains about Joe neglecting her. There's something very off between Joe and his mother, but it's not clear exactly what. It might have something to do with the scars on Joe's body, but this is never specified.
Right now Joe is quite angry because he killed only six of the seven victims attributed to the Christchurch Carver. One woman was killed by a copycat who aped the Carver's methods. As a result, Joe is determined to identify the copycat and pin ALL the murders on him.....a quest that takes up most of the book.
Unfortunately for Joe, he's attracted the interest of a young woman named Sally, who does maintenance work at the police station. Sally had a handicapped brother who died, and she's determined to make 'disabled' Joe's life easier. To this end Sally brings Joe sandwiches for lunch and starts to follow him after work - with all good intentions.
After Joe meets a woman named Melissa in a bar, his life gets really complicated.
But Joe's an arrogant dude who figures everything will work out for him. In fact, Joe does identify the copycat killer, and this leads to a dramatic climax.
The story is told mostly from Joe's point of view, with occasional passages about what Sally's thinking and doing. Joe's crimes are described in graphic detail, so sensitive readers should be prepared.
The book is compelling and held my interest, but stories told from a serial killer's POV aren't my favorites. Also, the main characters - all of whom are more or less deluded - aren't especially likable. Sally's probably the most sympathetic character in the story, but she's WAY too nosy and intrusive.
Still, this is a well-written psychological thriller that I'd recommend to fans of the genre.
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July 22, 2019
EXCERPT: I pull the car into the driveway. Sit back. Try to relax. The day, I swear to God, has to be at least ninety five degrees. Christchurch heat. Schizophrenic weather. Sweat is dripping from my body. My fingers are wet rubber damp. I lean forward and twist the keys in the ignition, grab my briefcase, and climb out of the car. Out here the air conditioning actually works. I reach the front door and fumble with the lock. I breathe a sigh of relief when I step inside.
I stroll through to the kitchen. Angela, I can hear, is in the shower upstairs. I'll disturb her later. For now, I need a drink. I walk to the fridge. It has a stainless steel door in which my reflection looks like a ghost. I open the door and squat down in front of it for almost a minute, making friends with the cool air. The fridge offers me both beer and coke. I take a beer, twist off the cap, and sit down at the table. I'm no heavy drinker, but I knock back this bottle in maybe twenty seconds. The fridge offers up another bottle. Who am I to say no? I lean back in the chair. Put my feet up on the table. Consider taking off my shoes. You know that feeling? A hot day at work. Stress for eight hours. Then sitting down, feet in the air, beer in hand, and you take your shoes off.
Pure bliss!
Listening to the shower upstairs, I casually sip at my second beer of the year. Takes me five minutes to finish this one, and now I'm hungry. Back to the fridge and the slice of cold pizza I spied on my first trip. I shrug. Why not? It isn't as though I need to watch my weight.
I sit back at the table. Feet in the air. The same thing works for pizza as it does for beer once you get those shoes off. Right now, though, I don't have the time. I wolf down the pizza, pick up my briefcase, and make my way upstairs. The stereo in the bedroom is pumping out a song I recognise, but can't name. Same goes for the artist. Nevertheless, I find myself humming along as I lay my briefcase on the bed, knowing the tube will be stuck in my mind for hours. I sit down next to the briefcase. Open it. Tak the newspaper out. The first page offers up the sort of news that makes newspapers sell. Often I wonder if the media makes half this stuff up, just to inflate sales. There's definitely a market for it.
I hear the shower turn off but ignore it, preferring to read the paper. It's an article about some guy terrorising the city. Killing women. Torture. Rape. Homicide. The stuff movies are made of. A couple of minutes go by and I'm still sitting here reading when Angela, wiping her hair with a towel, steps out of the bathroom surrounded by white steam and the smell of skin lotion.
I lower the newspaper and smile.
She looks over at me.
'Who the fuck are you?' she asks.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Joe is in control of everything in his simple life—both his day job as a janitor for the police department and his “night work.� He isn’t bothered by the daily news reports of the Christchurch Carver, who, they say, has murdered seven women. Joe knows, though, that the Carver killed only six. He knows that for a fact, and he’s determined to find the copycat. He’ll punish him for the one, then frame him for the other six. It’s the perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police.
All he needs now is to take care of all the women who keep getting in his way, including his odd, overprotective mother and Sally, the maintenance worker who sees him as a replacement for her dead brother. Then there’s the mysterious Melissa, the only woman to have ever understood him, but whose fantasies of blackmail and torture don't have a place in Joe’s investigation.
MY THOUGHTS: Wow!
I have been wanting to read Paul Cleave for some time now, but being chosen for the Psychological Thriller Group read was just the impetus I needed.
I will definitely be reading the rest of his books.
The first chapter is one of the best I have read. It smacks of normality, and then WHAM!
Joe, the Janitor for the Christchurch Police Department, is not your average Joe. He loves his job, but not for the reason you might expect.
To the world, Joe appears "special"; slow, dull witted, and no threat to anyone. He likes it like that. It enables him to live out his fantasies. And his job enables him to ensure that no-one is on to him. For Joe is the Christchurch Carver who, it is reported, has killed seven women. But Joe knows he has killed only six, and the seventh victim is that of a copycat killer. Joe is determined to find the copycat and exact his revenge.
Cleave writes with a humorous touch, unexpected but appreciated in a book as dark as this. There is a lot of violence in this book, but none of it gratuitous. An exceptional debut novel.
I have just listened to this on audiobook, and liked it even better than on my first read, a couple of years ago. Exceptionally good.
💗💕💖💕💗
THE AUTHOR: Biography
Paul Cleave is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His eight novels have so far been translated into over a dozen languages and nearly 20 territories. He has won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award, the Edgar Award, the Barry Award, and has won the Ngaio Marsh award for NZ crime fiction.
The New Zealand Listener said that Cleave writes with 'an energy that conventional crime novels lack', and he has been called 'the next Stephen King', 'a rising star of the genre' and 'a writer to watch'. Publishers Weekly have said 'a pulse-pounding serial killer thriller. The city of Christchurch becomes a modern equivalent of James Ellroy's Los Angeles of the 1950s, a discordant symphony of violence and human weakness... the book's real power lies in the complexity of its characters,', and
Cleave numbers among his fans top crime and thriller writers such as Mark Billingham, who wrote: 'Most people come back from New Zealand talking about the breathtaking scenery and the amazing experiences. I came back raving about Paul Cleave.' John Connolly called Blood Men 'dark, bloody, and gripping . . . classic noir fiction', and said that in Paul Cleave 'Jim Thompson has another worthy heir to his throne'. The Lab's John Heath calls Cleave's writing 'uncompromising, unpredictable, and enthralling', adding, 'Made me vomit -- seriously, it's that good.' Simon Kernick said 'Cleave writes the kind of dark, intense thrillers that I never like to finish. Do yourself a favour and check him out,' and S.J Watson said 'An intense adrenalin rush from start to finish. It'll have you up all night. Fantastic!'
His novels are - The Cleaner, The Killing Hour, Cemetery Lake, Blood Men, Collecting Cooper, The Laughterhouse, Joe Victim, Five Minutes Alone, and Trust No One.
I stroll through to the kitchen. Angela, I can hear, is in the shower upstairs. I'll disturb her later. For now, I need a drink. I walk to the fridge. It has a stainless steel door in which my reflection looks like a ghost. I open the door and squat down in front of it for almost a minute, making friends with the cool air. The fridge offers me both beer and coke. I take a beer, twist off the cap, and sit down at the table. I'm no heavy drinker, but I knock back this bottle in maybe twenty seconds. The fridge offers up another bottle. Who am I to say no? I lean back in the chair. Put my feet up on the table. Consider taking off my shoes. You know that feeling? A hot day at work. Stress for eight hours. Then sitting down, feet in the air, beer in hand, and you take your shoes off.
Pure bliss!
Listening to the shower upstairs, I casually sip at my second beer of the year. Takes me five minutes to finish this one, and now I'm hungry. Back to the fridge and the slice of cold pizza I spied on my first trip. I shrug. Why not? It isn't as though I need to watch my weight.
I sit back at the table. Feet in the air. The same thing works for pizza as it does for beer once you get those shoes off. Right now, though, I don't have the time. I wolf down the pizza, pick up my briefcase, and make my way upstairs. The stereo in the bedroom is pumping out a song I recognise, but can't name. Same goes for the artist. Nevertheless, I find myself humming along as I lay my briefcase on the bed, knowing the tube will be stuck in my mind for hours. I sit down next to the briefcase. Open it. Tak the newspaper out. The first page offers up the sort of news that makes newspapers sell. Often I wonder if the media makes half this stuff up, just to inflate sales. There's definitely a market for it.
I hear the shower turn off but ignore it, preferring to read the paper. It's an article about some guy terrorising the city. Killing women. Torture. Rape. Homicide. The stuff movies are made of. A couple of minutes go by and I'm still sitting here reading when Angela, wiping her hair with a towel, steps out of the bathroom surrounded by white steam and the smell of skin lotion.
I lower the newspaper and smile.
She looks over at me.
'Who the fuck are you?' she asks.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Joe is in control of everything in his simple life—both his day job as a janitor for the police department and his “night work.� He isn’t bothered by the daily news reports of the Christchurch Carver, who, they say, has murdered seven women. Joe knows, though, that the Carver killed only six. He knows that for a fact, and he’s determined to find the copycat. He’ll punish him for the one, then frame him for the other six. It’s the perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police.
All he needs now is to take care of all the women who keep getting in his way, including his odd, overprotective mother and Sally, the maintenance worker who sees him as a replacement for her dead brother. Then there’s the mysterious Melissa, the only woman to have ever understood him, but whose fantasies of blackmail and torture don't have a place in Joe’s investigation.
MY THOUGHTS: Wow!
I have been wanting to read Paul Cleave for some time now, but being chosen for the Psychological Thriller Group read was just the impetus I needed.
I will definitely be reading the rest of his books.
The first chapter is one of the best I have read. It smacks of normality, and then WHAM!
Joe, the Janitor for the Christchurch Police Department, is not your average Joe. He loves his job, but not for the reason you might expect.
To the world, Joe appears "special"; slow, dull witted, and no threat to anyone. He likes it like that. It enables him to live out his fantasies. And his job enables him to ensure that no-one is on to him. For Joe is the Christchurch Carver who, it is reported, has killed seven women. But Joe knows he has killed only six, and the seventh victim is that of a copycat killer. Joe is determined to find the copycat and exact his revenge.
Cleave writes with a humorous touch, unexpected but appreciated in a book as dark as this. There is a lot of violence in this book, but none of it gratuitous. An exceptional debut novel.
I have just listened to this on audiobook, and liked it even better than on my first read, a couple of years ago. Exceptionally good.
💗💕💖💕💗
THE AUTHOR: Biography
Paul Cleave is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His eight novels have so far been translated into over a dozen languages and nearly 20 territories. He has won the Saint-Maur book festival's crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award, the Edgar Award, the Barry Award, and has won the Ngaio Marsh award for NZ crime fiction.
The New Zealand Listener said that Cleave writes with 'an energy that conventional crime novels lack', and he has been called 'the next Stephen King', 'a rising star of the genre' and 'a writer to watch'. Publishers Weekly have said 'a pulse-pounding serial killer thriller. The city of Christchurch becomes a modern equivalent of James Ellroy's Los Angeles of the 1950s, a discordant symphony of violence and human weakness... the book's real power lies in the complexity of its characters,', and
Cleave numbers among his fans top crime and thriller writers such as Mark Billingham, who wrote: 'Most people come back from New Zealand talking about the breathtaking scenery and the amazing experiences. I came back raving about Paul Cleave.' John Connolly called Blood Men 'dark, bloody, and gripping . . . classic noir fiction', and said that in Paul Cleave 'Jim Thompson has another worthy heir to his throne'. The Lab's John Heath calls Cleave's writing 'uncompromising, unpredictable, and enthralling', adding, 'Made me vomit -- seriously, it's that good.' Simon Kernick said 'Cleave writes the kind of dark, intense thrillers that I never like to finish. Do yourself a favour and check him out,' and S.J Watson said 'An intense adrenalin rush from start to finish. It'll have you up all night. Fantastic!'
His novels are - The Cleaner, The Killing Hour, Cemetery Lake, Blood Men, Collecting Cooper, The Laughterhouse, Joe Victim, Five Minutes Alone, and Trust No One.
December 19, 2019
Narrated mainly through the twisted thoughts of the Christchurch Carver, this is a ghastly piece of work, definitely not for the squeamish. I felt the author did a fine job of accomplishing his goals. Joe, who cleans offices in the police department, is a serial killer who has raped and murdered six women as the story begins. There are hints of other murders in his past and more killings will ensue. The story contains a morbid sense of humour, mainly through Joe’s sardonic comments. These included politically incorrect misogynist thoughts and twisted rationalizations for his crimes. I frequently found myself laughing out loud at the black humour, which made me feel like a bad person.
Joe has so far managed to remain off the police detectives� very long list of possible suspects. He has done this by presenting two different personalities. At work, he is ‘Simple Joe�, a mentally challenged janitor within the police department. He always has a ready grin, is unobtrusive, and well-liked. He believes he is a brilliant mastermind at killing undetected and in solving crimes. He was hired as a cleaner by the police due to a push to employ people with mental and physical disabilities. He brags that he can transition from Hannibal Lecter to Forrest Gump easily. His self-concept of having such a superior intellect is somewhat delusional. It seems he is not so much a criminal mastermind but that the police are incompetent.
Joe is angry that someone else has murdered a seventh woman, and that murder has been grouped with the six crimes he has committed as the Christchurch Carver. He is determined to find the true copycat killer and then blame all the murders on him. The police force never suspects that their simple janitor has been going through their muddled files and evidence, even bringing some of it home and that he is working out who this copycat killer really is.
Joe lives alone, with two goldfish as companions. He has no friends and visits his addled, overbearing, and clinging mother every week, a task he dreads. His only outside interest or hobby is his nighttime excursions to commit murder. Sally, a fellow maintenance worker, sees Joe as a replacement for her mentally challenged brother who died. She wants to take care of Joe and seems to be harbouring romantic feelings towards him. Seeing that he always takes the bus to work, she intrudes in his life. She brings him snacks, suggests they go for walks and coffee and offers him drives home from their workplace. Joe regards her as too fat, unattractive and stupid. He has no use for a car as he steals them at night. Sally is now stalking him outside work and is much smarter than Joe realizes.
Beware, there is a ghastly scene of torture within the city park, which is highly graphic and disturbing. There is also a scene where a cat is killed and thoughts of killing another cat. Also interested in Joe is the beautiful, seductive Melissa. She is very evil. Her motivations towards Joe are unclear, and I disliked her mysterious role in the story.
The story ends in chaos. I wanted to know more about these dreadful, unlikeable characters. I fear my mind is now warped so much that I have already downloaded the next book in the series. Recommended for those who might enjoy a very grisly tale containing dark humour. Beware. Not for everyone.
Joe has so far managed to remain off the police detectives� very long list of possible suspects. He has done this by presenting two different personalities. At work, he is ‘Simple Joe�, a mentally challenged janitor within the police department. He always has a ready grin, is unobtrusive, and well-liked. He believes he is a brilliant mastermind at killing undetected and in solving crimes. He was hired as a cleaner by the police due to a push to employ people with mental and physical disabilities. He brags that he can transition from Hannibal Lecter to Forrest Gump easily. His self-concept of having such a superior intellect is somewhat delusional. It seems he is not so much a criminal mastermind but that the police are incompetent.
Joe is angry that someone else has murdered a seventh woman, and that murder has been grouped with the six crimes he has committed as the Christchurch Carver. He is determined to find the true copycat killer and then blame all the murders on him. The police force never suspects that their simple janitor has been going through their muddled files and evidence, even bringing some of it home and that he is working out who this copycat killer really is.
Joe lives alone, with two goldfish as companions. He has no friends and visits his addled, overbearing, and clinging mother every week, a task he dreads. His only outside interest or hobby is his nighttime excursions to commit murder. Sally, a fellow maintenance worker, sees Joe as a replacement for her mentally challenged brother who died. She wants to take care of Joe and seems to be harbouring romantic feelings towards him. Seeing that he always takes the bus to work, she intrudes in his life. She brings him snacks, suggests they go for walks and coffee and offers him drives home from their workplace. Joe regards her as too fat, unattractive and stupid. He has no use for a car as he steals them at night. Sally is now stalking him outside work and is much smarter than Joe realizes.
Beware, there is a ghastly scene of torture within the city park, which is highly graphic and disturbing. There is also a scene where a cat is killed and thoughts of killing another cat. Also interested in Joe is the beautiful, seductive Melissa. She is very evil. Her motivations towards Joe are unclear, and I disliked her mysterious role in the story.
The story ends in chaos. I wanted to know more about these dreadful, unlikeable characters. I fear my mind is now warped so much that I have already downloaded the next book in the series. Recommended for those who might enjoy a very grisly tale containing dark humour. Beware. Not for everyone.
February 23, 2020
“Are we living in such a throwaway society that we’re not even allowed to hang on to our hatred and remorse?�
� Paul Cleave, The Cleaner
Sweet sweet Joe. Darling Joe.
Joe is just your average guy. So sweet, so unobtrusive. Everyone knows a Joe. And this particular Joe is so nice..so liked by one and all. Has dinner with mom every Monday. Brings her flowers too! And sometimes he even brings her little gifts.
But most of all, Joe is Kind. He is so sweet to the police for whom he works as a cleaner..keeping the police station shiny and clean all day long.
Why wouldn't you like him? Joe is one of those rare people who EVERYONE likes..nobody has any issues with Joe at all. Well..maybe just all the women whom he has brutally murdered. THEY might have a few issues with him.
And so begins the story of "The Cleaner" one of the most twisted crime stories I have ever read.And one that you should read too! If you like crime stories that is.
This book found itself on to my radar due to my GR friend Dita. I must thank her. Thank you Dita! This was some read. Dita has great taste in books!
So this one reminded me of a certain book called "You" also narrated by a "Joe" who is also a sweet and well liked twisted mass killer. Why are all the killers named Joe? Who would win in a stand off between "You" Joe and "Cleaner" Joe? That is the question I really want answered. The two authors should team up and write a book about BOTH Joe's. They could call it. JoJo.
So I must take off one star because anyone who knows me knows killing animals in a book ALWAYS results in a star deduction . And so I give this a twisted and Psycho four stars. In all seriousness, it really is an intense and crazy read that I had never heard of but that never lets up in intensity. It is pretty violent (but that is to be be expected..it's about Joe!!).
This book is so not for anyone squeamish which I thought I was but apparently not as much as I thought as I managed to get through this and enjoy the book. And now Dita tells me there is a part two! Oh boy! I know what is going in my TBR list!
Four stars for a well written and very interesting read.
� Paul Cleave, The Cleaner
Sweet sweet Joe. Darling Joe.
Joe is just your average guy. So sweet, so unobtrusive. Everyone knows a Joe. And this particular Joe is so nice..so liked by one and all. Has dinner with mom every Monday. Brings her flowers too! And sometimes he even brings her little gifts.
But most of all, Joe is Kind. He is so sweet to the police for whom he works as a cleaner..keeping the police station shiny and clean all day long.
Why wouldn't you like him? Joe is one of those rare people who EVERYONE likes..nobody has any issues with Joe at all. Well..maybe just all the women whom he has brutally murdered. THEY might have a few issues with him.
And so begins the story of "The Cleaner" one of the most twisted crime stories I have ever read.And one that you should read too! If you like crime stories that is.
This book found itself on to my radar due to my GR friend Dita. I must thank her. Thank you Dita! This was some read. Dita has great taste in books!
So this one reminded me of a certain book called "You" also narrated by a "Joe" who is also a sweet and well liked twisted mass killer. Why are all the killers named Joe? Who would win in a stand off between "You" Joe and "Cleaner" Joe? That is the question I really want answered. The two authors should team up and write a book about BOTH Joe's. They could call it. JoJo.
So I must take off one star because anyone who knows me knows killing animals in a book ALWAYS results in a star deduction . And so I give this a twisted and Psycho four stars. In all seriousness, it really is an intense and crazy read that I had never heard of but that never lets up in intensity. It is pretty violent (but that is to be be expected..it's about Joe!!).
This book is so not for anyone squeamish which I thought I was but apparently not as much as I thought as I managed to get through this and enjoy the book. And now Dita tells me there is a part two! Oh boy! I know what is going in my TBR list!
Four stars for a well written and very interesting read.
January 7, 2021
Wow! What an entertaining read, Paul Cleave has done a blinder with this.
Joe is the elusive "Christchurch Carver", very pleased with himself for the brutal murders of six women, only they think he's killed seven, Joe knows someone out their is copying him, and he is determined to find out who.
Joe's plan is working out well for him so far, with his cushy little job as a cleaner in the Police station, Joe is literally hiding in plain sight, with everyone convinced he is just a simple minded but harmless idiot, Joe is also getting first hand information from the detectives themselves, in order to stay one step ahead of the investigation.
Joe has to contend with Sally, a fellow worker at the station, a naive and kind hearted woman who looks at Joe like her deceased brother, who was mentally challenged, and Joe reminds her of him, much to his annoyance, Joe thinks she is simple minded, though their paths often cross, whether he likes it or not.
Joe also has to deal with a very overbearing, and slightly nutty Mother, who constantly feeds him meatloaf and seems to think Joe is gay, Joe is desperate to please his Mother, never quite living up to expectations.
To top things off it seems someone knows what Joe has been up to, this will not do, and Joe, who is much smarter than he lets on, must solve this problem, once and for all.
This book is an often disturbing read, Joe is truly nuts, a complete psychopath, but it is also at times hilarious, seeing his interactions with others, this is a must read for me, some chapters did drag a little, but overall this is highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/3 Stars
Joe is the elusive "Christchurch Carver", very pleased with himself for the brutal murders of six women, only they think he's killed seven, Joe knows someone out their is copying him, and he is determined to find out who.
Joe's plan is working out well for him so far, with his cushy little job as a cleaner in the Police station, Joe is literally hiding in plain sight, with everyone convinced he is just a simple minded but harmless idiot, Joe is also getting first hand information from the detectives themselves, in order to stay one step ahead of the investigation.
Joe has to contend with Sally, a fellow worker at the station, a naive and kind hearted woman who looks at Joe like her deceased brother, who was mentally challenged, and Joe reminds her of him, much to his annoyance, Joe thinks she is simple minded, though their paths often cross, whether he likes it or not.
Joe also has to deal with a very overbearing, and slightly nutty Mother, who constantly feeds him meatloaf and seems to think Joe is gay, Joe is desperate to please his Mother, never quite living up to expectations.
To top things off it seems someone knows what Joe has been up to, this will not do, and Joe, who is much smarter than he lets on, must solve this problem, once and for all.
This book is an often disturbing read, Joe is truly nuts, a complete psychopath, but it is also at times hilarious, seeing his interactions with others, this is a must read for me, some chapters did drag a little, but overall this is highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/3 Stars
September 24, 2015
After I read Paul Cleave's newest book, Trust No One, and loved it, I decided to read all his books starting with his first, The Cleaner. This book is very different, but I did enjoy it. A warning for the squeamish, there is a LOT of violence, killing, and gore in this book.
This book is about Joe, a serial killer who works as a developmentally challenged janitor in the police department. I'm not sure how Cleave did it, but he made me like Joe. It was interesting to see things through Joe, who sometimes had a sense of humor, a sense of superiority, and some compassion. There were a few characters that were very well developed, especially Joe's mother. She drove Joe, and me, batty!
There was some confusion in my head at one point, but that was overcome. At about � into the story, I got a bit antsy for the story to move along, and it did eventually. In the end, Joe's plan, how the police put everything together, and Joe's fate were revealed. I think this was a well written debut, and I will read Cleave's next book.
This book is about Joe, a serial killer who works as a developmentally challenged janitor in the police department. I'm not sure how Cleave did it, but he made me like Joe. It was interesting to see things through Joe, who sometimes had a sense of humor, a sense of superiority, and some compassion. There were a few characters that were very well developed, especially Joe's mother. She drove Joe, and me, batty!
There was some confusion in my head at one point, but that was overcome. At about � into the story, I got a bit antsy for the story to move along, and it did eventually. In the end, Joe's plan, how the police put everything together, and Joe's fate were revealed. I think this was a well written debut, and I will read Cleave's next book.
April 24, 2015
Joe is the janitor at the Christchurch Police Department in New Zealand. He is known as 'Slow Joe' by his employers who think he is mentally handicapped, but Joe is far from it. In fact, he is very intelligent and having his employers think he is slow is a major advantage for him. Joe gets told about various cases and the latest one being the one the media have dubbed the Christchurch Carver.
Without giving out too much of the storyline away, I will say this was a very well written book and one in which I really enjoyed. For those who love to read gritty, dark, disturbing, violent and gruesome books, then this book is for you. Recommended.
Without giving out too much of the storyline away, I will say this was a very well written book and one in which I really enjoyed. For those who love to read gritty, dark, disturbing, violent and gruesome books, then this book is for you. Recommended.
December 1, 2018
Man könnte bei diesem Thriller auf die Idee kommen, der Autor hätte die Idee zu seinem Buch aus der Serie Dexter geklaut. Doch das Buch entstand einige Jahre vor der Serie, trotzdem muss es sich den Vergleich zwischen den Serienmördern aus Miami und aus Christchurch/Neuseeland gefallen lassen. Beide Geschichten sind moralisch verwerflich, denn aus der Erzählperspektive des Verbrechers buhlen sie um die Gunst des Lesers/Zuschauers. Während aber Dexters Motive und Krankheit klar ersichtlich und plausibel sind (Mordlust & Selbstjustiz) fehlt dies bei Joe gänzlich. Vornehmlich sind seine Opfer Frauen, doch nicht ausschließlich. Er bringt Attraktive oder “Krüppel in Rollstühlen� um. Er vergewaltigt sie oder er macht es nur einfach so. Er geht mal brutal, mal kurz und schmerzvoll zur Sache. Er stellt als geistig zurück geblieben am Arbeitsplatz in der Polizei (Raumpfleger) oder als super intelligent der Leserschaft vor. Es geht eingentlich nicht darum zu verstehen, warum Joe mordet, wie er vom intelligenten Schüler zum Putzmann-Schauspieler wird und seit Jahren alle verarscht, mit denen er seit der Kindheit zusammen lebt. Als Psychogramm eines Massenmörders taucht das Buch somit absolut nicht für mich.
Darüber hinaus ist es eine widerliche Gewaltpornographie, denn da, wo bei Dexter kurz vor der Tat ausgeblendet wird, nimmt der Autor bei Joe erst richtig Fahrt auf und beschreibt detailliert die Mordprozesse. Insbesondere die Szene, in der Joe zum Opfer wird, wird zelebriert und so weiß ich nun genau, wie es sich anfühlt und wie es aussieht, wenn man eine Hode mit einer Zange abgetrennt bekommt. Wenn die Geschichte als solches aber nachvollziehbar wäre, könnte ich das noch verkraften. Doch ab der Mitte des Buchs kongurriert Joe dann auch noch mit einem weiteren Mann und einer Frau im Dreiecksverhältnis um das schönste Morden. Tja, die Masse der Leser scheint das zu gefallen, denn sonst wäre das Buch kein Bestseller. Für mich ist es nur ein weiteres Beispiel, welche Abgründe dieses Genre bietet. Absolut nichts für mich.
Darüber hinaus ist es eine widerliche Gewaltpornographie, denn da, wo bei Dexter kurz vor der Tat ausgeblendet wird, nimmt der Autor bei Joe erst richtig Fahrt auf und beschreibt detailliert die Mordprozesse. Insbesondere die Szene, in der Joe zum Opfer wird, wird zelebriert und so weiß ich nun genau, wie es sich anfühlt und wie es aussieht, wenn man eine Hode mit einer Zange abgetrennt bekommt. Wenn die Geschichte als solches aber nachvollziehbar wäre, könnte ich das noch verkraften. Doch ab der Mitte des Buchs kongurriert Joe dann auch noch mit einem weiteren Mann und einer Frau im Dreiecksverhältnis um das schönste Morden. Tja, die Masse der Leser scheint das zu gefallen, denn sonst wäre das Buch kein Bestseller. Für mich ist es nur ein weiteres Beispiel, welche Abgründe dieses Genre bietet. Absolut nichts für mich.
November 24, 2020
Joe, the Churchchrist Cleaver, meets his match in this clever character study of a New Zealand serial killer. Joe performs some gruesome acts, but combining this with his commentary on people and society, result in some very funny moments. I was never sure where this was going and it held my interest until the ending that still makes me laugh.
November 28, 2019
4.5 rounded up! Too good! I’m moving directly on to book 2! & I never do that.. Usually I need a break in between, but Joe is just too much! I HAVE to see what happens next!! (This book is an entire story on its own, I’m just ready for more..) Totally recommend for my friends who like psychological thrillers.. Especially if you enjoy something different! (Like some laughs with your suspense!😂😂)
March 3, 2022
Wickedly fun. This is my second Cleave book but I have its sequel on the way. I also wanted to get into his Theodore Tate series but his first in the series “Cemetery Lake� cannot be found for south of $40 so I’ll wait. Anyway this is a tough review because I don’t want to spoil things. Yet if you read the back jacket about the book and I think one always does or you simply have no idea what you’re getting yourself into there is the comment that it is darkly funny. AND IT IS SO FUNNY!! Really how does a book about a serial killer make you laugh so much but it does.
You see Joe is a serial killer. He has a meaningless job at the Christchurch Zew Zealand police station as a janitor. He knows they simply gave it to him as they believe he is a simply slow person. He is clearly aware that after he leaves a real janitorial crew comes in and does what needs to be done. Oh, I should mention that Joe was given this job when the police didn’t believe him capable of what he was confessing too � two distinct confessions of two of his killings. Lmao
So Joe knows how everyone views him. Yet he is well built and good looking and thinks everyone wants him. He also feigns his stupidity or simplicity to work to his advantage. The book is written mainly through his eyes and he is hilarious in how he views things. His boss at the police station is Sally and she had a slow brother who died. Joe reminds her of her brother. The book is also written through her eyes as well but in a minor way. The role play between Sally and Joe is hilarious. Joe thinks she is the mentally challenged one who like him was given the job out of pity. Joe thinks Sally is in love with him and wants to sleep with him. It is hilarious to read the opposing points of view on each other the two have.
As the janitor at the station Joe has access to the police investigation into him. He sees the whiteboards, the files and even secretly tapes the conversations by the detectives. There are 7 victims total on the board but Joe knows his seventh has not yet been found and that the one on the police board is a copycat trying to pin the murder on Joe. So Joe sets out to find out who is trying to frame him and in turn expects to frame this murderer with all the murders Joe has committed. It’s genius and so much fun.
Joe really seems the master of his domain but one night while on the hunt for new prey things turn against him in a very bad way. Joe gets caught up in a game where he has to frame his copy cat and deal with an enemy who has taken him by the balls. Again the genius that is really Joe really comes through with a unique plan to kill to birds with one stone. The ending is genius and a lot of fun but also not the ending I was expecting. In a way I was disappointed save that there is a sequel. This book is graphic and blunt at times and yet I never laughed so much while reading a disturbing book. Even one of his kills which was graphic and detailed made me laugh � so weird and yet I can’t explain. Again I’ll stress that the jacket does say darkly funny and that the jacket is meant for the average reader so if you want to try something a bit different I highly recommend this one. An easy five star review!!
You see Joe is a serial killer. He has a meaningless job at the Christchurch Zew Zealand police station as a janitor. He knows they simply gave it to him as they believe he is a simply slow person. He is clearly aware that after he leaves a real janitorial crew comes in and does what needs to be done. Oh, I should mention that Joe was given this job when the police didn’t believe him capable of what he was confessing too � two distinct confessions of two of his killings. Lmao
So Joe knows how everyone views him. Yet he is well built and good looking and thinks everyone wants him. He also feigns his stupidity or simplicity to work to his advantage. The book is written mainly through his eyes and he is hilarious in how he views things. His boss at the police station is Sally and she had a slow brother who died. Joe reminds her of her brother. The book is also written through her eyes as well but in a minor way. The role play between Sally and Joe is hilarious. Joe thinks she is the mentally challenged one who like him was given the job out of pity. Joe thinks Sally is in love with him and wants to sleep with him. It is hilarious to read the opposing points of view on each other the two have.
As the janitor at the station Joe has access to the police investigation into him. He sees the whiteboards, the files and even secretly tapes the conversations by the detectives. There are 7 victims total on the board but Joe knows his seventh has not yet been found and that the one on the police board is a copycat trying to pin the murder on Joe. So Joe sets out to find out who is trying to frame him and in turn expects to frame this murderer with all the murders Joe has committed. It’s genius and so much fun.
Joe really seems the master of his domain but one night while on the hunt for new prey things turn against him in a very bad way. Joe gets caught up in a game where he has to frame his copy cat and deal with an enemy who has taken him by the balls. Again the genius that is really Joe really comes through with a unique plan to kill to birds with one stone. The ending is genius and a lot of fun but also not the ending I was expecting. In a way I was disappointed save that there is a sequel. This book is graphic and blunt at times and yet I never laughed so much while reading a disturbing book. Even one of his kills which was graphic and detailed made me laugh � so weird and yet I can’t explain. Again I’ll stress that the jacket does say darkly funny and that the jacket is meant for the average reader so if you want to try something a bit different I highly recommend this one. An easy five star review!!
November 24, 2017
Disturbing and dark account of a serial killers reign of terror through Christchurch. Its a 1st person style account of Joe, a janitor for the local policestation who also happens to be The Carver. He lives this secret double life, and we are witness to his crimes and problems/delusions. A copycat killer appears, and throws his simiple life into chaos. I found some scenes a little too disturbing and graphic for my liking. The plot was very simple for the 1st half of the novel and didnt really take off until the 2nd half and by that time I wasnt really that invetsted. I eventually finished it but just wasnt as good as Bloodmen. I think having a main character who is severely flawed always makes it difficult to empathise with them. And having a thin plot and more a character study of the main character probably didnt help too much.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
October 18, 2016DNF at 72%
The Cleaner starts out wonderfully. We follow along with a serial killer who works as a cleaner in the police station investigating him. He notices that one of the murders attributed to him isn't his, so he decides to hunt down this copycat and show them what he thinks of their cowardice! It's cool and demented and while the writing isn't the best thing I've ever listened to, the premise of serial killer hunting down a killer is always going to hold my interest.
And then we got about half way through. That's six hours into an eleven hour audiobook. This is where the violence happens... and we get told about it over and over... and over and over. Now I'm not one to care too much, but until this point the sex has been fade to black. The violence has been fade to black. You see? And then we suddenly show up to hear this person get mutilated for half an hour (realtime). I was literally rolling my eyes. Yes, I get it. How have they not passed out from pain yet? But we get past it. Finally. Good grief.
But we get past that... and over the next two hours our killer goes from pretending to be an idiot to being an idiot. And then something else happens and I decided that the author was confused about what book they were writing and I DNF'd 8 hours into an 11 hour audiobook. Insane, I know.
The Cleaner starts out wonderfully. We follow along with a serial killer who works as a cleaner in the police station investigating him. He notices that one of the murders attributed to him isn't his, so he decides to hunt down this copycat and show them what he thinks of their cowardice! It's cool and demented and while the writing isn't the best thing I've ever listened to, the premise of serial killer hunting down a killer is always going to hold my interest.
And then we got about half way through. That's six hours into an eleven hour audiobook. This is where the violence happens... and we get told about it over and over... and over and over. Now I'm not one to care too much, but until this point the sex has been fade to black. The violence has been fade to black. You see? And then we suddenly show up to hear this person get mutilated for half an hour (realtime). I was literally rolling my eyes. Yes, I get it. How have they not passed out from pain yet? But we get past it. Finally. Good grief.
But we get past that... and over the next two hours our killer goes from pretending to be an idiot to being an idiot. And then something else happens and I decided that the author was confused about what book they were writing and I DNF'd 8 hours into an 11 hour audiobook. Insane, I know.
November 25, 2019
‘I’m just a regular guy. An average Joe. With a hobby. I’m not a psychopath. I don’t hear voices. I don’t kill for god or Satan or the neighbour’s dog. I’m not even religious. I kill for me.�
‘There have to be maybe two or three billion women in this world. Killing one every month or two isn’t a big deal. It’s all about perspective.�
‘Slow Joe� works as a janitor at Christchurch police department in New Zealand. Nobody expects much from Joe, which is just the way he likes it. He lives alone in his run down apartment with his two goldfish Pickle and Jehovah. Joe lives a solitary life, clocking into work everyday and visiting his mother once a week. His mother overprotective and needy, calls him often to laden him with guilt about not visiting more. Sally his work colleague shows an overbearing interest in Joe and he does everything he can to avoid spending time with her.
Joe likes his job. Daily updates from the police department investigating the Christchurch carver case are crucial. Information is everything. He needs to be close. A serial killer is roaming the streets, picking off women one by one. Seven murders have been linked together but Joe knows one murder is a copycat. He is determined to seek the second killer out, finding others along the way. Will Joe finally meet his match?
This was BRILLIANT. I have to thank Dita for this little gem after stalking her bookshelves ... 😉
Dark and gritty with lashings of dry humour, it was appalling and hilarious all in one. I actually felt bad laughing in places, a real treat. 5 stars from me! �
‘There have to be maybe two or three billion women in this world. Killing one every month or two isn’t a big deal. It’s all about perspective.�
‘Slow Joe� works as a janitor at Christchurch police department in New Zealand. Nobody expects much from Joe, which is just the way he likes it. He lives alone in his run down apartment with his two goldfish Pickle and Jehovah. Joe lives a solitary life, clocking into work everyday and visiting his mother once a week. His mother overprotective and needy, calls him often to laden him with guilt about not visiting more. Sally his work colleague shows an overbearing interest in Joe and he does everything he can to avoid spending time with her.
Joe likes his job. Daily updates from the police department investigating the Christchurch carver case are crucial. Information is everything. He needs to be close. A serial killer is roaming the streets, picking off women one by one. Seven murders have been linked together but Joe knows one murder is a copycat. He is determined to seek the second killer out, finding others along the way. Will Joe finally meet his match?
This was BRILLIANT. I have to thank Dita for this little gem after stalking her bookshelves ... 😉
Dark and gritty with lashings of dry humour, it was appalling and hilarious all in one. I actually felt bad laughing in places, a real treat. 5 stars from me! �
February 8, 2020
This was a gripping story based on the sociopathic serial killer's POV. It was packed full of suspense and twists that you couldn't see coming which kept you guessing. A little dark and gruesome at times but all in all this was written so well and had some humor thrown in which made it a great read!
August 21, 2023
I sit on the sofa and watch my goldfish. I give them some food and they swim up and start eating. Five-second memories or not, they always recognize food. They also recognize me. When I put my finger on the edge of the bowl, they follow it. I sometimes think that society would be great if we all had five-second memories. I could kill as many people as I wanted. of course, maybe I wouldn't remember that I liked killing people, so maybe it wouldn't be that great after all. I could be right in the middle of tying somebody up when I'd forget why I was there. A five-second-memory society would just be full of awkward moments like that.
It was hard to decide on this rating - on the one hand, I finished the book, and especially these days that isn't so easy any more. But on the other, it's not a book I'd say I enjoyed; I thought it was well done, but enjoyed definitely isn't the word.
It's all pretty unpleasant, to be honest, and I know you'll be shocked to hear that a book from the point of view of a serial killer wasn't a lighthearted romp. But even the "good" characters are just so unlikeable; intrusive, condescending, and oblivious to the point of my questioning their intelligence at times. There's some animal cruelty, and like the rest of the violence it's straightforwardly graphic.
On the plus side, because there really is one, Paul Cleave did a great job of writing from the viewpoint of a killer, managing to clue the reader in to Joe's delusions and self-deceptions without breaking character. He was also able to keep me reading despite the issues I had with the book - and I was glad I finished, because that ending was satisfying.
Overall definitely a book that left me with mixed feelings. But I was determined to read it as it's set in Christchurch, and I'm glad I finally did.
It was hard to decide on this rating - on the one hand, I finished the book, and especially these days that isn't so easy any more. But on the other, it's not a book I'd say I enjoyed; I thought it was well done, but enjoyed definitely isn't the word.
It's all pretty unpleasant, to be honest, and I know you'll be shocked to hear that a book from the point of view of a serial killer wasn't a lighthearted romp. But even the "good" characters are just so unlikeable; intrusive, condescending, and oblivious to the point of my questioning their intelligence at times. There's some animal cruelty, and like the rest of the violence it's straightforwardly graphic.
On the plus side, because there really is one, Paul Cleave did a great job of writing from the viewpoint of a killer, managing to clue the reader in to Joe's delusions and self-deceptions without breaking character. He was also able to keep me reading despite the issues I had with the book - and I was glad I finished, because that ending was satisfying.
Overall definitely a book that left me with mixed feelings. But I was determined to read it as it's set in Christchurch, and I'm glad I finally did.
December 29, 2017
I feel like I read a completely different book than everyone else who has reviewed this book. Compelling characters? Joe being funny? Relatable serial killer that you can find yourself feeling sorry for? How did we read the same book?
Joe is a serial killer, who works in the police station as a janitor. He primarily disguises his involvement in the case by pretending to be mentally disabled. The police have no leads and he discovers that the police have identified 7 murders to him, when in reality, he knows that one of those murders has been committed by a copycat. The rest of the book is Joe continuing to taunt the police while trying to discover who it was that murdered the 7th woman, and pin all of the previous murders on him.
First off, I'm no stranger to dark, very violent, very gruesome novels. My favorite book I read this year was B.A. Paris' Behind Closed Doors. I loved Dexter, I have read Chelsea Cain, I frequently read very dark and twisted books about serial killers. I listen to podcasts like Last Podcast on the Left. This content is not new to me. But I feel like there was a continual disconnect between how the author feels he depicted Joe and my own interpretation as a reader. Namely, that Joe is NOT a highly intelligent, super smart, one step ahead of the police, killer. He's not "slow joe" by day, "Dexter by night." The only reason his murders haven't been solved is because the police in Christchurch are apparently inept. They never notice files going missing every night as Joe steals them, they never notice key pieces of information at the crime scenes, they have a mountain of physical evidence and cannot use any of it to possibly narrow down the suspects. They don't even notice that the one murder is a copycat until like halfway through the book. Joe himself is not this incredibly intelligent man, I spent most of the book wondering if he really WAS some form of mentally disabled, because he'd say and do things that make no sense, even in terms of his sociopathy making him see the world differently.
He also is not funny, or if he is funny, it's because you find sexist and crude remarks about women and their appearances to be funny. He'll make jokes about how his mother will never shut up, how Sally the maintenance worker could stand to lose a few pounds, jokes about a policeman's sexuality, jokes about random women he finds in a bar, but none of these jokes are actually funny. I didn't even realize they were actually jokes until I started reading people's reviews of the book. Those were supposed to be funny? I thought that they were meant to highlight the difference in thought between a serial killer and a normal person. Apparently, I am wrong and people think that these comments are amusing and make Joe relatable.
The book starts to really drag around the halfway mark and the inclusion of Melissa as a character only makes things more convoluted and confusing. And as many others have highlighted, the violence in this book is fairly graphic. Other than one specific torture scene, it doesn't go into specific "and then the knife dragged slowly into tendon, ripping the flesh..." details, but being in his head while the rapes and murders happen make it extremely uncomfortable, and it drags for too long in most cases. Like, I got it. I get what's happening, explaining it more doesn't give me any new piece of information.
I don't know. I'll never begrudge others for what they enjoyed reading and what they think is a good book, I just wish I had read the same book as them because I did not find The Cleaner gripping, clever, interesting or sympathetic at all.
Joe is a serial killer, who works in the police station as a janitor. He primarily disguises his involvement in the case by pretending to be mentally disabled. The police have no leads and he discovers that the police have identified 7 murders to him, when in reality, he knows that one of those murders has been committed by a copycat. The rest of the book is Joe continuing to taunt the police while trying to discover who it was that murdered the 7th woman, and pin all of the previous murders on him.
First off, I'm no stranger to dark, very violent, very gruesome novels. My favorite book I read this year was B.A. Paris' Behind Closed Doors. I loved Dexter, I have read Chelsea Cain, I frequently read very dark and twisted books about serial killers. I listen to podcasts like Last Podcast on the Left. This content is not new to me. But I feel like there was a continual disconnect between how the author feels he depicted Joe and my own interpretation as a reader. Namely, that Joe is NOT a highly intelligent, super smart, one step ahead of the police, killer. He's not "slow joe" by day, "Dexter by night." The only reason his murders haven't been solved is because the police in Christchurch are apparently inept. They never notice files going missing every night as Joe steals them, they never notice key pieces of information at the crime scenes, they have a mountain of physical evidence and cannot use any of it to possibly narrow down the suspects. They don't even notice that the one murder is a copycat until like halfway through the book. Joe himself is not this incredibly intelligent man, I spent most of the book wondering if he really WAS some form of mentally disabled, because he'd say and do things that make no sense, even in terms of his sociopathy making him see the world differently.
He also is not funny, or if he is funny, it's because you find sexist and crude remarks about women and their appearances to be funny. He'll make jokes about how his mother will never shut up, how Sally the maintenance worker could stand to lose a few pounds, jokes about a policeman's sexuality, jokes about random women he finds in a bar, but none of these jokes are actually funny. I didn't even realize they were actually jokes until I started reading people's reviews of the book. Those were supposed to be funny? I thought that they were meant to highlight the difference in thought between a serial killer and a normal person. Apparently, I am wrong and people think that these comments are amusing and make Joe relatable.
The book starts to really drag around the halfway mark and the inclusion of Melissa as a character only makes things more convoluted and confusing. And as many others have highlighted, the violence in this book is fairly graphic. Other than one specific torture scene, it doesn't go into specific "and then the knife dragged slowly into tendon, ripping the flesh..." details, but being in his head while the rapes and murders happen make it extremely uncomfortable, and it drags for too long in most cases. Like, I got it. I get what's happening, explaining it more doesn't give me any new piece of information.
I don't know. I'll never begrudge others for what they enjoyed reading and what they think is a good book, I just wish I had read the same book as them because I did not find The Cleaner gripping, clever, interesting or sympathetic at all.
December 16, 2019
My first book by this author and after this one I will definitely look for his other works.
This was quite entertaining and absolutely engaging.
I confess that during the first 10% of the book I thought of quitting because I thought it was too gruesome and I dislike animal cruelty.
Fortunately there was a large gap between violence.
The writing is really good and the language is very clear.
The plot , although thin, is well developed and the story is told under the killer’s POV.
The author did a great job putting us inside of the mind of a serial killer.
There is plenty of dark humor but, unlike other reviewers, I did not find anything funny.
I’m not fond of jokes against elders, women or gays.
There is less than a page of homophobia that I thought was totally unnecessary, as it did not add anything especial to the story or to the already insane main character’s personality.
As for the ending, I have never seen a man being grabbed by his ball (yes, just one) like that by a woman.
Overall this is a great read for those who enjoy this genre.
This was quite entertaining and absolutely engaging.
I confess that during the first 10% of the book I thought of quitting because I thought it was too gruesome and I dislike animal cruelty.
Fortunately there was a large gap between violence.
The writing is really good and the language is very clear.
The plot , although thin, is well developed and the story is told under the killer’s POV.
The author did a great job putting us inside of the mind of a serial killer.
There is plenty of dark humor but, unlike other reviewers, I did not find anything funny.
I’m not fond of jokes against elders, women or gays.
There is less than a page of homophobia that I thought was totally unnecessary, as it did not add anything especial to the story or to the already insane main character’s personality.
As for the ending, I have never seen a man being grabbed by his ball (yes, just one) like that by a woman.
Overall this is a great read for those who enjoy this genre.
March 9, 2020
Review in English | Reseña en Español
The Cleaner is a thriller that offers a quite unique perspective, as the story is narrated by the killer himself –Joe. From the very first chapter, we are aware that he is a psychopath and he sees no harm in his crimes. He has murdered six women in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has been named “the Christchurch Carver�. Joe has no remorse at all. In fact, he sees himself as an extraordinarily intelligent man, who will never been caught. His security and sense of self-sufficiency is so high that Joe even works as a janitor at the police department and has access to the files of the women he has murdered. In that way, he is pretty sure he will never be discovered.
However, when a woman is raped and killed and the Christchurch Carver is blamed for that crime, Joe is determined to find out who the actual killer is because he did not do it. So Joe decides to set the record straight and once again, prove himself he is actually smarter than the police. From there, we follow a very twisted, sick character, who keep killing while at the same time tries to frame the other killer who wants to “taint� his work and name.
The premise was great and the book had also a very good start but I feel like after 30% the plot irretrievably just fell apart. It took me more than two weeks to finish the book, which is probably not the best sign if this story is athriller. The thing is, two of the other main characters –Sally and Melissa- in the end seemed to have no reason to be in the story, at least in my opinion. Also, I felt the plot dragged and dragged with countless details that in the end did not add to story. For example, when Joe finds out who the killer of the other victim is, we spent chapter after chapter reading about every single step Joe gives in tracking the killer which I think diminishes the actual thrill of finding out this other criminal. Another example is when Joe meets Melissa, another potential victim who turns out to be smarter than he is. I was not shocked by the explicit violence that follows, but rather by how long the whole thing took. I feel if it had been shorter, it would have been more impactful.
After putting through all, the ending was also a major disappointment -it is like the author lost control of the plot and the characters, and everything seemed a bit ridiculous . Sorry but no.
I was very disappointed by this read as I had high hopes and was very interested in reading from a New Zealand author. Unfortunately, I am very unlikely to continue with this series.
____
Otro thriller que me ha resultado una gran decepción. Tenía muchas ganas de leer esta novela, en parte porque quiero leer un poco más de literatura neozelandesa, y porque la premisa prometía mucho. En The Cleaner seguimos la historia desde la perspectiva del asesino, lo cual resulta novedoso en sí: Joe es un violador y asesino en serie en Christchurch, Nueva Zelandia, quien tiene a la policía local de cabeza. Es un hombre que no siente ningún remordimiento y un psicópata, que de hecho se considera más inteligente que la policía, al grado que trabaja como personal de limpieza en sus oficinas. De esta manera tiene acceso a los casos y a los archivos y un buen día se da cuenta que uno de los crímenes que se le imputan, no fue cometido por él. Entonces Joe decide hacer justicia por su cuenta y encontrar al verdadero asesino.
La premisa era muy interesante y en verdad que el libro funcionó bien, al principio. Pero, después del 30% siento que la trama se cayó a pedazos sin posibilidad de recuperación. El principal problema para mí fue que comenzó a hacerse súper lento y siento que se prestó demasiada atención y tiempo a detalles y personajes que al final no aportaron mucho a la trama. Creo, de hecho, que esto arruinó momentos y anécdotas que en sí eran fundamentales para la historia. Por ejemplo, cuando Joe descubre quien es el otro asesino, pasamos capítulos y capítulos siguiendo cada paso que da para encontrarlo, y que se vuelven tediosos. Lo mismo sucede cuando Joe y Melissa se conocen –en sí no me sorprendió tanto la violencia explícita de las escenas siguientes, sino como se pudo hacer tan largo y repetitivo que pensaba, “ya que termine por favor� y no tanto por lo que se narraba sino por lo largo que fue.
Y por último, el final fue espantoso. Pienso que la historia se le fue de las manos al autor, y al final se metieron rellenos por aquí y allá para cerrar el libro pero dando pie a una continuación. La conclusión me pareció ridícula .
Por desgracia, no siento ningún interés en continuar con esta serie.
The Cleaner is a thriller that offers a quite unique perspective, as the story is narrated by the killer himself –Joe. From the very first chapter, we are aware that he is a psychopath and he sees no harm in his crimes. He has murdered six women in Christchurch, New Zealand, and has been named “the Christchurch Carver�. Joe has no remorse at all. In fact, he sees himself as an extraordinarily intelligent man, who will never been caught. His security and sense of self-sufficiency is so high that Joe even works as a janitor at the police department and has access to the files of the women he has murdered. In that way, he is pretty sure he will never be discovered.
However, when a woman is raped and killed and the Christchurch Carver is blamed for that crime, Joe is determined to find out who the actual killer is because he did not do it. So Joe decides to set the record straight and once again, prove himself he is actually smarter than the police. From there, we follow a very twisted, sick character, who keep killing while at the same time tries to frame the other killer who wants to “taint� his work and name.
The premise was great and the book had also a very good start but I feel like after 30% the plot irretrievably just fell apart. It took me more than two weeks to finish the book, which is probably not the best sign if this story is athriller. The thing is, two of the other main characters –Sally and Melissa- in the end seemed to have no reason to be in the story, at least in my opinion. Also, I felt the plot dragged and dragged with countless details that in the end did not add to story. For example, when Joe finds out who the killer of the other victim is, we spent chapter after chapter reading about every single step Joe gives in tracking the killer which I think diminishes the actual thrill of finding out this other criminal. Another example is when Joe meets Melissa, another potential victim who turns out to be smarter than he is. I was not shocked by the explicit violence that follows, but rather by how long the whole thing took. I feel if it had been shorter, it would have been more impactful.
After putting through all, the ending was also a major disappointment -it is like the author lost control of the plot and the characters, and everything seemed a bit ridiculous . Sorry but no.
I was very disappointed by this read as I had high hopes and was very interested in reading from a New Zealand author. Unfortunately, I am very unlikely to continue with this series.
____
Otro thriller que me ha resultado una gran decepción. Tenía muchas ganas de leer esta novela, en parte porque quiero leer un poco más de literatura neozelandesa, y porque la premisa prometía mucho. En The Cleaner seguimos la historia desde la perspectiva del asesino, lo cual resulta novedoso en sí: Joe es un violador y asesino en serie en Christchurch, Nueva Zelandia, quien tiene a la policía local de cabeza. Es un hombre que no siente ningún remordimiento y un psicópata, que de hecho se considera más inteligente que la policía, al grado que trabaja como personal de limpieza en sus oficinas. De esta manera tiene acceso a los casos y a los archivos y un buen día se da cuenta que uno de los crímenes que se le imputan, no fue cometido por él. Entonces Joe decide hacer justicia por su cuenta y encontrar al verdadero asesino.
La premisa era muy interesante y en verdad que el libro funcionó bien, al principio. Pero, después del 30% siento que la trama se cayó a pedazos sin posibilidad de recuperación. El principal problema para mí fue que comenzó a hacerse súper lento y siento que se prestó demasiada atención y tiempo a detalles y personajes que al final no aportaron mucho a la trama. Creo, de hecho, que esto arruinó momentos y anécdotas que en sí eran fundamentales para la historia. Por ejemplo, cuando Joe descubre quien es el otro asesino, pasamos capítulos y capítulos siguiendo cada paso que da para encontrarlo, y que se vuelven tediosos. Lo mismo sucede cuando Joe y Melissa se conocen –en sí no me sorprendió tanto la violencia explícita de las escenas siguientes, sino como se pudo hacer tan largo y repetitivo que pensaba, “ya que termine por favor� y no tanto por lo que se narraba sino por lo largo que fue.
Y por último, el final fue espantoso. Pienso que la historia se le fue de las manos al autor, y al final se metieron rellenos por aquí y allá para cerrar el libro pero dando pie a una continuación. La conclusión me pareció ridícula .
Por desgracia, no siento ningún interés en continuar con esta serie.
March 16, 2019
An entertaining read.
There are few writers out there that manage to mix darkness and humour at such extremes as Paul Cleave. On the one hand, Joe is competent at what he does -being the infamous Christchurch Carver- and manages to fool everyone at work into thinking him slow and barely functioning, on the other hand, it becomes clear rather soon that Joe also thinks himself a lot smarter than he actually is. In his perspective, he is always a few steps ahead of everyone and in total control of how he does things and why he does things. However, Cleave manages to sprinkle hints throughout the story that tell us that Joe is not a reliable narrator when it comes to his own self-image. In fact, Joe seems to be much more of a 'typical' serial killer with more issues than he likes to admit to himself. Issues that only grow once the story progresses.
Another thing that might be of notice for people interested in reading this book is the way violence is depicted: The book mostly only refers to things like choking, stabbing and rape in passing, because as long as the violence does not happen to Joe himself he rationalizes it and sees it as an act of mercy, as part of 'his humanity'. But, once Joe is confronted with violence against himself the description becomes quite visual and it is front and centre for several chapters, giving the reader quite the change in tone. I saw several negative reviews mentioning this and calling foul on Cleave's part; I have to disagree here because it simply is very much in character for Joe to see it for what it is: Violence. Of course, he also sees it as something uncalled for and cruel, something that is, unlike his own acts, not part of the natural order. This hard shift in depicting violence is one more way for Cleave to give us a better understanding of Joe's mental state.
So, overall 4/5 stars and a clear recommendation for everyone with an interest in either dark humour or serial killers.
There are few writers out there that manage to mix darkness and humour at such extremes as Paul Cleave. On the one hand, Joe is competent at what he does -being the infamous Christchurch Carver- and manages to fool everyone at work into thinking him slow and barely functioning, on the other hand, it becomes clear rather soon that Joe also thinks himself a lot smarter than he actually is. In his perspective, he is always a few steps ahead of everyone and in total control of how he does things and why he does things. However, Cleave manages to sprinkle hints throughout the story that tell us that Joe is not a reliable narrator when it comes to his own self-image. In fact, Joe seems to be much more of a 'typical' serial killer with more issues than he likes to admit to himself. Issues that only grow once the story progresses.
Another thing that might be of notice for people interested in reading this book is the way violence is depicted: The book mostly only refers to things like choking, stabbing and rape in passing, because as long as the violence does not happen to Joe himself he rationalizes it and sees it as an act of mercy, as part of 'his humanity'. But, once Joe is confronted with violence against himself the description becomes quite visual and it is front and centre for several chapters, giving the reader quite the change in tone. I saw several negative reviews mentioning this and calling foul on Cleave's part; I have to disagree here because it simply is very much in character for Joe to see it for what it is: Violence. Of course, he also sees it as something uncalled for and cruel, something that is, unlike his own acts, not part of the natural order. This hard shift in depicting violence is one more way for Cleave to give us a better understanding of Joe's mental state.
So, overall 4/5 stars and a clear recommendation for everyone with an interest in either dark humour or serial killers.
February 6, 2023
Pues he disfrutado como un enano leyendo esta novela, y bueno, en estos momentos de mi vida, el pasar un rato divertido no tiene precio para mí.
Voy a por otro del mismo autor a ver si sigue la racha.
Voy a por otro del mismo autor a ver si sigue la racha.
October 20, 2014
It took me a little while to warm up to this book; however, once I did I had trouble putting it down. Although the author did not create the dark eerie setting I usually look for in a good thriller, the plot and the characters were extremely dark so it was definately my kind of read. However; the real reason I gave it a five star rating is because of the author's ability to make feel something I'm not even sure I want to admit to feeling. I actually liked and truly felt sorry for the main character, a serial killer. I honestly wanted him to be happy and move past the killing. Now that took some skill on the part of Paul Cleave. This was an excellent psychological thriller?
January 4, 2013
This was one hell of a ride, a serial killer thriller unlike any I've read so far. The protaganist Joe is quite an interesting killer with a great sense of humor to boot. Told in both first person from Joe's perspective and third person from a co-worker's perspective, the story never fails to fascinate and the writing is superb as usual from Cleave. Dark and nasty with a particularly grisly scene no man will ever forget. A terrific ending that reveals a connection to Cleave's other books. Highly recommended.
November 29, 2015
Great book for our November book reading
This was a very interesting book and one that was chosen for the November book read at ŷ. I am glad that this book was chosen for it was very well worth the time and money spent on it...
This was a very interesting book and one that was chosen for the November book read at ŷ. I am glad that this book was chosen for it was very well worth the time and money spent on it...
January 26, 2018
A completely twisted story, with enough twists and turns to make you dizzy. Brilliantly plotted, very graphic, oddly funny and just amazing!
September 25, 2018
Very, very good story. Had me reading deep into the night. Scary and creepy. I was on the edge of my seat.
April 12, 2022
I'm sorry, but this one just left me feeling slimy. I'm no murder prude - I enjoy my Thomas Harris and Jim Thompson - but the first-person narrative by the misogynistic psychopath "Joe the Cleaner" was just a step too far and dark. His flippant attitude towards his multiple, horribly abused victims is in jarring and deeply disturbing contract with what I have to think were Cleave's attempts at "humorous" scenes involving Joe's relationship with his mother and pet fish…I dunno, I guess the world is already screwed past the point where I can actually enjoy reading a book like this anymore.
Unrelated to the actual plot, but I also found the narration by Paul Andsell kind of annoying. Clearly British, having Andsell voice a New Zealand story and characters was like having Helen Mirren read True Grit. Probably not bad, but just wrong.
Unrelated to the actual plot, but I also found the narration by Paul Andsell kind of annoying. Clearly British, having Andsell voice a New Zealand story and characters was like having Helen Mirren read True Grit. Probably not bad, but just wrong.
December 28, 2015
I’d never heard of Paul Cleave until it was a book selection for the Psychological Thrillers book group. Psychological thrillers are one of my absolute favorite types of books to read, but sometimes they’re a little challenging to find.
I loved this book and this book alone has made me a new Paul Cleave fan. He is a master of character development. I’m not even kidding. I’ve never read characters that were this vivid. The characters were so distinct and real that I felt like I knew everything about them, every thought that ran through their heads, especially in the dialog.
The narration alternates between Joe and Sally. Joe is the cleaner, who’s a highly intelligent, sociopathic, serial-killing rapist. It’s fascinating to read a novel from his point of view. He mostly didn’t have a conscience about any of the evil things he did, but at times he appeared to have a small bit of a conscience and then he’d do or say something to make you feel like it was just a false alarm. Oddly, he loved his goldfish more than any living thing. Joe was very sarcastic and funny and I felt weird laughing at the things he said knowing he was a sick bastard. His character is so well developed that at times I wasn’t sure if it was a sign of Paul Cleave’s exceptional writing talents or if Paul is in fact, very unhinged. How in the world does a writer get into the mind of a serial killer like that? It’s amazing.
Sally is Joe’s coworker and at it took quite a while to learn her significance in the novel.
Evelyn is Joe’s mom and she is so amusing. Joe’s visits with her were the funniest. Speaking of funny, this novel had several comedic moments in unexpected scenes, such as in a graveyard. I wasn’t expecting to laugh while reading a novel that featured a serial killer.
One person said in their review that they felt sorry for Joe and before I read this book, I was thinking Are you crazy? After I read the novel, I understood why the reviewer felt sympathy for him. The park scene and later at his apartment will actually make you feel sorry for him. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even Joe. If you think Joe is evil, wait until you meet Melissa.
There were times when Joe’s luck seemed unbelievable. He was able to do things undetected when he should have been caught. He was able to walk into a conference room of the police station where he worked, grab files and either make copies in the copy room or take the files home. You would think that a station full of police officers and detectives would notice missing files for an open case. Other times, he was able to sneak into people’s houses unnoticed, not to mention all of the cars he stole. He also walked everywhere with a briefcase that contained a gun and knives including into work every day.
I loved this novel so much that I immediately went to the library to pick up the next book of this series, Joe Victim . If Joe Victim is as good as The Cleaner , I’m planning to devour all of Paul Cleave’s novels.
I highly recommend this novel to fans of psychological thrillers and aspiring writers who want to learn about character development.
I loved this book and this book alone has made me a new Paul Cleave fan. He is a master of character development. I’m not even kidding. I’ve never read characters that were this vivid. The characters were so distinct and real that I felt like I knew everything about them, every thought that ran through their heads, especially in the dialog.
The narration alternates between Joe and Sally. Joe is the cleaner, who’s a highly intelligent, sociopathic, serial-killing rapist. It’s fascinating to read a novel from his point of view. He mostly didn’t have a conscience about any of the evil things he did, but at times he appeared to have a small bit of a conscience and then he’d do or say something to make you feel like it was just a false alarm. Oddly, he loved his goldfish more than any living thing. Joe was very sarcastic and funny and I felt weird laughing at the things he said knowing he was a sick bastard. His character is so well developed that at times I wasn’t sure if it was a sign of Paul Cleave’s exceptional writing talents or if Paul is in fact, very unhinged. How in the world does a writer get into the mind of a serial killer like that? It’s amazing.
Sally is Joe’s coworker and at it took quite a while to learn her significance in the novel.
Evelyn is Joe’s mom and she is so amusing. Joe’s visits with her were the funniest. Speaking of funny, this novel had several comedic moments in unexpected scenes, such as in a graveyard. I wasn’t expecting to laugh while reading a novel that featured a serial killer.
One person said in their review that they felt sorry for Joe and before I read this book, I was thinking Are you crazy? After I read the novel, I understood why the reviewer felt sympathy for him. The park scene and later at his apartment will actually make you feel sorry for him. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even Joe. If you think Joe is evil, wait until you meet Melissa.
There were times when Joe’s luck seemed unbelievable. He was able to do things undetected when he should have been caught. He was able to walk into a conference room of the police station where he worked, grab files and either make copies in the copy room or take the files home. You would think that a station full of police officers and detectives would notice missing files for an open case. Other times, he was able to sneak into people’s houses unnoticed, not to mention all of the cars he stole. He also walked everywhere with a briefcase that contained a gun and knives including into work every day.
I loved this novel so much that I immediately went to the library to pick up the next book of this series, Joe Victim . If Joe Victim is as good as The Cleaner , I’m planning to devour all of Paul Cleave’s novels.
I highly recommend this novel to fans of psychological thrillers and aspiring writers who want to learn about character development.
December 10, 2019
This a weird and very disturbing read. I can't believe I've given it 5 stars because the actions of the main character are so disgusting and horrible. Every now and then I'd stop reading it and think that I really, really shouldn't continue, but somehow this twisted tale demanded that I read to the bitter end.
The book's narrator is Joe, who's a bit slow and works as a cleaner in New Zealand's Christchurch police station. He attracts the attention of Sally, a decent young Christian woman who's also a cleaner at the same police station. And Sally has decided that she must help Joe out.
However, although Joe gives everyone the impression that's he's slow, in reality he's a vicious sociopath who has raped and murdered 6 women. That is until a 7th victim is added to the list of killings carried out by the man dubbed "The Christchurch Carver".
But Joe didn't kill the 7th woman and now he's dead set on finding out who the copycat killer is and punishing him. Then he'll frame him for the other 6 murders. Simple, but damned clever.
Throughout the story, Joe steals cars, kills people, visits his strange mother who always cooks him meatloaf, tries to avoid Sally and tape records the police as they discuss details of the Christchurch Carver case.
He copies police files and photographs of his victims and decides that the copycat killer is a cop! Sifting through the personnel files, Joe narrows down the list of suspects until he's ready to act.
And that's when the story becomes really outrageous! But I won't spoil your "fun" by telling you what happens next.
I guarantee this book will make you think that you're a sick person for allowing yourself to smile at Joe's reprehensible behaviour on every other page. Hell, why are you even soiling your eyes by reading it?!?!? This a darker than dark tale and is definitely not for anyone of even a vaguely nervous disposition. However, if you decide to carry on, just abandon any moralistic thoughts you may have, grit your teeth and take this book for what it is - a work of fiction. A psychological thriller like no other I've ever read. And, it seems like there's a sequel. Oh Joy!
The book's narrator is Joe, who's a bit slow and works as a cleaner in New Zealand's Christchurch police station. He attracts the attention of Sally, a decent young Christian woman who's also a cleaner at the same police station. And Sally has decided that she must help Joe out.
However, although Joe gives everyone the impression that's he's slow, in reality he's a vicious sociopath who has raped and murdered 6 women. That is until a 7th victim is added to the list of killings carried out by the man dubbed "The Christchurch Carver".
But Joe didn't kill the 7th woman and now he's dead set on finding out who the copycat killer is and punishing him. Then he'll frame him for the other 6 murders. Simple, but damned clever.
Throughout the story, Joe steals cars, kills people, visits his strange mother who always cooks him meatloaf, tries to avoid Sally and tape records the police as they discuss details of the Christchurch Carver case.
He copies police files and photographs of his victims and decides that the copycat killer is a cop! Sifting through the personnel files, Joe narrows down the list of suspects until he's ready to act.
And that's when the story becomes really outrageous! But I won't spoil your "fun" by telling you what happens next.
I guarantee this book will make you think that you're a sick person for allowing yourself to smile at Joe's reprehensible behaviour on every other page. Hell, why are you even soiling your eyes by reading it?!?!? This a darker than dark tale and is definitely not for anyone of even a vaguely nervous disposition. However, if you decide to carry on, just abandon any moralistic thoughts you may have, grit your teeth and take this book for what it is - a work of fiction. A psychological thriller like no other I've ever read. And, it seems like there's a sequel. Oh Joy!
April 6, 2017
The Cleanerby Paul Cleave
The Christchurch Noir Mystery Series Book #1
4.5 �'s
From The Book:
Joe is in control of everything in his simple life—both his day job as a janitor for the police department and his “night work.� He isn’t bothered by the daily news reports of the Christchurch Carver, who, they say, has murdered seven women. Joe knows, though, that the Carver killed only six. He knows that for a fact, and he’s determined to find the copycat. He’ll punish him for the one, then frame him for the other six. It’s the perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police.
My Views:
I have read The Theodore Tate series and all of the standalone novels by this author and found all of them to be exceedingly well done with interesting, true to life characters. This series will be no exception.
The book alternates between the first person narrative of Joe, with flashbacks to his past, and several third person chapters that focus on Sally, a young woman who works at the department and feels pity, and possibly affection, for Joe. It's a very graphic, physiological story about a serial killer that believes he is smarter than anyone else and will never be caught. There are some humorous twists. He and Sally constantly misunderstand one another. Then there's Joe's mother. The strange Melissa rounds out the quirky characters. It will remind you how little you know about the people that even briefly share your everyday life.
In spite of the occasional humor it's still a dark insight into the mind of a merciless killer. The physiological thriller fan will be held captive with the first chapter.
The Christchurch Noir Mystery Series Book #1
4.5 �'s
From The Book:
Joe is in control of everything in his simple life—both his day job as a janitor for the police department and his “night work.� He isn’t bothered by the daily news reports of the Christchurch Carver, who, they say, has murdered seven women. Joe knows, though, that the Carver killed only six. He knows that for a fact, and he’s determined to find the copycat. He’ll punish him for the one, then frame him for the other six. It’s the perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police.
My Views:
I have read The Theodore Tate series and all of the standalone novels by this author and found all of them to be exceedingly well done with interesting, true to life characters. This series will be no exception.
The book alternates between the first person narrative of Joe, with flashbacks to his past, and several third person chapters that focus on Sally, a young woman who works at the department and feels pity, and possibly affection, for Joe. It's a very graphic, physiological story about a serial killer that believes he is smarter than anyone else and will never be caught. There are some humorous twists. He and Sally constantly misunderstand one another. Then there's Joe's mother. The strange Melissa rounds out the quirky characters. It will remind you how little you know about the people that even briefly share your everyday life.
In spite of the occasional humor it's still a dark insight into the mind of a merciless killer. The physiological thriller fan will be held captive with the first chapter.
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