Book Review: Make Me Clean by Tina Baker

Have you ever been so frustrated with someone that you thought to yourself, “I could just kill them?” Well, Maria had the same thought. In the book Make Me Clean by Tina Baker, we follow Maria as she navigates through her job as a cleaner for some unique characters, each of which has some issues. If you’re looking for an entertaining read full of mystery and irony, then this is the book for you!

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New Release!

Synopsis

She will leave your surfaces sparkling.
But she may well leave you dead…

Maria is a good woman and a good cleaner. She cleans for Elsie, the funny old bird who’s losing her marbles, with the terrible husband. She cleans for Brian, the sweet man with the terrible boss. She cleans for the mysterious Mr Balogan, with the terrible neighbours.

If you’re thinking of hiring her, you should probably know that Maria might have killed the terrible husband, the terrible boss and the terrible neighbours. She may also have murdered the man she loved.

She didn’t set out to kill anyone, of course, but her clients have hired her to clean up their lives, and she takes her job seriously – not to mention how much happier they all are now. The trouble is, murder can’t be washed out. You can only sweep it under the carpet, and pray no one looks too closely…

Darkly funny and completely gripping from the first page to the last, Make Me Clean is one thriller you won’t be able to scrub from your mind. Perfect for fans of Harriet Tyce, Fiona Cummins and My Sister the Serial Killer.

About The Author

Tina Baker, the daughter of a window cleaner and fairground traveller, worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years and is probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV. After so many hours watching soaps gave her a widescreen bum, she got off it and won Celebrity Fit Club. She now avoids writing-induced DVT by working as a Fitness Instructor.

Call Me Mummy is Tina’s first novel, inspired by her own unsuccessful attempts to become a mother. Despite the grief of that, she’s not stolen a child – so far. But she does rescue cats, whether they want to be rescued or not.

My Review

The main character, Maria, is an ordinary woman who just happens to be really good at cleaning. She has two jobs: one job cleaning houses and one job cleaning up her clients’ lives. Her clients are all unique characters with their own stories. Elsie is the funny old bird with the terrible husband who’s losing her marbles. Brian is the sweet man who has been stuck in a loop of bad luck thanks to his terrible boss. Mr Balogan is a mysterious individual with terrible neighbours. Each person faces their own struggles and has hired Maria to help them clean up their lives—literally and metaphorically speaking.

Maria soon finds herself in over her head as she navigates through these people’s lives and secrets. As it turns out, all of her clients might have had something done to them by someone—and that someone may be Maria herself! As she attempts to clean away more than just dirt from her clients’ homes, she discovers that murder can’t be washed out—only swept under the carpet and crossed your fingers no one notices it too closely! The story follows how each of these characters deal with their newfound knowledge or lack thereof while still trying to keep up with their daily lives despite what they know (or don’t know).

I loved all of the characters that Maria loves, the ones she ‘cleans up’ are terrible people! I liked the classic good girl gone bad but for the greater good type theme that runs through the book. Maria may have a few issues and a distinct way of dealing with them but she has a full and honourable heart. There was good variation in her killing and the lives of those around her. The love and care she showed for her biggest client, Elsie is so heartwarming and pure. She doesn’t want anything from her but her love and company, basking in her role where she has almost become a surrogate daughter.

Mr Balogan is also brilliantly portrayed, dark and brooding, he feels so mysterious and Maria is so drawn to him and he seems to her as well but I was left a little unsure at the end whether they would be romantically involved, though they would make the perfect couple.

Tina Baker does an excellent job at creating suspenseful yet humorous scenes throughout the novel. Every chapter has something new for readers to uncover about each character as well as about Maria herself – making it hard to put down once started! Since most of us can relate on some level or another with having had our share of difficult bosses or terrible neighbours, there is something relatable about this story that makes it even more enjoyable!

The writing itself flowed beautifully and what could have been a dark and dismal story was light and humorous, even so far as being uplifting in some ways…strange for such a plot yet I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I loved the drip feed throughout about her murdering the man she loved, I couldn’t wait to find out how and why.

Make Me Clean isn’t your usual kind of murder mystery or thriller. There isn’t a darkness about it so it may not suit all, it’s more about a loving, caring character who hates to see injustice and decides to take things into her own hands on a whim, we see why as we are taken through her flashbacks and dreams where we find her past and earlier life.

This book was an absolute delight to read! It was easy-going and entertaining while still having enough mystery sprinkled throughout each page that kept me invested until I reached the end. If you want something fun but also stimulating, then give this book a chance; I highly recommend it! This mix of murder mystery with slice-of-life comedy will not disappoint any reader looking for something light-hearted yet intriguing!

Rated