The Cleaner by Paul Cleave

The Cleaner by Paul Cleave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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.

Disturbingly dark account of a serial killer on the loose in Christchurch, New Zealand. Having raped and killed several women and being called the Christchurch Cleaver the protagonist Joe lives a double life and we are witness to this double life existence as Joe recounts his crimes and his life as a mentally challenged janitor working at the police station investigating these murders that allows him to be one step ahead of the lead investigation officer Detective Schroeder.

A copycat killer appears and Joe is not happy that this murder should be tagged on to his killing spree. He decides that he will uncover this copy cat killer, kill him and frame him for the other murders.

Joe however has an admirer in the police station, Sally who works in maintenance. She had a brother who died and was very much like Joe in that he was mentally challenged and she see's parallels in Joe. She always felt guilty about how her brother died and to recompense she decides to try and make Joe's life a bit easier. She starts off by bringing him sandwiches and then follows him - just to keep any eye on him to keep him safe.

Joe meets a woman in a bar, Melissa and from this point on his life gets rather more complicated. Melissa is not all she seems either and Joe gets himself into some serious trouble.

This is a dark and intriguing psychological thriller, graphic in some parts but Clever manages to make the protagonist a rather 'likeable' character due to his excellent use of humour and Joes' batty mother which is unusual in this type of novel.

Well written, good compelling storyline and a good twist at the end easy to recommend it and easy to give 4 stars from me.