The Cleaner

Surprising and compelling this powerfully written novel is a terrifyingly vivid rendering inside the mind of a serial killer. Meet Joe. He’s a nice guy out to catch a copycat killer. The one copying himself. Joe is in control of everything in his simple life, including both his day job at the police department and his 'night work'. He remembers to feed his fish twice a day and visit his mother at least once a week, although he occasionally peppers her coffee with rat poison. He is not bothered by the reports of The Christchurch Carver, who - they say - murdered seven women. Joe knows the carver has killed only six. He knows that for a fact. And Joe is going to find that copy-cat killer, punish him for the one murder and then frame him for the rest. It's a perfect plan because he already knows he can outwit the police. All he has to do now is take care of all the women who keep getting in his way – his domineering mother for one. Then there is Sally, the maintenance worker who sees him as a replacement for her dead brother, and the mysterious Melissa, the only woman to have ever understood him, but whose fantasies of blackmail and torture no longer have any place in Joe's investigation... The Carver Series: Book 1: The Cleaner Book 2: Joe Victim

The first in a high-octane thriller series that is perfect for fans of Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne.

“The Cleaner has it all: exotic locales, James Bondian derring-do, and ingenious plot twists that will keep you sweating all the way ’til the end.“—Tess Gerritsen Meet Jonathan Quinn: a freelance operative with a take-no-prisoners style and the heart of a loner. His job? Professional “cleaner.” Nothing too violent, just disposing of bodies, doing a little cleanup if necessary. But Quinn’s latest assignment is about to change everything, igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal, and revenge. The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up where it doesn’t belong—and Quinn’s handlers turn strangely silent—he knows he’s in over his head. Quinn’s only hope may be Orlando, a woman from his past who could hold the key to solving the case. Suddenly the two are prying into old crimes, struggling to stay alive long enough to unbury the truth. But as the hunt intensifies, Quinn is stunned by what he uncovers: a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy—with an almost unimaginable goal. Praise for The Cleaner “Battles is a compelling new voice in the thriller genre. The Cleaner combines the best elements of Lee Child, John le Carré and Robert Ludlum. . . . A stellar debut.“—Sheldon Siegel “A brilliant and heart-pounding thriller.”—Jeffery Deaver “A tightly written page-turner.”—Booklist

An award-winning trainer draws on experience with such top athletes as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Ken Griffey, Jr. to explain how to tap dark competitive reflexes in order to succeed regardless of circumstances, explaining the importance of finding internal resources and harnessing the power of personal fears and instincts.

A second-chance romantic suspense from million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin... Gunner James is good at death. An expert. His job is to clean up the messes no one else can. But behind that tough exterior, Gunner has a few secrets of his own. Eight years ago, Gunner left his hometown and vowed to never look back. When his past collides with his present in the form of a familiar face, Gunner must return home to take care of one final mess...the woman he left behind. Reagan Orrick knows heartbreak. Eight years ago, the love of her life disappeared without a trace or goodbye. In his absence, she has fought to build a life she can be proud of. When tragedy strikes, Reagan must go it alone or make a choice to trust the man who shattered her heart once again.

The wildly popular YouTube star behind CLEAN MY SPACE presents the breakthrough solution to cleaning better with less effort Melissa Maker is beloved by fans all over the world for her completely re-engineered approach to cleaning. As the dynamic new authority on home and living, Melissa knows that to invest any of our precious time in cleaning, we need to see big, long-lasting results. So, she developed her method to help us get the most out of our effort and keep our homes fresh and welcoming every day. In her long-awaited debut book, she shares her revolutionary 3-step solution: • Identify the most important areas (MIAs) in your home that need attention • Select the proper products, tools, and techniques (PTT) for the job • Implement these new cleaning routines so that they stick Clean My Space takes the chore out of cleaning with Melissa’s incredible tips and cleaning hacks (the power of pretreating!), her lightning fast 5–10 minute “express clean” routines for every room when time is tightest, and her techniques for cleaning even the most daunting places and spaces. And a big bonus: Melissa gives guidance on the best non-toxic, eco-conscious cleaning products and offers natural cleaning solution recipes you can make at home using essential oils to soothe and refresh. With Melissa’s simple, groundbreaking method you can truly live in a cleaner, more cheerful, and calming home all the time.

“If you enjoy the work of Marilynne Robinson, Penelope Fitzgerald, James Salter…you should be reading Vickers.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World There is something very special about Agnès Morel. A quiet presence in the small French town of Chartres, she can usually be found cleaning the famed medieval cathedral or doing odd jobs for the townspeople. No one knows where she came from or why. Not diffident Abbé Paul, nor lonely Professor Jones, nor even Alain Fleury, whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes. She has transformed all their lives in her own subtle way, yet no one suspects the dark secret Agnès is hiding. Then an accidental encounter dredges up the specter of her past, and the nasty meddling of town gossips forces Agnès to confront her tragic history and the violent act that haunts it.

Winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature, Sarah Krasnostein’s The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster is the fascinating biography of one of the people responsible for tidying up homes in the wake of natural—and unnatural—catastrophes and fatalities. Homicides and suicides, fires and floods, hoarders and addicts. When properties are damaged or neglected, it falls to Sandra Pankhurst, founder of Specialized Trauma Cleaning (STC) Services Pty. Ltd. to sift through the ashes or sweep up the mess of a person’s life or death. Her clients include law enforcement, real estate agents, executors of deceased estates, and charitable organizations representing victimized, mentally ill, elderly, and physically disabled people. In houses and buildings that have fallen into disrepair, Sandra airs out residents’ smells, throws out their weird porn, their photos, their letters, the last traces of their DNA entombed in soaps and toothbrushes. The remnants and mementoes of these people’s lives resonate with Sandra. Before she began professionally cleaning up their traumas, she experienced her own. First, as a little boy, raised in violence and excluded from the family home. Then as a husband and father, drag queen, gender reassignment patient, sex worker, small businesswoman, and trophy wife. In each role she played, all Sandra wanted to do was belong. The Trauma Cleaner is the extraordinary true story of an extraordinary person dedicated to making order out of chaos with compassion, revealing the common ground Sandra Pankhurst—and everyone—shares with those struck by tragedy.