Clean
Published on 6. June 2024
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-0-00-860793-7 (ISBN)
Description
THE NUMBER 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER AWARD 2025
'A masterclass in suspense' PAULA HAWKINS
'A spellbinding nightmare' FERNANDA MELCHOR
'A book of intense power' PHILIPPE SANDS
'A compelling book, with a tightly coiled power' PANDORA SYKES
The shockingly compulsive new literary thriller from the International Booker-shortlisted author of The Remainder.
Clean begins with an inescapable fact: a girl has died. Told by Estela, a maid to a wealthy, middle class family who speaks to us from a locked room, we hear of her plight and the circumstances that led to this moment. As we enter into her account of her daily existence, we see how her apparently simple life begins to sour, but would that drive her to the unthinkable?
Disturbing and profound, Clean explores domestic work, class and violence, against the backdrop of Chile's changing political landscape. This is one of the most daring and compelling thrillers in international literature.
'Uncomfortable and provocative ... a chilling account'
FINANCIAL TIMES
'I hardly paused for breath' ALICE SLATER, author of Death of a Bookseller
'Remarkable, gripping' SARAH BERNSTEIN, author of Study for Obedience
'Terrifying, explosive and exhilarating' KATIE KITAMURA, author of Intimacies
'Beautifully written and profound' LUCIE WHITEHOUSE, author of Last Witness
Number 1 Bestseller in Sweden
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION DAGGER AWARD 2025
'A masterclass in suspense' PAULA HAWKINS
'A spellbinding nightmare' FERNANDA MELCHOR
'A book of intense power' PHILIPPE SANDS
'A compelling book, with a tightly coiled power' PANDORA SYKES
The shockingly compulsive new literary thriller from the International Booker-shortlisted author of The Remainder.
Clean begins with an inescapable fact: a girl has died. Told by Estela, a maid to a wealthy, middle class family who speaks to us from a locked room, we hear of her plight and the circumstances that led to this moment. As we enter into her account of her daily existence, we see how her apparently simple life begins to sour, but would that drive her to the unthinkable?
Disturbing and profound, Clean explores domestic work, class and violence, against the backdrop of Chile's changing political landscape. This is one of the most daring and compelling thrillers in international literature.
'Uncomfortable and provocative ... a chilling account'
FINANCIAL TIMES
'I hardly paused for breath' ALICE SLATER, author of Death of a Bookseller
'Remarkable, gripping' SARAH BERNSTEIN, author of Study for Obedience
'Terrifying, explosive and exhilarating' KATIE KITAMURA, author of Intimacies
'Beautifully written and profound' LUCIE WHITEHOUSE, author of Last Witness
Number 1 Bestseller in Sweden
Reviews / Votes
'[A] devilishly well-paced thriller... deftly entwined with reflections on class and oppression' New Yorker'Extraordinary ... an intense novel about class and power and the kind of deep down rot that lingers, despite the most vigorous scrubbing' NPR Fresh Air
'A spellbinding nightmare ... A biting, addictive portrait of the rot 'good families' conceal' Fernanda Melchor, author of Hurricane Season
'Rich and compelling...Uncomfortable and provocative' Financial Times
'Compelling, claustrophobic and irresistible ... a masterclass in suspense and a clear-eyed portrait of isolation and grief' Paula Hawkins, author of Blind Spot
'A book of intense power' Philippe Sands, author of The Last Colony
'Compelling ... with a tightly coiled power' Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We're Doing it Right?
'This unnerving Chilean literary thriller cuts like a knife... Trabucco is a rising star' The Bookseller
'Zeran is a powerhouse ... explosive and exhilarating' Katie Kitamura, author of Intimacies
'A strong narrative energy drives the novel to its conclusion, by which time the atmosphere is so full of dread you could weigh it' Guardian
'Disturbing and commanding ... [a] gripping intimate story' Laline Paull, author of Pod
'A remarkable, gripping exploration of the dynamics of class, agency and culpability' Sarah Bernstein, author of Study for Obedience
'Brutal, beautiful, feverishly propulsive' Jenny Mustard, author of Okay Days
'A white-knuckle ride that kept me gripped from the very first page ... I hardly paused for breath' Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller
'A unique, chilling read' Press Association
'Buzzing with tension, crime and menacingly complex class divisions' Holly Pester, author of The Lodgers
'A novel of disturbing intensity and startling clarity' Helen Charman, author of Mother State
'Pacy yet vivid' Jen Calleja, author of Vehicle
'A hypnotic and coldly, powerfully precise novel' Marina Kemp, author of The Unwilding
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Dimensions
Height: 217 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
382 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-860793-7 (9780008607937)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Alia Trabucco Zeran was born in Chile in 1983. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for her MFA in Creative Writing at New York University and she holds a PhD in Spanish and Latin American Studies from University College London. Her debut novel, The Remainder was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2019. Her non-fiction title, When Women Kill won the British Academy Book Prize 2022 and was shortlisted for the National Books Critics Circle Criticism Award, and film rights have been sold. Her latest novel, Clean, is being translated into 15 languages. She won the Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer's Award 2024 for her next project. She lives in Santiago.