Herrmann has created a modern classic with this absorbing, exciting literary thriller which combines the addictive lure of a page-turner with a weightier, terrifying back story. Anyone interested in the Cold War, spy stories, or crime fiction in general will find something to love here. Judith Kepler - the cleaner of the title - is a wonderful creation, fighting for her own personal truth in a life trashed by East v West in-fighting and subterfuge. At times, it reminded me of Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin - and that's high praise indeed. One of my books of the year