1st book in the series. Joe is a serial killer who works at the police department as a cleaner. Feigning slowness he embeds himself into the investigation of his crimes. He has to work to find someone who is copycatting him. Along the way his co-worker Sally won't leave him alone, a sexy woman enters his life, & his mother won't quit irritating him. Killing more people to frame the copycat becomes his night time work. Cleverly written. ( )

CW: Sexual Content, suicide, rape, gory murders ( )

The first half of this book is excellent, but, after a while, it gets too clever for its own good. I found the ending oddly unsatisfying. ( )

Joe, the eponymous cleaner, has a janitorial job in the Christchurch police station. He is thought to be mildly retarded, or at least a bit slow. Beyond his job, he dearly loves his pet goldfish.
Unbeknownst to the cops, Joe has an inordinate interest in their investigation into the Christchurch Carver, a serial killer currently terrorizing the city. Joe is copying bits and pieces of the file as he gets the opportunity, and he has also been able to bug the investigation room. Because Joe spends his free time murdering young women, and it is he who is the Christchurch Carver. However, Joe knows, and the police do not, that one of the victims attributed to the Christchurch Carver was in fact murdered by a copycat killer. And Joe want to find out who the copycat is, and frame him for all the murders.
This was a very clever crime novel, and I highly recommend it. I immediately borrowed its sequel, Joe Victim, from the library, but did not find it as engaging and did not finish it ( )

Didn't finish - will come back, I *want* to like this series....