Matthew Worth is a mess. Somewhere between a good cop and a bad screwup, he botched a marriage and a career. His fellow officers think he’s a joke. His commanders are tired of cutting him breaks. Even his wife has left him for a flashy homicide detective. Busted to night patrol at a robbery-prone Omaha supermarket, Worth is doing time, wearing his uniform and asking shoppers if they want paper or plastic. If that isn’t enough, he suspects he might be falling for Gwen, the shy checkout girl who may be an even bigger mess than he is. It couldn’t get any worse. Until it does.
When Gwen comes to him one night scared and desperate for help, Worth discovers just how far he’s willing to go to protect and serve. The next thing he knows, he’s driving a stolen car with a corpse in the trunk, a pistol in the glove box, and no way to turn back. Everything he doesn’t know could get them killed. And things haven’t even begun to get messy yet....
“Anyone foolish enough to say that the age of pulp fiction ended years ago need only pick up one of Doolittle's little noir gems. This one is about a good cop going through a bad streak, a grocery-store cashier ready to dump her abusive boyfriend, and one simple favor that gets blown way out of proportion. . .Seedy, steamy, quirky, and fidgety. . .Noir fans will savor this one.”
"Doolittle has penned a character-driven yet suspenseful novel about choice and consequence, with a well-crafted lead and a narrative style that's punchy and sincere. . .readers looking for a tense crime drama—hold the procedure—will enjoy getting inside the head of this well-meaning sad sack."
"Noir has shown up of late in some very unlikely places. Tartan noir a lá Ian Rankin and Ken Bruen, and Nordic noir as practiced by Henning Mankell are just a few more notable examples. Few authors, however, have used their settings as effectively as Sean Doolittle. Probing the dark recesses of the country’s heartland, this author is quietly charting some very unique and very fertile territory. The Cleanup is a flat out pleasure to read."