What do you think?
Rate this book
Jonathan Quinn #4
The Silenced
Professional “cleaner” Jonathan Quinn has a new client and an odd job: find and remove the remains of a body hidden twenty years ago inside the walls of a London building, before the building is demolished.
But Quinn and his team are being watched. Suddenly caught in the cross fire between two dangerous rivals, Quinn must unravel the identity of the body and why it still poses so great a threat even in death. Because a plot stretching from the former Soviet Union to Hong Kong, from Paris to London, from Los Angeles to Maine, is rapidly falling apart. And Quinn hasn’t been hired just to tie up loose ends—he is one.
From the Paperback edition.
But Quinn and his team are being watched. Suddenly caught in the cross fire between two dangerous rivals, Quinn must unravel the identity of the body and why it still poses so great a threat even in death. Because a plot stretching from the former Soviet Union to Hong Kong, from Paris to London, from Los Angeles to Maine, is rapidly falling apart. And Quinn hasn’t been hired just to tie up loose ends—he is one.
From the Paperback edition.
Audiobook
First published July 28, 2011
182 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
Brett Battles
90 books1,064 followersBrett Battles is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Barry Award-winning author of forty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn series and its Excoms spinoff, the Project Eden series, and the time bending Rewinder series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series. He is one of the founding members of Killer Year, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He lives and writes in Ventura County, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
June 5, 2022
*3.5 stars*
When ‘cleaner’ Jonathan Quinn is hired to remove a body walled up in a London office block twenty years earlier, the job seems a little ‘left field’ even for the shadow world he inhabits. The things go from merely strange; to downright dangerous.
The body is just a single counter in a deadly game that has its origins in the Cold War. Now one of the players has decided to clear the board, putting Quinn and his estranged family in the firing line.
The Silenced is the sort of thriller the term ‘page turner’ was coined to describe. From London to LA, the wilds of Maine, to the streets of Paris, Brett Battles keeps things moving at a breakneck pace.
It is a tall order to wring a decent plot out of the fast fading legacy of the Cold War and yet the author has managed to do so. The resulting mix of false identities, ‘sleeper’ agents and double dealing intelligence agencies is just the right side of outlandish to be believable.
Battles gives his readers more than just slam bang action, although there is no shortage of that. He fleshes out Quinn’s back-story and adds a potential new twist to the dynamics within his team. Quite enjoyable!
When ‘cleaner’ Jonathan Quinn is hired to remove a body walled up in a London office block twenty years earlier, the job seems a little ‘left field’ even for the shadow world he inhabits. The things go from merely strange; to downright dangerous.
The body is just a single counter in a deadly game that has its origins in the Cold War. Now one of the players has decided to clear the board, putting Quinn and his estranged family in the firing line.
The Silenced is the sort of thriller the term ‘page turner’ was coined to describe. From London to LA, the wilds of Maine, to the streets of Paris, Brett Battles keeps things moving at a breakneck pace.
It is a tall order to wring a decent plot out of the fast fading legacy of the Cold War and yet the author has managed to do so. The resulting mix of false identities, ‘sleeper’ agents and double dealing intelligence agencies is just the right side of outlandish to be believable.
Battles gives his readers more than just slam bang action, although there is no shortage of that. He fleshes out Quinn’s back-story and adds a potential new twist to the dynamics within his team. Quite enjoyable!
September 19, 2021
Too much defense in this story. 4 of 10 stars
October 22, 2015
3.5* An action packed novel with Jonathan Quinn back as a “Professional Cleaner” to pick up corpses and dispose of them discreetly for the government and other agencies. With chase scenes, shoot-outs and more bodies dropping dead, ‘The Silenced’ will keep the reader well entertained as Quinn travels from Maine to Paris just doing his job. The fourth book in a series is a standalone and well worth the ride.
![Profile Image for Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 2, 2018
Audiobook - 10:05 hours - Narrator: Scott Brick
3.5 out of 5.0 stars - rounded up to 4.0 due to excellent narration by the masterful Scott Brick.
So many of the crime/adventure stories I read/listen to have protagonists who have special talents, mostly involving assassinations, ultra-quiet killings, extra-loud killings, multiple-victim killings and so on, but "The Silenced" protagonist, Jonathan Quinn is not one of them. Jonathan Quinn is a "Cleaner" who relies on killings to provide him with requests for his specialised trade: disposing of the resulting dead bodies, leaving absolutely no traces or evidence of the death, for very high fees - paid in advance.
The Silenced had a goodly amount of energy, an interesting post-Cold War plot supported by a more or less credible story-line and the suspense, while not edge-of-the-seat, created a surprising tension throughout a lot of the book. Not a must-read, but good fun from a quick read/listen.
This type of novel benefits greatly from Scott Brick's excellent narration skills. Some reviewers hate him, but for me his reading makes a novel come alive, often turning an indifferent story into a worthwhile listening experience.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars - rounded up to 4.0 due to excellent narration by the masterful Scott Brick.
So many of the crime/adventure stories I read/listen to have protagonists who have special talents, mostly involving assassinations, ultra-quiet killings, extra-loud killings, multiple-victim killings and so on, but "The Silenced" protagonist, Jonathan Quinn is not one of them. Jonathan Quinn is a "Cleaner" who relies on killings to provide him with requests for his specialised trade: disposing of the resulting dead bodies, leaving absolutely no traces or evidence of the death, for very high fees - paid in advance.
The Silenced had a goodly amount of energy, an interesting post-Cold War plot supported by a more or less credible story-line and the suspense, while not edge-of-the-seat, created a surprising tension throughout a lot of the book. Not a must-read, but good fun from a quick read/listen.
This type of novel benefits greatly from Scott Brick's excellent narration skills. Some reviewers hate him, but for me his reading makes a novel come alive, often turning an indifferent story into a worthwhile listening experience.
April 4, 2020
I really enjoyed the action and detail. Family importance and work ethic. This shouldn't be the first book in the series that you read but it could be enjoyed if that is all you have while in self isolation ;)
May 23, 2015
This was my first Brett Battles novel. This isn't the first book in this Jonathan Quinn series, so there was some missing back story, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment and it didn't keep me from following the story line.
I liked this spy type thriller. It was a little slow to take off, but it had 2 things going for it that made that no biggie. First, it had great characters that carried the beginning so I felt I was gleaning something. They were able to reveal a part of themselves during the slow start that made me feel I wanted more. Secondly, I did the audio and the narrator was one of my all time faves....I am definitely a fan of Scott Brick.
The story picked up well before the second half and moved thereafter at a nice pace. If this book is a good indication of what to expect with others in the same series, I can't wait to read more novels by this author.
I liked this spy type thriller. It was a little slow to take off, but it had 2 things going for it that made that no biggie. First, it had great characters that carried the beginning so I felt I was gleaning something. They were able to reveal a part of themselves during the slow start that made me feel I wanted more. Secondly, I did the audio and the narrator was one of my all time faves....I am definitely a fan of Scott Brick.
The story picked up well before the second half and moved thereafter at a nice pace. If this book is a good indication of what to expect with others in the same series, I can't wait to read more novels by this author.
June 9, 2015
PROTAGONIST: Jonathan Quinn, professional cleaner
SETTING: US, London
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 3.5
Usually, professional cleaner Jonathan Quinn’s work involves cleaning up a scene at the time that a crime is committed. His latest assignment is definitely unorthodox—he is hired to remove the remains of a body that has been hidden in the walls of a London building for twenty years. The building is about to be demolished, and someone wants to make sure that the body isn’t found. Who was the victim that could manage to cause such anxiety so many years later? Trying to determine the answer to that question sets Quinn on a dangerous quest.
At the same time, Quinn has some cleaning operations in the US. Although the job seems straightforward, a Russian woman seems to be shadowing him. It turns out that there is another team who is interested in the various victims. And to add another layer to the dangers that Quinn is facing, he finds that the identity that he has gone to great pains to conceal is being exposed. Someone knows his real name and is threatening his mother and sister in order to manipulate him into doing what they want.
THE SILENCED is the fourth book in the Quinn series. I have enjoyed all of the books, but this one is not quite as satisfactory as the earlier ones. Although it was interesting to learn more about his “real” life, knowing more about him diminished his mystique. I also found it hard to believe that he could always control every situation, dictating the terms of what was going on to foes who had a lot more power than he did. This was especially true at the conclusion of the book.
Quinn’s lover, Orlando, and his apprentice, Nate, offer their usual significant contributions in the book. I particularly like how Nate is developing over the course of the series. Although the plot may have been a bit overly ambitious, the suspense is high and the pacing good.
SETTING: US, London
SERIES: #4 of 4
RATING: 3.5
Usually, professional cleaner Jonathan Quinn’s work involves cleaning up a scene at the time that a crime is committed. His latest assignment is definitely unorthodox—he is hired to remove the remains of a body that has been hidden in the walls of a London building for twenty years. The building is about to be demolished, and someone wants to make sure that the body isn’t found. Who was the victim that could manage to cause such anxiety so many years later? Trying to determine the answer to that question sets Quinn on a dangerous quest.
At the same time, Quinn has some cleaning operations in the US. Although the job seems straightforward, a Russian woman seems to be shadowing him. It turns out that there is another team who is interested in the various victims. And to add another layer to the dangers that Quinn is facing, he finds that the identity that he has gone to great pains to conceal is being exposed. Someone knows his real name and is threatening his mother and sister in order to manipulate him into doing what they want.
THE SILENCED is the fourth book in the Quinn series. I have enjoyed all of the books, but this one is not quite as satisfactory as the earlier ones. Although it was interesting to learn more about his “real” life, knowing more about him diminished his mystique. I also found it hard to believe that he could always control every situation, dictating the terms of what was going on to foes who had a lot more power than he did. This was especially true at the conclusion of the book.
Quinn’s lover, Orlando, and his apprentice, Nate, offer their usual significant contributions in the book. I particularly like how Nate is developing over the course of the series. Although the plot may have been a bit overly ambitious, the suspense is high and the pacing good.
July 7, 2020
Great book and excellent narration by Scott Brick! (audible review)
I am really enjoying this series. I love Quinn, Nate and Orlando. They are amazing developing characters.
This series is full of action, adventure, travel, espionage and non stop enjoyment. There is so much dialogue throughout the books and are very entertaining.
I totally recommend this series.
Narration is amazing! I love Scott Brick he is such a fantastic narrator. He makes these stories even better.
I am really enjoying this series. I love Quinn, Nate and Orlando. They are amazing developing characters.
This series is full of action, adventure, travel, espionage and non stop enjoyment. There is so much dialogue throughout the books and are very entertaining.
I totally recommend this series.
Narration is amazing! I love Scott Brick he is such a fantastic narrator. He makes these stories even better.
October 16, 2021
I know, I know - three lackluster books in, and I still come back for more despite having a mountain of other stuff to read. Surprisingly enough, the fourth installment in this series was somewhat of an improvement. We finally learn a little more about the protagonist's background (no, I still don't care for him - he continues to be exceedingly unlikable), the story kept me more engaged, and at least one of the characters (Nate) is finally starting to grow on me a bit (mostly for not putting up with Quinn's constant asshole bullshit). So I guess I'll have to read at least one more...
May 27, 2019
Another great installment in the Jonathan Quinn series! In this story we learn about Quinn's past, in spite of the fact that he tries to keep it deeply buried. An excellent ending only adds to the rating! Looking forward to #5 -- 8 out of 10.
September 6, 2018
You made a huge mistake messing with Quinn's family. Wow! This was such a great, fast paced story. I liked getting Quinn's history. I am on to the next in the series.
April 19, 2011
Yesterday was just plain nuts, nuts, I tell you! Here is a brief recap of yesterday’s events, follow along with me and tell me if it wasn’t nuts. Vincent Zandri was nice enough to almost give away a major plot twist in our collaborated digital short story we just finished called: The Gang That Couldn’t Kindle Straight”. I think he was miffed that I let it spill he used my name and some guy named Tolstoy’s name in the same sentence. The exact context of how he used my name in conjunction with that, I will leave up to your imagination. Just so you know our Beta readers are tickled pink by the final product as it is a real hard boiled comedy the likes that have not been seen. The class at West Virginia University is going to be getting quite the surprise. Moving on, my blogtalk show The G-ZONE went nuts yesterday with filling time in May, June and this Wednesday. Yes this Wednesday! Here is the deal on this: Andrew Gross has been a scheduled guest, yes that Andrew Gross, NYT Bestselling author. Okay that in and of itself is news and a fun time. Along comes Paul Levine, Yes take pause, that Paul Levine. We talk a bit and BOOM, he is a guest also this Weds. So one show, two dynamic NYT Bestselling authors, what more can there be? But wait there is more, if you act now and write these dates down you will be guaranteed some really good fun and excitement: Dave Zeltserman June 10th, C.P White June 21st,Ray Ellis June 14th,Gary Ponzo June 30th,….! Crazy, fun, intense! That was just a part of my day yesterday. Throw in a conversation with Timothy James Dean the author of Teeth as he was nice enough to write me about my post from last week and you have an insane day. Oh yeah , throw in Big Daddy Abel and me going back and forth on his picture for his next Open Mic installment and an outline for our upcoming digital short collaboration and you have it all there in a nutshell. Now I return you to today’s regularly scheduled post.
I have been a fan of the Cleaner series since day one. I love Jonathan Quinn, I enjoy reading about the job he does and how he goes about doing it, and I enjoy the cast of characters he is surrounded with. Having said all that, you guessed correctly, I enjoyed reading this novel and getting my once a year dose of all of the above. Brett Battles entertained me yet again; I just wish the wait in between installments wasn’t so long, oh well. Here is what is between the covers on this novel of international intrigue:
“Professional “cleaner” Jonathan Quinn has a new client and an odd job: find and remove the remains of a body hidden twenty years ago inside the walls of a London building, before the building is demolished.
But Quinn and his team are being watched. Suddenly caught in the cross fire between two dangerous rivals, Quinn must unravel the identity of the body and why it still poses so great a threat even in death. Because a plot stretching from the former Soviet Union to Hong Kong, from Paris to London, from Los Angeles to Maine, is rapidly falling apart. And Quinn hasn’t been hired just to tie up loose ends—he is one. “
The plotline was exciting for me in many ways; one in particular is that we get to get a feel for what Quinn was before he was Quinn and what that has done to make him Quinn. His past has been a thing that was kept in the dark pretty much until this point and I enjoyed having some light shone on it. I fully intend to go over this when I interview the author this Thursday on my blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE. Jonathan Quinn is a multifaceted guy, with an ethical streak and determination that makes him tops in his field. His apprentice Nate is equally awesome and fun. The Cleaner series is one that I would keep track of if you are into the action/thriller/suspense genre. Or better yet if you enjoy a good read; this is one for you to add to your list.
What are you reading today? Have you checked out our new blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari, The Novel Spot &Twitter. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Amazon Banner on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
August 1, 2011
A page turner for me though I had wished I'd started with an earlier novel.
I have no idea how Quinn, our protagonist, started out as a "cleaner" nor why he seems to have no problems with his profession. This distracted me a bit from the story but shouldn't be a bother for others already familiar with this character.
My one quibble with the book involves his sister. Quinn's family has been placed in harms way due to his profession so he tries to keep them safe while trying to expose the treat to his mother and sister.
Quinn hasn't been in contact with his sister since he left home at 17 yet flashbacks to the siblings childhood indicates that they were close. SO it did not ring true to me that he wouldn't have been in contact with his sister at all since he left home nor that she would dislike him as much as she clearly does. His sister almost enters into too stupid to live territory at one point as well. After having finally bought into the fact that, yes people are trying to kill her, she then attempts to leave the hotel where her brother has stashed her. The reason being that she is so angry with him that she doesn't want to speak or interact with him.
I have no idea how Quinn, our protagonist, started out as a "cleaner" nor why he seems to have no problems with his profession. This distracted me a bit from the story but shouldn't be a bother for others already familiar with this character.
My one quibble with the book involves his sister. Quinn's family has been placed in harms way due to his profession so he tries to keep them safe while trying to expose the treat to his mother and sister.
Quinn hasn't been in contact with his sister since he left home at 17 yet flashbacks to the siblings childhood indicates that they were close. SO it did not ring true to me that he wouldn't have been in contact with his sister at all since he left home nor that she would dislike him as much as she clearly does. His sister almost enters into too stupid to live territory at one point as well. After having finally bought into the fact that, yes people are trying to kill her, she then attempts to leave the hotel where her brother has stashed her. The reason being that she is so angry with him that she doesn't want to speak or interact with him.
November 21, 2013
Decent melodrama from Battles...we learn more about our protagonist Quinn and come to appreciate his motivations and network of friends and operatives...Quinn is caught in the middle of old Cold War operations and a variety of sociopaths...your basic page-turning Battles thriller...good, entertaininng read read!
April 9, 2015
Excellent book
May 23, 2025
I usually try to read books in a series in order, but I must have just picked up #4 at some time, after reading The Cleaner, the first in the series. I think maybe for this series it might not matter that I skipped #2 and #3, unless I missed a lot of character and relationship development.
Jonathan Quinn is still working as a cleaner, a guy who is hired by governments and corporations to make sure no evidence or bodies are left at a crime scene or murder venue. He is quite expert at his job and even has an apprentice, Nate, learning all his techniques and strategies.
But when Quinn is hired once again by a wealthy English go-between, things become confusing. He is not sure anymore who is a good guy and who are the bad ones. Quinn does have his own moral code and thinks he represents justice and the good guys. But, people are being killed, and other people are killing the killers. What the heck is going on? Once he does figure things out, he and Nate also become targets to be eliminated. Oh my!
Unlike Jack Reacher who can beat up everyone or kill them or maim them, Quinn is a much more realistic main character. He is not hired to do those things, just to make sure no evidence is left at the scene. But when he inadvertently does have to take care of a live person, he can defend himself. There is non-stop action, a little romance, and a little humor, but not much. I will probably read another in the series.
Jonathan Quinn is still working as a cleaner, a guy who is hired by governments and corporations to make sure no evidence or bodies are left at a crime scene or murder venue. He is quite expert at his job and even has an apprentice, Nate, learning all his techniques and strategies.
But when Quinn is hired once again by a wealthy English go-between, things become confusing. He is not sure anymore who is a good guy and who are the bad ones. Quinn does have his own moral code and thinks he represents justice and the good guys. But, people are being killed, and other people are killing the killers. What the heck is going on? Once he does figure things out, he and Nate also become targets to be eliminated. Oh my!
Unlike Jack Reacher who can beat up everyone or kill them or maim them, Quinn is a much more realistic main character. He is not hired to do those things, just to make sure no evidence is left at the scene. But when he inadvertently does have to take care of a live person, he can defend himself. There is non-stop action, a little romance, and a little humor, but not much. I will probably read another in the series.
March 5, 2022
Ghost!
Petra and her team are looking for the man known as "Ghost." He is a serial killer and a terrorist. Petra and her team are from Russia, and the Ghost is former KGB.
Quinn has been hired to clean up a killing, and he sees Petra for the first time nearby. Ghost is killing all the people who might know where he is and under what new identity, and it takes Quinn a while to figure out what is going on. He has traveled back to Minnesota to attend his father's funeral, and there he runs into his estranged sister, Liz, who is openly hostile towards him. She lives in Paris, and she returns there after the funeral.
In this novel, we learn Quinn's real name, and the names of his family members. We also learn the real name of Quinn's apprentice, Nate. The Ghost learns that Quinn is searching for him, and he decides to go after Quinn's family. Quinn hires a man in Minnesota to look after his mother, and another one in Paris to watch out for his sister. The Ghost’s men soon come for her, but Liz will not cooperate with Quinn and Nate, and is soon taken when she and Nate eventually arrive in England. Quinn teams up with Petra, and together they can rescue Liz and capture the Ghost.
The story is action-packed, and not as far-fetched as some of the other Jonathan Quinn stories. I liked it, and I recommend it.
Petra and her team are looking for the man known as "Ghost." He is a serial killer and a terrorist. Petra and her team are from Russia, and the Ghost is former KGB.
Quinn has been hired to clean up a killing, and he sees Petra for the first time nearby. Ghost is killing all the people who might know where he is and under what new identity, and it takes Quinn a while to figure out what is going on. He has traveled back to Minnesota to attend his father's funeral, and there he runs into his estranged sister, Liz, who is openly hostile towards him. She lives in Paris, and she returns there after the funeral.
In this novel, we learn Quinn's real name, and the names of his family members. We also learn the real name of Quinn's apprentice, Nate. The Ghost learns that Quinn is searching for him, and he decides to go after Quinn's family. Quinn hires a man in Minnesota to look after his mother, and another one in Paris to watch out for his sister. The Ghost’s men soon come for her, but Liz will not cooperate with Quinn and Nate, and is soon taken when she and Nate eventually arrive in England. Quinn teams up with Petra, and together they can rescue Liz and capture the Ghost.
The story is action-packed, and not as far-fetched as some of the other Jonathan Quinn stories. I liked it, and I recommend it.
February 13, 2020
The Silenced focuses mostly on Quinn's family. His father has died, and he goes back to his hometown in Minnesota for the funeral. His sister, Liz, refuses to speak to him. He takes Orlando with him, introducing her as his girlfriend, "Claire," a name she chose for herself. Now that The Office is no longer in existence, Quinn works for people with established reputations. He has worked for David Wills in the past. Wills calls to negotiate a multi-week job with the first job in LA, where Quinn lives. But as he and Nate are removing the body, he spots someone nearby. She is Petra, a Russian who is working with a team to discover the identity of The Ghost.
The narrative switches back and forth between Petra's point of view and Quinn's, with Nate's tossed in on occasion. As the story develops, Quinn discovers a threat to his family, forcing him to reveal more about himself than he ever thought he'd have to do. But no one is allowed to harm his friends or family.
The action is solid, even if the plot with the Russians is a bit convoluted. There is the typical profanity and violence that comes with this genre, but it is an excellent addition to the series and one which sheds some light on who Quinn really is.
The narrative switches back and forth between Petra's point of view and Quinn's, with Nate's tossed in on occasion. As the story develops, Quinn discovers a threat to his family, forcing him to reveal more about himself than he ever thought he'd have to do. But no one is allowed to harm his friends or family.
The action is solid, even if the plot with the Russians is a bit convoluted. There is the typical profanity and violence that comes with this genre, but it is an excellent addition to the series and one which sheds some light on who Quinn really is.
August 9, 2017
Much like the third book in this series, readers looking for a story about a 'cleaner'; someone hired to dispose of bodies better left not found will be somewhat disappointed. As in The Unwanted, the tone of this series continues the turn towards the spy verse spy genre with Quinn's job as a cleaner used primarily as a plot devise which enables him to traverse the globe to fight round after round of bay guys.
The Silenced takes a more personal look at Quinn and exposes his family to the dangers of his day job, while not bad, I found the plot meandering a little - it's an okay read but I was hoping for more; a return to books 0.5 and book 1 in particular.
Despite not having read a Jonathan Quinn book for quite some time, the familiarity of the characters settled in quickly and the story is okay but it didn't blow me away. I enjoyed reading about Quinn's family and Liz seems like a character who could contribute some sass to the series.
My rating: 3/5 stars.
The Silenced takes a more personal look at Quinn and exposes his family to the dangers of his day job, while not bad, I found the plot meandering a little - it's an okay read but I was hoping for more; a return to books 0.5 and book 1 in particular.
Despite not having read a Jonathan Quinn book for quite some time, the familiarity of the characters settled in quickly and the story is okay but it didn't blow me away. I enjoyed reading about Quinn's family and Liz seems like a character who could contribute some sass to the series.
My rating: 3/5 stars.
August 7, 2022
This book gives more personal history on Quinn who has always tried to keep his past life hidden. I liked getting more background on his strained relationship with his sister and father. I don't want all of the books to contain this much backstory, but it was good to know a little more about his life in Minnesota.
There aren't any twists in the story, and the traitors/bad guys are identified early in the story. It's not really suspenseful but the story does keep the reader engaged. I like the dynamics of Quinn and his team, but I do find Orlando to be an unbelievable character. A 5' small frame Asian who can take down skilled operatives and manage to fly all over the world even though she is a single parent is a little much. On the other hand, I think Quinn is unique and I like that he is a cleaner versus an operative.
There aren't any twists in the story, and the traitors/bad guys are identified early in the story. It's not really suspenseful but the story does keep the reader engaged. I like the dynamics of Quinn and his team, but I do find Orlando to be an unbelievable character. A 5' small frame Asian who can take down skilled operatives and manage to fly all over the world even though she is a single parent is a little much. On the other hand, I think Quinn is unique and I like that he is a cleaner versus an operative.
December 19, 2018
Jonathan Quinn isn't really his name. Very few people know that -- his mother and sister are the only ones. Quinn returns to Warroad, Minnesota for his father's funeral, but in Quinn's business, few jobs can wait. He is hired to find a man, who ends up dead and then he is hired to remove a body from a building due for demolition. Little does Quinn know that these two jobs are related by the client, a Russian who fled the Soviet Union as it was dying and now lives in England. But when the Russian decides to threaten Quinn's mother and sister in order to "encourage" Quinn to work harder, little does he know that Quinn will burn down the world to save his family. Breakneck action and lots of snappy dialog make this another good read from Battles. I like this series.
October 13, 2024
This is my first Brett Battles book. I picked it up in my local library's used book store to give it a try. I haven't found another author whose protagonist is a "cleaner" who disposes of bodies that that others kill. The recurring character Jonathan Quinn is well formed. He has an ethical streak -- despite his "profession" -- and won't kill people himself. This story has two threads. One is about the job he is about to undertake to extract a body that's been buried 20 years and the other his own troubled family life that threatens to intrude on the job he has to complete. I've already ordered two more of this series from my local library. It was an engrossing read and I recommend it.
May 24, 2025
The Silenced (Jonathan Quinn, #4) By Brett Battles
Another good read into the world of Quinn and his sidekick Nat and Orlando this time we find Quinn's family under attack from unknown sources as a band of heroes try to foil them and put out the flames.
The writing is solid and the plot moves along at a good pace as we get to find out more of Quinn's backstory, this is a very good entry to the series.
The action is well choregraphed and Nat gets so much more to do in this book and shows he is still highly capable after the events of previous books.
Battels keeps you turning the page and the book zips by in no time.
Well worth your time and hard-earned cash.
Another good read into the world of Quinn and his sidekick Nat and Orlando this time we find Quinn's family under attack from unknown sources as a band of heroes try to foil them and put out the flames.
The writing is solid and the plot moves along at a good pace as we get to find out more of Quinn's backstory, this is a very good entry to the series.
The action is well choregraphed and Nat gets so much more to do in this book and shows he is still highly capable after the events of previous books.
Battels keeps you turning the page and the book zips by in no time.
Well worth your time and hard-earned cash.
November 22, 2019
Don’t mess around with Quinn’s family.
When Quinn and his team get involved with a man that has been torturing and killing people for years it is a race against time to find out the true identity of “The Ghost”.
The real problems begin when intensive searches by the Ghost reveal Quinn’s true identity, one that not even his team members know about.
Quinn is divided between a job he can’t back out of and protecting both his work family and his biological family.
This book provided a lot of backstory that helped round out the characters.
When Quinn and his team get involved with a man that has been torturing and killing people for years it is a race against time to find out the true identity of “The Ghost”.
The real problems begin when intensive searches by the Ghost reveal Quinn’s true identity, one that not even his team members know about.
Quinn is divided between a job he can’t back out of and protecting both his work family and his biological family.
This book provided a lot of backstory that helped round out the characters.
February 14, 2020
In this installment, Jonathan Quinn's family is put at risk when a job goes wrong and his efforts to protect his family that he put in place when he first became a "cleaner" were compromised. His sister and mother are put in danger and his accomplices, Orlando and Nate, are put at risk trying to protect them.
This is another excellent story with a complicated plot that keeps things moving throughout the book and new characters that are introduced and move the action along. I have found this series to be among the best in the espionage/black ops genre.
This is another excellent story with a complicated plot that keeps things moving throughout the book and new characters that are introduced and move the action along. I have found this series to be among the best in the espionage/black ops genre.
October 4, 2021
This is the fourth in the Quinn series and although I have enjoyed all of the previous books, this one I personally found very easy to read t. It was interesting to learn about his "real life". However, I also thought that this revelation of his private life diminished his mystique.
Orlando, Quinn's lover, and Nate, his protégé, made important contributions to the book, as they always do. Nate, in particular, is one of my favourite characters, and I'm interested to see how he develops over the course of the series. As a whole, I thought the work was highly suspenseful and well-paced.
Orlando, Quinn's lover, and Nate, his protégé, made important contributions to the book, as they always do. Nate, in particular, is one of my favourite characters, and I'm interested to see how he develops over the course of the series. As a whole, I thought the work was highly suspenseful and well-paced.
July 9, 2017
Battles' Jonathan Quinn is becoming bolder and more confident of himself with each successive novel in this series. I like it. Even thoughQuinn is in a nasty business he has high standards and a strong streak for doing the right thing, which makes him a hero that we can all root for, even when he breaks the law for the right reason. Nate comes into his own and prepares the road for Battles to include a larger cast in his future novels.
December 13, 2017
Professional “cleaner” Jonathan Quinn has a new client and an odd job: find and remove the remains of a body hidden twenty years ago inside the walls of a London building, before the building is demolished.
But Quinn and his team are being watched. Suddenly caught in the cross fire between two dangerous rivals, Quinn must unravel the identity of the body and why it still poses so great a threat even in death.
But Quinn and his team are being watched. Suddenly caught in the cross fire between two dangerous rivals, Quinn must unravel the identity of the body and why it still poses so great a threat even in death.
July 25, 2017
3.5 stars
A good story about a body that needs to be removed by Quinn. The story of who that body is the rest of the book. There are dangers to Quinn's family and he and his sister don't see eye to eye, so there is that dynamic to the book as well. It was not as good as the others in the series but that could just be me so I will keep reading the series.
A good story about a body that needs to be removed by Quinn. The story of who that body is the rest of the book. There are dangers to Quinn's family and he and his sister don't see eye to eye, so there is that dynamic to the book as well. It was not as good as the others in the series but that could just be me so I will keep reading the series.
March 26, 2020
Super Book. I couldn't put it down!
This is the book in a row that I read straight through. The plot was superb and the character development was enrapturing. The manner in which the author writes makes it seem as if you are actually there, part of the action. The dilemmas posed seem impossible to solve, but a rational solution is provided. Buy and read this book!
This is the book in a row that I read straight through. The plot was superb and the character development was enrapturing. The manner in which the author writes makes it seem as if you are actually there, part of the action. The dilemmas posed seem impossible to solve, but a rational solution is provided. Buy and read this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews