The Collected

Jonathan Quinn #6

by Brett Battles

A cleaner's tasks are simple: get rid of the body so that it will never be found, and make the scene of the kill look like nothing happened. Rule Number One: Don't get caught. With Jonathan Quinn's career in question, his apprentice Nate has successfully taken on the role of full-fledged cleaner, using Quinn's name to keep the business working seamlessly in case his boss decides to return. But Nate's latest job is not what it seems, and he finds himself on the wrong side of a trap. With Nate suddenly missing, Quinn and his partner Orlando set out to find him, and learn the reasons for Nate's disappearance are more atrocious than they anticipated.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Action, Spy Thriller

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2012

About the author

Brett 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.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and well written story

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a WOW! Got engaged right away and good thing I started on the weekend -- I couldn't put this book down! One of the best I've read in a while, and the ending leaves you waiting for Jonathan Quinn #7! 100% - 10 out of 10!

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a good book....until...Anyways, I enjoyed the human attribute to this "hero" I find that the normal protagonist in the Jonathan Quinn series is not in this one. Killing and doing what "cleaners" do has to affect the mind no matter who you are. Quinn is no different. If the ending was a little different, I would have upped my stars to 4...but alas, some writers enjoy those endings. Regardless you'll want to read the series and beyond. I have already started #7.

[Robert Rosenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given up on the Quinn series after The Destroyed, but fortunately had already purchased this one too. And adrenaline ride of a thriller, I read it on vacation in a day. The story set-up is good. Quinn's old apprentice, Nate, who's been working under Quinn's name, is set up by a mysterious bald man, along with a number of other operators in the black world of espionage. Nate is crafty and resourceful -- better than Quinn in many ways -- yet still he cannot elude his captors. Quinn and Orlando must follow the almost non-existent trail to learn what happened and if possible locate his whereabouts and save him. But Nate comes up with some clever strategies of his own as well.

I very much enjoyed this story. Like The Destroyed, it still contained frequent word-substitutions that a good copyeditor would have caught (e.g. when for went, thought for though). But the plotting was not sloppy, nor did it rely on Quinn and Company's magical abilities to pull off whatever they need to do without working out the details. The only exception to this is Orlando, who has that mystical ability to hack into any system and dig out whatever information is necessary. Ok, she's Ms. Super-hacker. It's a device, but it doesn't get in the way of my willing suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately, the ending did.

Cliffhanger endings are a staple of many a series. But this one felt so contrived, so 'diablo-ex-machina' (so to speak), that it just wasn't justifiable.

SPOILER ALERT:
It's not the fact that Orlando gets shot, or that Peter is now dead and unavailable for future books. It's the way Battles makes it happen. As a writer, the device that bugs me most is when an author intentionally has characters do stupid things in order to advance or complicate the plot. So Quinn and Nate-- consummate professionals-- put three bullets into the burly giant Janus (the low villain of the story), and then leave him lying there, assuming he's dead. NO WAY. Isn't this what the 'double-tap' was invented for? To make sure that seeming corpse will remain permanently a corpse? Battles' characters are frequently checking for pulses; no one checks Janus's? Then again, who'd want to get that close to the guy. Proof that any pro would guarantee his demise. So this is just plain sloppy and I'm not surprised that so many reviewers took issue with the ending. (Quinn's sister, Liz, also behaves recklessly earlier on, but she is not a pro, and her actions are at least motivated by love.)

Which brings me to my last quibble, one that not only Battles, but many authors are guilty of. When you set up a bad-guy and make him truly hiss-able, the payoff has to be commensurate with his crimes. For a major antagonist to simply die in a gunfight is a let down. The reader needs satisfaction. Think of how Bond villains die, if you want some examples. Harris being shot by Daeng, who forces him to look him in the eye, is good, but not great. Nate or Peter should've been able to dispatch Janus with more righteousness.

Overall, a good read though. Seond-tier. Not Lee Child or Barry Eisler. But I may come back for more Quinn and Nate.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following my discovery of Lee Child's hero, I began scouring the genre landscape for similar heroes: alone, powerful, possessing principles (even in professions that refute that notion). One evening, during such research I stumbled across the author Brett Battles and his unlikely hero: Jonathan Quinn.

What we have here is a principled cleaner: you know, the guy that cleans up after grissly killings. (Well, I did say it is an unlikely hero). He reminds us of Eisler's John Rain. The man has a strict set of rules, an uncompromising ethic (though you disagree with his profession, he accomplishes it heroically). It does not escape my attention that Mr. Quinn is yet another quintessential loner. (I am drawn to such characters). Jonathan Quinn is very "aware" of everything around him and gives us a rabbit hole into a peculiar view of life.

There is tragedy in his character, but appealingly so...
I read them all, until they were exhausted...

HR

P.S. Same review for all of the Jonathan Quinn books...if you've read one you've read them all.

[Barry who enjoys well-written thrillers, mysteries , & espionage & loathes romance, horror & supernat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well crap! Not every book by my favorite authors is well done. I select books so carefully and place great stock in the reviews given to them by people who I very much respect but, every now and then a clinker sneaks through.

Brett Battles' Jonathan Quinn is one of my favorite characters yet, despite the spectacularly high ratings (4.29 average), I found The Collected to be quite a let-down. The plot was a bit sophomoric as it went well paste the improbable into the "are you shitting me?" It just seemed silly at times.

I won't go into detail because the book doesn't merit that. In any case, if you love Johnathan, you may decide to read it and you may like it (there is, as they say, no accounting for taste). If you haven't read a Quinn book, start earlier in the series, perhaps with #1, well before Battles and Quinn lost their collective mind.

[Tracy T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I really liked this book a lot!!!!!!!! Damn Nate is awesome. Picking them off one by one!

This series is so good. I have already moved on to book 7. Great characters you just can't help but love and root for.

I will say this book did have a little cliffhanger to it, but it does't matter, your'e going to want to read the next book anyway and its already released. YAY.

As for the narration, simply amazing! I love Scott Brick, he is wonderful and has a very sexy voice. He does the female voices so well too.

[Sabrina S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars - great story, there was even a little bit of Tucson Arizona mentioned in this one - so very cool! Likeable characters and awesome narrator - in Scott Brick. Enjoying this series.

[Trish R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably my favorite Quinn book so far. Romero, who captured Nate and 4 other men, including Peter, was brutal! And every bad guy got exactly what he deserved. The end of this was kind of a cliffhanger so be prepared to be left in the dark.

I like that they travel all over the world in these books, but Brett Battles does not waste words by telling you every street, avenue, and boulevard they travel down when they’re coming or going someplace. I just hate when authors do that.

No sex and the F-bomb was used 2 times, which was unusual for a Battles book.

As to the narration: Love, love, love Scott Brick!!!!

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I had real trouble rating this book. Originally, I gave it four stars, but then couldn't sleep and kept thinking that maybe it was five stars. Really, I think that I would say that it is not a perfect book at all, but it is pretty much what I was looking for. Actually, I had guessed at what this book was gonna be about before I even heard that it was written. (So me and Brett Battles plot our books similarly, I have to give him points for that.) But the biggest reason I was convinced to change the rating was that the way that I rate books is 5 stars if I can't find anything to complain about, 4 if there are a few things, etc. The thing is, I can't think of anything to complain about. Sure the plot was predictable, (because I had thought it up, lolsy) but more in a comforting way than in an I've-seen-this-a-million-freaking-times kind of way. Plus, I think I need a little predictability and comfort after that ending. Seriously Battles, that was messed up.
There wasn't anything extraordinary about this book; it really isn't innovative or thought provoking, but I was pretty rapt while reading it, liked it a whole lot, and still want more. I guess I can't ask for much more for a five star book.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Brett Battles but it will not be the last. The Collected is a fast paced read. Quinn is a cleaner on a normal job when things go terribly wrong. I can't wait to read more about this group of people!

[Stacy McKitrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brett Battles, you are EVIL! I love this book (and the series), but don't care for the cliffhanger at the end. So fair warning to future readers: make sure you have the next on hand, because you'll want to read it. Or maybe throw something at Mr. Battles. Argh!!!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always hate when a Jonathan Quinn novel comes to an end and this one was no exception. The cliff hanger at the end made me dive into the next one immediately. If you haven't met Quinn, you really should make a date!

[melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is my favorite of the Cleaner books to date! Talk about a cliff hanger ending...! I can't wait for the next one.

[Kash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looks like the apprentice is beating is Mentor!

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book in the series! The plot had my anxiety level at an all-time high. I hope I can read the next book in the series soon I need to find out what happens. 1

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been an impressive series, and I’ve no doubt it will continue to be.

Jonathan Quinn is a cleaner. He removes any evidence that bad things happened in a given place and ties up any loose ends. He’s good at what he does, and those who hire him have full faith that there will be no trace of their actions when he’s finished. But because of events in the previous book, Quinn is recovering and hasn’t accepted work in some time. His friend and mentee, Nate, carries on the business using Quinn’s name instead of his when someone taps the company for help.

Nate needs to clean up after someone’s job in Mexico, and he hires a new guy with whom he’s never worked before to handle the cleanup. Sadly, the new guy works for someone who wants vengeance against Quinn for events in a previous book. (Are you getting the hint that perhaps you need to read the books ahead of this one first?) It really is worth your investment, I promise. Even the series-phobic among us will find it rewarding.

Nate assume everything is well with the job until forces belonging to the old man who seeks vengeance accost him and drag him to prison on a remote Caribbean Island.

It’s up to Jonathan Quinn and his almost-wife, Orlando, to get involved in finding and rescuing Nate. Jonathan’s sister, Liz, who is Nate’s girlfriend, insinuates herself into the action as well.

You can read this to determine whether Quinn successfully rescues Nate, and if so, at what cost. This is an excellent plot that will keep you engaged in the book.

[Jonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable except the author made an odd, illogical, and unnecessary choice with Liz’s role. It impacted how I felt about the whole story. It was fine when Liz was placed in the story to report Nate was missing. That made sense. Later, however, her role was so unbelievably ridiculous that I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes (and I typically can overlook some of the unbelievable things that frequently happen in this genre of books).

Liz is just a grad student working on a masters in Paris who doesn’t like the business that Quinn and Nate are in. Regardless of “how smart” she is, she has no training in the ops world. Yet she decides she is going to follow Quinn and his team to wherever they go. More incredibly, she is able to follow eagle eye Quinn across some of the most dangerous areas in eastern Mexico without him noticing her until two cities later. Why, just why, did the author do this? Not that everything else in the story is believable but this was unnecessary and so ludicrous it seriously distracted from the story. I realize all of the computer hacking, worms, and tracking incidents don’t work as easily as it is written, but I can overlook those type of things. But having Liz follow Quinn over half of Mexico without his awareness contradicts everything previously written about Quinn.

*****SPOILER ALERT****

The other part of the book that left me disappointed was the last chapter. It was farfetched. There is no way someone as injured as Janus was described could do what he did. Even more outlandish was the fact that before the plane landed no one heard or saw him but then Quinn suddenly does after a loud plane lands. And when does Quinn and his team not check to be certain someone is dead, especially since they took so long to stage the room with Romero. Plus, I thought it was a weak way to write Peter out of the series.

For me this book was 3.5 stars because of the last chapter with Janus and Liz’s trapsing around Mexico. I rounded up to 4 stars because I do like Quinn as a protagonist. I will definitely read the next book due to the ending of this book and I plan to continue with the rest of the series hoping that Liz is seldom involved.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read in the Jonathan Quinn series. In this one, Nate is continuing to use Quinn's name while Jonathan was taking a sabbatical of sorts, to deal with the issues raised by his enemies threatening his family. This allows Nate to continue to get work while the real Quinn is deciding what he wants to do in the future. However, Nate gets involved in a revenge action by the victim of a past project and is captured with others on the project and taken to a remote location for torture and eventual extermination.

The bulk of the story is about how the real Quinn with the help of Orlande, Duang and, his sister and Nate's new girlfriend, Liz seek to find him. The story is good with multiple twists and turns an, while not among the best of the series, was still a great read.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cleaner's tasks are simple: get rid of the body so that it will never be found, and make the scene of the kill look like nothing happened. Rule Number One: Don't get caught. With Jonathan Quinn's career in question, his apprentice Nate has successfully taken on the role of full-fledged cleaner, using Quinn's name to keep the business working seamlessly in case his boss decides to return. But Nate's latest job is not what it seems, and he finds himself on the wrong side of a trap. With Nate suddenly missing, Quinn and his partner Orlando set out to find him, and learn the reasons for Nate's disappearance are more atrocious than they anticipated.

[Warren Thoms · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it 3 stars but it could have been 4 stars. It was a good book with an interesting story and action that befits the series. In it Nate is captured because he is using the Quinn name. It goes back many years before with a man that was taken out ? by a CIA team and survived. He now plans his revenge on all the members of the team. After learning that Nate has disappeared, he finds that other members of the community have disappeared as well. He works with his "team" trying to find what happened to Nate.

[Alabama Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a different story from the rest of this series.
A number of people are “gathered” together by the victim of a failed termination but not all the people in this group actually belong there.

It’s up to Quinn’s crew to locate the gathered and get Quinn back.
It sounds easy but several roadblocks await them.

This is actually only the first half of the story,
the second half is in the book “The Enraged”.

I actually had a hard time locating this book, several different searches resulted in ALL books containing the word “collected” which number in the thousands.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brett Battles was really my first introduction into the thriller genre and still remains one of my favorite authors today. Quinn, and his teammates, are all very engaging characters, with very human emotions that help fuel their actions. I have loved all the books I've read by Brett Battles and this was no exception! I keep giving these books high stars, but each one just gets better. And that cliffhanger!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Repetitive

I feel like I’m a broken record. Another hit (ha! See what I did there?)

I can’t say enough positive things about this series. So far I have not been disappointed in any of the books.

I love the continued evolution of Quinn’s relationships and in this particular story, I loved that it was more of a Nate story than anything. The character developments are fantastic and always makes me greedy for the next book!

[Yuzu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read a number of books in the series, I was able to read faster and more easily. This story was also very easy and fast-paced, but the plot was not sloppy and I enjoyed the amazing abilities of Quinn and his friends. Nate, one of my personal favourite characters in the series, is captured, but he plays a big part in the story and I enjoyed that as well.

The cliffhanger ending is a staple of many series, but this ending was just too shocking.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate has been doing jobs in Quinn's name. In The Collected, he is set up and captured since he is believed to be Quinn. Along with others, Nate is imprisoned and tortured. Quinn, Orlando, and Daeng start tracking him.

The villain is a over the top, and the torture is the same. But it is quite the thrill ride.

Cliffhanger alert!

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t stay away from Jonathan Quinn!

I keep thinking that the next book can’t be as good as the last, and thankfully I’ve been proven wrong every time. Exciting, romantic, chilling and ever surprising. I am on to the next one.

[Andre Skates · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of suspense and thrillers, I was captivated from the very first page and wholly hooked until the final sentence. This story is an absolute gem, showcasing Battle's exceptional talent for crafting intricate plots and engaging characters that stay with you long after you finish reading.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Collected" is a revenge plot about a failed termination. Entertaining but has a stupid ending. Nate gets caught up in an egomaniacs need for revenge. He gets captured & Quinn has to save him. 2 stars

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter.