Anton Jax—Ajax Clean, to those who know—is a professional cleaner. As in cleaner for the mob. Bloodstains on your shirt? No problem. Fingerprints and DNA evidence all over the crime scene, enough to put you away forever? For the right price, Clean will make it all go away.
But now someone wants to make Ajax Clean go away.His instincts told him the job was too good to be true. He should have trusted them. Two dead bodies, trace evidence pointing to him everywhere, and those sirens he hears in the distance? Yeah, coming for him.
On the run, Clean will have to take help where he can get it; from a half-crazed voodoo hitman, a retired homicide detective, and the beautiful young medical examiner Clean is desperately trying to protect. All he has to do now is survive long enough to clear his name, get some payback, and maybe, if he's lucky, make a clean exit.
International bestselling author Kent Holloway lives on death. Literally. With more than twenty-two years’ experience in forensic death investigations, he’s seen it all. Experienced the worst that life has to give and never let it dim his sense of wonder or humor. Now, he brings all this experience, along with a zeal for uncovering the folklore and superstitions of death, to the written page as author of mysteries, forensic crime fiction, and paranormal thrillers!
He is the author of six paranormal thrillers, including his highly acclaimed Ezekiel Crane series, as well as his forensic thriller, CLEAN EXIT. He’s also written his first installment of the Baron Tombstone adventures—a series that steps directly into the world of the dead—in the shared pirate world series, Tattered Sails.
Death investigations isn’t his only foray into the darker side of life. He's also an adjunct professor of criminal justice at St. Johns River State College in Florida. He’s worked as a private investigator and a newspaper reporter covering the crime beat in Florida. When he’s not writing, designing book covers, or investigating deaths, he spends much of his spare time researching folklore, as well as investigating ghosts and cryptids throughout northeast Florida.
And now for something a bit different from J. Kent Holloway! At first I was hesitant, I mean Holloway is synonymous with amazing folkloric fantasy writing, but when I started Clean Exit I was immediately sucked in. The characters are well thought out and realistic, and the way the scenarios are written makes you feel like you are really there. A must read!
Definitely have a love hate relationship with Mr Ajax Clean, in the end I was rooting for him. So many surprises and twists and turns - in this awesome story. It would make a great movie.
As an avid reader of just about every genre ever written, I do not give high recommendations lightly. Therefore, this one is truly deserved. I am a police officer and have sadly worked more than one crazy case of the type that "Ajax Clean" specializes in. Holloway did an excellent job of describing crime scene details in a way that the general public can understand without getting overly graphic. The beetles were an interesting touch. It was refreshing to have a main character of Asian descent without the typical job stereotypes. The computer guru in this book is a slovenly white guy while the professional crime scene sanitizer is an Asian. One of the main "bad guys" is an older African American man as well. The medical examiner of some repute is an Asian woman. Yes, the cast of characters in this thriller is a veritable bag of Skittles and the rainbow is a breath of fresh air. Hollaway begins the book with action and ends the same way. In a tale of intrigue, Asian mob ties, corrupt government agents and turncoat hit men, he keeps the reader guessing. While keeping the story line easy to follow he manages to ensure that you cannot figure out what the punchline will be. When it's revealed, you won't know weather to groan or applaud. It's that awesome. This is an excellent read and a well earned four star rating. This is the first Holloway book that I've read but I will be reading the rest. Highly recommended.
I really liked the alternating POV's in this book. J. Kent Holloway once again proves how great of a writer he is. I don't read a lot of crime thrillers, however, I couldn't get enough of this one and I think that comes from the author actually knowing what he's talking about. All the characters are memorable for varying reasons, standouts for me are - Ajax Clean, who is a fun, witty, scary character, I definitely wouldn't want to get on his bad side and he really is the sort of character that you think you'll dislike but absolutely love as you continue to read. Luna is pretty awesome too and I really enjoyed her POV sections of the book. Ellis is the character you say you don't like but secretly you do. I am looking forward to this continuing as a long standing series.
My rating is still 5 stars, and I actually enjoyed this book more the second time around. The audiobook was very well done and I greatly enjoyed it. The narrator did a wonderful job of matching voices to the personalities of the characters in the story and it was very entertaining. This is such a good book, and I am still waiting for the next installment in the series!
Original review from December 31, 2015: What a great new series by J Kent Holloway! Ajax Clean is an intriguing character, as I couldn't decide how I felt about him. By the end of the story I was definitely a fan. The characters and settings in the book were so descriptive that it was easy to get lost in the story. I loved the constant humor, and that it was balanced out by some intense scenes. Bring on Book #2!
A new home run series from Kent Holloway By Miss Lyn on December 25, 2015 Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase This is such a great book.It contains Mr.Holloway's expertise in forensics,his marvelous sense of humor and nonstop action and thrills. Ajax Clean is a Cleaner.He cleans up crime scenes for the perpetrator and makes the murder pretty much unsolvable. This time,Ajax finds himself on the run from folks that want to make him the next victim.Many twists and turns and much mayhem ensures. I hope Mr. Holloway keeps Ajax thrilling us for a long time.
Clean Exit has an imaginative storyline which is supported by the author's knowledge of forensics. Ajax Clean gets into some scary situations, not always his doing and he has some useful friends helping him out, most of whom are on the wrong side of the law. Not that Ajax is whiter than white himself. Even the most evil of characters has his saving graces and the story is peppered with a touch of humour that had me smiling on more than one occasion. Altogether a very good read and highly recommended if you like your thrillers a little dark.
Ready to cheer for the bad guy? Meet Ajax Clean, the guy who cleans up when the underworld dirty work is finished. He might work for the bad guys but he's not so bad himself. You just need to get to know him. Just one word of warning—don't mess with his friends. By the end of this book, your mouth will be watering for the next in the series.
Not the usual hero, and certainly not the usual story line. Ajax Clean is a Cleaner. He cleans murder sites, working for whoever pays him. I am looking forward to reading more stories about him.
What a great story. It's full of action and deception and characters that are fully thought out and so real you can actually see them. The story is fast paced and intriguing.
Clean Exit is a fantastic 1st book in a new series by Kent Holloway. Clean Exit is about a cleaner....one who cleans a crime scene for the bad guys making sure their murderer is never found. Ajax (a definite play on words) is one of the best.
Even though Ajax is on the wrong side of the law, who want the guy to stay safe. It is impossible not to love him. He does have standards and a soft side to him.
Clean Exit has numerous twists and turns with a ton of action. You are not always sure who the good guys are. I found my self chuckling in several places and getting a little grossed out with the beetles.
Kent Holloway has created endearing characters and believable plots in the Ajax Clean series. A man of many aliases and even more faces, Ajax Clean is the most entertaining of sociopaths. He is a “cleaner” who is paid big money to make murder disappear. But, an old enemy inserts himself into Clean’s tidy, controlled world. Clean discovers an unexpected ally, out-foxes mysterious enemies, and protects those he loves in this action-filled novel. The best thing about it? It is the FIRST of a new series! Love, love, love this book, and can’t wait for the next one! Clean Exit is a fun, suspenseful read.
While not Mr Holloway's debut book, this is the first crime thriller he has written, and he has definitely knocked it out of the park! The story of a professional "cleaner" of crime scenes, Clean Exit is a fun, action-packed thriller that will keep you guessing to the last chapter. Mr Holloway's knowledge of forensics shine brightly with the details and this could be a handy "how-to"guide, should you ever need to dispose of a body (not that I'm suggesting anything...)
If you like crime thrillers you MUST read this book. Ajax Clean Isn't your everyday criminal. He gets called in after the crime to clean up their mess and get rid of all the evidence. WHAT....that right there is enough to make this the most intriguing book I've read in years. Next, add in that is sister is a pathologist that is always trying to figure out who Ajax Clean really is and you have the makings of a great story. No more.....I don't want to spoil the FUN. Just buy and read. You won't be able to put it down.
Clean Exit is a great crime thriller type book. I was hooked quickly and enjoyed the ride all the way through. I usually like my novels in the sci-fi/horror vein, but J. Kent Holloway has good'uns in those categories as well, so I picked this up. Very cool, I hope there will be more of Ajax Clean in the future!
Was a good first read. Became a little complex in the middle and hard to follow. Got lost a couple of times while the story switched between the two main characters. Can see the opening for continued stories. Would have given 4.5 stars if available.
This is not The Crime Scene Cleaner from German TV, Ajax Clean is highly specialized and employed by big time criminals to erase all evidence that the hitman has done his job. He has a butler who is his backup and can hack into anything, a Haitian hitman he doesn't trust, a sister to protect who is a gifted forensic medical examiner, a Korean crime boss after him, and a black ops agency trying to blackmail him. I'd call this a testosterone fest but there's no erotica, just lots of action and no small amount of confusion. For me, the biggest question is: WHERE IS THE NEXT ONE! The audio is narrated by Daniel F Purcell and he is great!
This was a very entertaining page turner. I really enjoyed the premise of a crime scene cleaner for the mob. Even though He does what he does, I really found Ajax likable. I was at the edgecof my seat at every moment of this. It was brilliant.
Fast read, but because there were so many mysteries about the protagonists, I wasn't able to develop much empathy for them. Still, I rate this one 4.6 stars.
Clean Exit is the first in the new series An Ajax Clean Thriller series by author J. Kent Holloway.
The two main characters are Ajax Clean and Luna Mao Ching. Ajax is a “cleaner” someone who cleans up after criminals ensuring no evidence is left behind. He’s also a cliché of a young Asian male. Luna is a medical examiner. She doesn’t have a big role in this except to be protected, captured and controlled by the males in the story.
The two have a unique relationship. They both live in Florida. A man from their past frames Ajax for a couple of murders and is trying to gain control of both Ajax and Luna. Additionally, a secret government organization is trying to get control of Ajax.
I found this story simple and easy to read. I was able to guess at several of the gotcha’ points with no problem knowing what was to be revealed later. Ajax has the lion’s share of the attention and seems to skip through the scenes, barely making it out alive, yet thriving. He is an admirable figure in that his loyalties are solid and he doesn’t give away secrets no matter the provocation.
Holloway does bring in his specialized knowledge which does make the story more interesting. I would recommend this story for those who like a little different take on a popular subject and are interested in some of the finer details of the body’s decomposition.
Holloway does an excellent job here of using his day job to give his writing a degree of life that makes this tale special. With Ajax Clean, you think you know what you're getting - a cleaner for the mob and the various crimes he has to cover up. What you don't expect is the larger mystery and the various twists and turns it takes. Truly solid and truly enjoyable. And fairly fast - I finished it within about 72 hrs of starting. Maybe even 48?