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John Milton #3
The Driver
Alternate cover edition for ASIN B00HD93V1G can be found here
John Milton had started to hope that he might have a future. He has a job driving a taxi around the streets of San Francisco. He has his anonymity and his solitude. Being invisible has become a comfortable habit. He doesn't want to be found.
But when a girl he drives to a party goes missing, Milton is worried. Especially when two dead bodies are discovered and the police start treating him as their prime suspect. Milton is a fugitive from the British Secret Service and a man in his position needs extra attention like he needs a hole in the head.
As unpleasant secrets leak out, and the body count rises, one thing is for sure: Milton might just be the right guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Driver is a taut, nail-biting adventure which once again stars Mark Dawson's irresistible hero, the maverick ex-MI6 assassin John Milton.
John Milton had started to hope that he might have a future. He has a job driving a taxi around the streets of San Francisco. He has his anonymity and his solitude. Being invisible has become a comfortable habit. He doesn't want to be found.
But when a girl he drives to a party goes missing, Milton is worried. Especially when two dead bodies are discovered and the police start treating him as their prime suspect. Milton is a fugitive from the British Secret Service and a man in his position needs extra attention like he needs a hole in the head.
As unpleasant secrets leak out, and the body count rises, one thing is for sure: Milton might just be the right guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Driver is a taut, nail-biting adventure which once again stars Mark Dawson's irresistible hero, the maverick ex-MI6 assassin John Milton.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 4, 2014
3958 people are currently reading
1031 people want to read
About the author
Mark Dawson
114 books1,832 followersFor news and special offers join Mark's mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/Cai5X
Mark Dawson was born in Lowestoft and grew up in Manchester and Chicago. He has worked as a lawyer and currently works in the London film industry. His first books, "The Art of Falling Apart" and "Subpoena Colada" have been published in multiple languages.
He is currently writing two series. Soho Noir is set in the West End of London between 1940 and 1970. The first book in the series, "The Black Mile", deals with the (real life but little known) serial killer who operated in the area during the Blitz. "The Imposter" traces the journey of a criminal family (think The Sopranos in austerity London and you'd be on the right track).
The John Milton series features a disgruntled special agent who aims to help people to make amends for the terrible things that he has done. Mark, as a child of the 80s, will freely admit that he watched a lot of The Equalizer in his youth.
Mark lives in Wiltshire with his family.
You can find him at www.markjdawson.com or www.facebook.com/markdawsonauthor.
http://eepurl.com/Cai5X
Mark Dawson was born in Lowestoft and grew up in Manchester and Chicago. He has worked as a lawyer and currently works in the London film industry. His first books, "The Art of Falling Apart" and "Subpoena Colada" have been published in multiple languages.
He is currently writing two series. Soho Noir is set in the West End of London between 1940 and 1970. The first book in the series, "The Black Mile", deals with the (real life but little known) serial killer who operated in the area during the Blitz. "The Imposter" traces the journey of a criminal family (think The Sopranos in austerity London and you'd be on the right track).
The John Milton series features a disgruntled special agent who aims to help people to make amends for the terrible things that he has done. Mark, as a child of the 80s, will freely admit that he watched a lot of The Equalizer in his youth.
Mark lives in Wiltshire with his family.
You can find him at www.markjdawson.com or www.facebook.com/markdawsonauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
February 19, 2023
*Another Tense Ride*
So far this series has been hard to put down, John Milton is on the run from a life he no longer wants. He was the best agent the British Secret service ever had. Now he is the one with a target on his back. He wants to wants a quiet anonymous life. A life that means he takes menial jobs and lives in the most run down places.
He now finds himself as a taxi driver among one of two jobs in San Francisco and one of his customers asks him to drop her at a party seeing that it’s in the middle of nowhere he offers to wait for her. She is a escort. The party is in an expensive area with a code to get in. On hearing screams his senses are alerted and we see all the craziness start. She goes missing and soon bodies are piling up, John as one of the last people to see her alive is now one of the suspects, now he goes all out to find the culprits whatever it takes
He appears to be a quiet and unthreatening man, so far he is easily underestimated. John is neither he calls himself Smith and no one ever sees him coming. When he is in a tricky situation and asks people to let him go, they crack up especially when he says “it will end badly for you” He also has a very cold icy stare that makes people uneasy
Very hard to put down, I added the audio, David Thorpe does quite a good job with all the different accents throughout the books.
So far this series has been hard to put down, John Milton is on the run from a life he no longer wants. He was the best agent the British Secret service ever had. Now he is the one with a target on his back. He wants to wants a quiet anonymous life. A life that means he takes menial jobs and lives in the most run down places.
He now finds himself as a taxi driver among one of two jobs in San Francisco and one of his customers asks him to drop her at a party seeing that it’s in the middle of nowhere he offers to wait for her. She is a escort. The party is in an expensive area with a code to get in. On hearing screams his senses are alerted and we see all the craziness start. She goes missing and soon bodies are piling up, John as one of the last people to see her alive is now one of the suspects, now he goes all out to find the culprits whatever it takes
He appears to be a quiet and unthreatening man, so far he is easily underestimated. John is neither he calls himself Smith and no one ever sees him coming. When he is in a tricky situation and asks people to let him go, they crack up especially when he says “it will end badly for you” He also has a very cold icy stare that makes people uneasy
Very hard to put down, I added the audio, David Thorpe does quite a good job with all the different accents throughout the books.
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November 13, 2017
Audiobook - 9:35 hours - 3.5 out of 5.0 stars
December 27, 2017
I am absolutely loving this series of books. John Milton to me IS the British Jack Reacher and I am reading these books with all of the excitement I felt at reading Lee Child for the first time. It should be said though that Milton is definitely his own character and there are more differences to be drawn than similarities between Reacher and Milton.
After the events of the last two books I felt that The Driver was more of a ‘relaxed’ story for Milton and served as a book that helped me understand him more as a character. Specifically in his attendance at AA meetings. Despite the fact he’s trying to remain anonymous wherever he is in the world, he still attends these meetings because it helps him and even though he rarely speaks at them, it’s interesting to see him putting himself out there and exposing himself almost, as opposed to other characters like him in this genre that very rarely ingratiate themselves into any community they find themselves in.
I enjoyed my time spent in San Francisco and as with London and Mexico, I felt that Mark Dawson did a great job with using the setting to it’s full advantage. It’s an atmospheric read in places and either Mark has done some great research into the areas he writes about, or is just extremely good at making it seem like he has. This time around Milton has successfully built some semblance of a life for himself and has got two jobs and spends much of his time at AA meetings or in a grubby apartment with his books (the latter half doesn’t seem all that bad to me). It’s his job as a taxi driver however that finds him driving headfirst into a whole heap of trouble and it’s his need to help people (usually to avenge his feelings of guilt from his past) that means he isn’t just going to drive away in his cab and forget about the things that he has seen.
I have to give Mark full marks for the plot here. It just flows beautifully and I enjoyed how he managed to incorporate characters from the previous book. Apart from Neagley and the like, Reacher often leaves characters behind and we never see them again. Here in the Milton series perhaps things might be a little different. I always feel a little melancholy at the end of a Reacher novel at the thought of not seeing certain characters again and I’ve started to get that with this series too. I am still thinking about some of the characters from Milton’s past and how they are getting on. The story here is very strong. Numerous plot twists completely took me by surprise and I was once again in awe at how Milton uses his skills to get out of situations that you and I would completely go to pieces in. It’s believable though the way he manages to look after himself because it all goes back to his training. And it’s that training that sees him on the run, because the organisation he worked for back in the UK is constantly hunting him down.
So far this series is proving to be extremely addictive and I can’t get enough of it. The reason for 4 instead of 5 stars however is because of what I said at the start of the review. This book had a more relaxed feel to proceedings, while the plot flowed nicely there were still elements that were tied up a little too neatly. In the first two novels things were a bit more precarious for Milton however here he dealt with them a little more efficiently and there wasn’t anything major that happened that blew me away. That said it was still a truly fantastic read and a great addition to what is shaping up to be one hell of a series. If you are yet to check the series out for yourself, I highly recommend that you do.
After the events of the last two books I felt that The Driver was more of a ‘relaxed’ story for Milton and served as a book that helped me understand him more as a character. Specifically in his attendance at AA meetings. Despite the fact he’s trying to remain anonymous wherever he is in the world, he still attends these meetings because it helps him and even though he rarely speaks at them, it’s interesting to see him putting himself out there and exposing himself almost, as opposed to other characters like him in this genre that very rarely ingratiate themselves into any community they find themselves in.
I enjoyed my time spent in San Francisco and as with London and Mexico, I felt that Mark Dawson did a great job with using the setting to it’s full advantage. It’s an atmospheric read in places and either Mark has done some great research into the areas he writes about, or is just extremely good at making it seem like he has. This time around Milton has successfully built some semblance of a life for himself and has got two jobs and spends much of his time at AA meetings or in a grubby apartment with his books (the latter half doesn’t seem all that bad to me). It’s his job as a taxi driver however that finds him driving headfirst into a whole heap of trouble and it’s his need to help people (usually to avenge his feelings of guilt from his past) that means he isn’t just going to drive away in his cab and forget about the things that he has seen.
I have to give Mark full marks for the plot here. It just flows beautifully and I enjoyed how he managed to incorporate characters from the previous book. Apart from Neagley and the like, Reacher often leaves characters behind and we never see them again. Here in the Milton series perhaps things might be a little different. I always feel a little melancholy at the end of a Reacher novel at the thought of not seeing certain characters again and I’ve started to get that with this series too. I am still thinking about some of the characters from Milton’s past and how they are getting on. The story here is very strong. Numerous plot twists completely took me by surprise and I was once again in awe at how Milton uses his skills to get out of situations that you and I would completely go to pieces in. It’s believable though the way he manages to look after himself because it all goes back to his training. And it’s that training that sees him on the run, because the organisation he worked for back in the UK is constantly hunting him down.
So far this series is proving to be extremely addictive and I can’t get enough of it. The reason for 4 instead of 5 stars however is because of what I said at the start of the review. This book had a more relaxed feel to proceedings, while the plot flowed nicely there were still elements that were tied up a little too neatly. In the first two novels things were a bit more precarious for Milton however here he dealt with them a little more efficiently and there wasn’t anything major that happened that blew me away. That said it was still a truly fantastic read and a great addition to what is shaping up to be one hell of a series. If you are yet to check the series out for yourself, I highly recommend that you do.
November 1, 2015
This, the third, in the John Milton series is the best yet. Milton is now in San Francisco holding down two jobs: independent taxi driver and ice deliverer. He makes barely enough to get by, but that’s just fine. He likes to read.
One night he accepts a fare against his better judgment because he realizes she’s an escort and it’s illegal to participate, i.e., drive, someone who is about to commit an illegal act. They arrive at a fancy house in a wealthy neighborhood. He agrees to stay since he’s worried about her safety and when screams erupt from the house he investigates only to have her run out of the house and down the road banging on other doors, clearly high on something. She disappears.
Milton has to walk a fine line in any interactions with the police but he feels a sense of duty -- more on that later -- and teams up with her boyfriend to try and find Madison, the hooker. Milton can’t afford to have the police look too closely at his identity because he’s still on the run from his former MI-6 handlers.
Dawson does a nice job of laying the groundwork for Milton’s overly developed sense of altruism. One of the tenets of AA, which Milton attends regularly in an effort to stay sober (shades of Lawrence Block’s protagonist,) is to make amends, and Milton has a lot to make amends for having killed many people in his former job.
Well-developed story.
One night he accepts a fare against his better judgment because he realizes she’s an escort and it’s illegal to participate, i.e., drive, someone who is about to commit an illegal act. They arrive at a fancy house in a wealthy neighborhood. He agrees to stay since he’s worried about her safety and when screams erupt from the house he investigates only to have her run out of the house and down the road banging on other doors, clearly high on something. She disappears.
Milton has to walk a fine line in any interactions with the police but he feels a sense of duty -- more on that later -- and teams up with her boyfriend to try and find Madison, the hooker. Milton can’t afford to have the police look too closely at his identity because he’s still on the run from his former MI-6 handlers.
Dawson does a nice job of laying the groundwork for Milton’s overly developed sense of altruism. One of the tenets of AA, which Milton attends regularly in an effort to stay sober (shades of Lawrence Block’s protagonist,) is to make amends, and Milton has a lot to make amends for having killed many people in his former job.
Well-developed story.
August 30, 2016
The Driver was another good solid book in the John Milton series. Milton was a British spy and assassin and decided to quit. His employers though his retirement should be from the human race so he is on the run and doing good deeds to people in trouble wherever he seems to be.
He is currently driving a hack (insider lingo for taxi) in San Francisco and he picks a girl who asks to be driven to house out in the boondocks (insider lingo for boondocks) for a party. He decides to stay to make sure that she is okay, being the good hearted Brit that he is (no, that is not an oxymoron). Later he hears a scream, runs into the house and all hell breaks loose.
Like the other two books by Dawson that I have read, I enjoyed the ride. The plot is clever but nearly believable, the pace is good and the characters are interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone enjoying super tough guy agent types doing good stuff. If you are tempted to read it, you might consider starting with the first book in the series although that is not critical.
He is currently driving a hack (insider lingo for taxi) in San Francisco and he picks a girl who asks to be driven to house out in the boondocks (insider lingo for boondocks) for a party. He decides to stay to make sure that she is okay, being the good hearted Brit that he is (no, that is not an oxymoron). Later he hears a scream, runs into the house and all hell breaks loose.
Like the other two books by Dawson that I have read, I enjoyed the ride. The plot is clever but nearly believable, the pace is good and the characters are interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone enjoying super tough guy agent types doing good stuff. If you are tempted to read it, you might consider starting with the first book in the series although that is not critical.
November 15, 2021
John Milton has certainly come a long way since leaving his former employer. From assassin to beating a drug cartel to cab driver in San Francisco. But that's where we find him at the start of this novel, driving a cab. And since it's John we're talking about, there's no way things stay that simple for long. And pretty much immediately, things go south. As usual, John let's himself be caught in other people's problems and tries to solve them.
I think he's still trying to atone for sins of the past, making amends. It's that AA thing, only he can't make amends to the people he needs to, because they are dead (usually because he killed them). So her makes do with strangers, and in this case it's the boyfriend of a missing hooker - that was last seen on a party where she went in John's cab. When the police doesn't take it seriously, John decides to step in with all of his skill set.
I'd like to see John Milton on the big screen, and Liam Neeson would be a great cast.
This is the first book of the Milton series that also includes a mystery. For me, the first two have been more the thriller kind, but this story also incorporates a mystery, and not a bad one at that. (Although it was kind of obvious who's scheming behind the scenes.)
The best parts in a John Milton novel are always those parts when John starts to turn into a cold machine, meticulously dishing out justice and revenge for those who can't fight for themselves. He's the great equalizer.
Don't piss of John. He's a professional.
As always, while John helps those around him, his story ends on the sad side. He's like the lone cowboy riding into the sunset, skipping town at the end.
While the ending is fitting - and the start of the novel is getting it's hooks into you big time - the middle part is lacking a bit. I feel like that part of the story was deflated, dragging the pace down a bit.
*****
That brings me to 4 stars. If you've never read Milton before, you can expect a mix out of Denzel Washington's Robert McCall (Equalizer) and Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills (96 hours).
You can also read this review on my Blog.
I think he's still trying to atone for sins of the past, making amends. It's that AA thing, only he can't make amends to the people he needs to, because they are dead (usually because he killed them). So her makes do with strangers, and in this case it's the boyfriend of a missing hooker - that was last seen on a party where she went in John's cab. When the police doesn't take it seriously, John decides to step in with all of his skill set.
I'd like to see John Milton on the big screen, and Liam Neeson would be a great cast.
This is the first book of the Milton series that also includes a mystery. For me, the first two have been more the thriller kind, but this story also incorporates a mystery, and not a bad one at that. (Although it was kind of obvious who's scheming behind the scenes.)
The best parts in a John Milton novel are always those parts when John starts to turn into a cold machine, meticulously dishing out justice and revenge for those who can't fight for themselves. He's the great equalizer.
Don't piss of John. He's a professional.
As always, while John helps those around him, his story ends on the sad side. He's like the lone cowboy riding into the sunset, skipping town at the end.
While the ending is fitting - and the start of the novel is getting it's hooks into you big time - the middle part is lacking a bit. I feel like that part of the story was deflated, dragging the pace down a bit.
*****
That brings me to 4 stars. If you've never read Milton before, you can expect a mix out of Denzel Washington's Robert McCall (Equalizer) and Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills (96 hours).
You can also read this review on my Blog.
October 23, 2019
This was a good one, you needed to read previous ones to get the story right, which is a good thing, not much overlap. The reason not four stars is the last few pages. Not exactly as I figure John Milton would have handled it. They talk about Milton being similar to Jack Reacher..well, Jack would have handled it differently also. I won't get into specifics but it wouldn't actually be a spoiler.
Looking forward to reading #4...
Looking forward to reading #4...
May 12, 2015
Just read it!
Political hacks! Bookers! Bikers! Milton! You'll love it! The John Milton series is the modern adventure series you should be filling your Kindle with.
Political hacks! Bookers! Bikers! Milton! You'll love it! The John Milton series is the modern adventure series you should be filling your Kindle with.
January 10, 2018
Another excellent episode in what is becoming a must-read series for me, 'The Driver', while not just as strong as the first two books, is a fast-moving thriller and excellent entertainment.
Following on 3 months after the events in Mexico, John Milton is lying low in San Francisco, working two jobs, as a taxi driver and delivery man, while trying to find time to attend AA meetings. It is in the order job that he takes a young woman, who turns out to be a call-girl, to a party from which she flees and disappears. Milton, still atoning for his past 'sins', feels responsible and begins to investigate. The investigation takes on increased urgency when the bodies of other call-girls are found.
The more leisurely pace of the plot means that Milton has time to develop some semblance of a personal life with a woman he meets at AA. Beau Baxter from 'Saint Death' also makes an appearance which serves to broaden Milton's world too.
I am really taken by the whole 'James Bond, Licence Revoked' nature of these book and, while tighter editing may have been needed in places (at times there were references to two 'He's' with some confusion to whom the 'he' referred), I am really looking forward to 'Ghosts' and the introduction of Beatrix Rose.
Following on 3 months after the events in Mexico, John Milton is lying low in San Francisco, working two jobs, as a taxi driver and delivery man, while trying to find time to attend AA meetings. It is in the order job that he takes a young woman, who turns out to be a call-girl, to a party from which she flees and disappears. Milton, still atoning for his past 'sins', feels responsible and begins to investigate. The investigation takes on increased urgency when the bodies of other call-girls are found.
The more leisurely pace of the plot means that Milton has time to develop some semblance of a personal life with a woman he meets at AA. Beau Baxter from 'Saint Death' also makes an appearance which serves to broaden Milton's world too.
I am really taken by the whole 'James Bond, Licence Revoked' nature of these book and, while tighter editing may have been needed in places (at times there were references to two 'He's' with some confusion to whom the 'he' referred), I am really looking forward to 'Ghosts' and the introduction of Beatrix Rose.
January 21, 2016
Zipping right through these marvelous books.
The Driver finds John Milton, still going under the name of John Smith, driving a taxi in San Francisco, after escaping the clutches of La Frontera and Control. He's attending AA meetings trying to make amends for his Group days, getting a bit of peace in his life. Even has a bit of romance. That is, until he takes a fare from Madison, a young high-end prostitute, who's got a party to attend . Again mayhem ensues when Madison disappears mysteriously and John feels a responsibilithy to find her--even more urgently when bodies of other high-end hookers show up. He and her boyfrirend, whom he befriends, are also suspects, so he's got an even better reason to get to the truth. The Driver is a a whodonit, not espionate or thriller in the sense of spies. John only takes out a few degenerates along the way, but he sure does even the score. Dare I suggest that the governor of California is based in part on Bill Clinton, but there's also Trumpiness about him and Arlen Crawford a bit of Karl Rove, but well,more vicious. Beau Baxter and the Luciano Family, from Saint Death make nice appearances.
The Driver finds John Milton, still going under the name of John Smith, driving a taxi in San Francisco, after escaping the clutches of La Frontera and Control. He's attending AA meetings trying to make amends for his Group days, getting a bit of peace in his life. Even has a bit of romance. That is, until he takes a fare from Madison, a young high-end prostitute, who's got a party to attend . Again mayhem ensues when Madison disappears mysteriously and John feels a responsibilithy to find her--even more urgently when bodies of other high-end hookers show up. He and her boyfrirend, whom he befriends, are also suspects, so he's got an even better reason to get to the truth. The Driver is a a whodonit, not espionate or thriller in the sense of spies. John only takes out a few degenerates along the way, but he sure does even the score. Dare I suggest that the governor of California is based in part on Bill Clinton, but there's also Trumpiness about him and Arlen Crawford a bit of Karl Rove, but well,more vicious. Beau Baxter and the Luciano Family, from Saint Death make nice appearances.
August 24, 2015
The Driver is another excellent addition to the John Milton series. After his narrow escape in South America, Milton appears in San Francisco. By day he is delivering ice and by night he is a taxi driver. One evening he has to take his fare, a young woman, to a party in an exclusive neighbourhood. Due to the weather, and the location, he offers to wait for her and drive her back into the city. She then disappears, but the police don't seem to be taking her disappearance seriously, and Milton decides to step in and help out.
Once again the characters are well thought out, as is the plot, although some of the writing is not quite up to par with the previous books in the series. There is something about this series which hooks me in as a reader, yet I can't actually put my finger on what it is. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.
Once again the characters are well thought out, as is the plot, although some of the writing is not quite up to par with the previous books in the series. There is something about this series which hooks me in as a reader, yet I can't actually put my finger on what it is. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.
February 12, 2014
Sort of a mystery more than an action novel and the mystery really has no suspense, given the side story.
I gave it three stars because I tend to round up, but it really fell flat compared with me to The Cleaner and Saint Death.
October 23, 2024
The first book to fall victim to my holiday readathon. Definitely my favourite of the lot. Excited for more
March 31, 2022
This is the 3rd off this series I have read. I did not enjoy this one as much as the other 2. Although the story line was good, I did not find the action quite as riveting as in the previous 2 books. No doubt when I read the next in the series it will be back up to standard. A good read if you enjoy a thriller.
February 8, 2022
Another amazing adventure. John Milton is bigger than life.
September 18, 2022
This was another good read, I really enjoyed this. I like the way that John's characted is developinh through the series. The story had some good twists and turns but was just about real enough to be believable.
I read this by the pool on holiday and was perfect!
I read this by the pool on holiday and was perfect!
April 4, 2022
The action continues as John Milton attracts trouble where ever he goes….
June 24, 2017
This is third book in series. Really do not understand the great reviews for this to be frank.
John Milton is an ex hitman who would kill someone as soon as look at them and then go for a meal and sleep like a baby without a care in the world.
Suddenly out of nowhere he developed a conscience, deciding to quit the ‘killer for hire’ job and turn into an all round ‘do gooder’ with a sensitive caring character to boot.
His previous ‘murders anonymous’ bosses are after him so he needs to keep a low profile. However John does the absolute opposite.
He is working as a taxi driver living pay check to pay check. While working he picks up a girl in his taxi. While chatting John discovers she is a prostitute. John agrees to take her to her next job and decides to wait for her as its an isolated neighbourhood.
The story progresses in this way. Would see it as a middle of the road read but easily (instantly) forgettable.
If John had a significant brain injury between the ‘killing' and the ‘loving pussycats’ phases I could swallow it but no the reader is expected to believe he went from high end hit man to fuzzy and caring man.
May/may not read more in the series
John Milton is an ex hitman who would kill someone as soon as look at them and then go for a meal and sleep like a baby without a care in the world.
Suddenly out of nowhere he developed a conscience, deciding to quit the ‘killer for hire’ job and turn into an all round ‘do gooder’ with a sensitive caring character to boot.
His previous ‘murders anonymous’ bosses are after him so he needs to keep a low profile. However John does the absolute opposite.
He is working as a taxi driver living pay check to pay check. While working he picks up a girl in his taxi. While chatting John discovers she is a prostitute. John agrees to take her to her next job and decides to wait for her as its an isolated neighbourhood.
The story progresses in this way. Would see it as a middle of the road read but easily (instantly) forgettable.
If John had a significant brain injury between the ‘killing' and the ‘loving pussycats’ phases I could swallow it but no the reader is expected to believe he went from high end hit man to fuzzy and caring man.
May/may not read more in the series
February 10, 2018
This is Dawson's third in the John Milton series. Milton is still running from his British overseers and finds himself in San Francisco as a tax driver. He delivers a young lady to a party and the story begins. Its a solid plot, the villain is substantial and the supporting characters are adequate. It's a short book so there's not a lot of back story that Dawson included in the first two volumes of Milton. I missed the back story, it helped to hide the shallowness of the Milton character.
I just finished the first book in Silva's "Gabriel Allon" series. Comparing Milton to Allon really discloses the weaknesses in writing, plot and character development between the two. Its almost like Milton is for an adolescent readers or an appetizer to a full meal.
Milton is fine, but there is much better available
I just finished the first book in Silva's "Gabriel Allon" series. Comparing Milton to Allon really discloses the weaknesses in writing, plot and character development between the two. Its almost like Milton is for an adolescent readers or an appetizer to a full meal.
Milton is fine, but there is much better available
August 26, 2018
John Milton is a former British secret service badass in a similar vein as Jack Reacher with his own internal demons to fight. The writing was spot on for me at a good pace. The California politics as depicted were full of holes and inaccuracies, but overlooking that annoyance made this an enjoyable read. Even more amusing was this book was copyrighted 2 years before the 2016 USA Presidential Election. Dawson nailed the character type of our future president very accurately and disturbingly so...
August 5, 2019
Easy to read and fun but all the make characters in every book are "pretty and with delicate bone structures' as well as being very 2d. Reminds me of Raymond Chandler but with a British twist. I liked the first book which was set in London, but the subsequent instalments have highlighted the shortcomings through repetition. Closer to 2.5 stars, I do enjoy these and will read the next but they're not exactly hashtagdeep....
March 9, 2023
Better than Saint Death. I enjoyed this story a little more and thought the reasons for getting involved and the story were more engaging.
However, I have now got to a point where I don't fear for Milton at all. He is so aggressive and mouthy to most people and is almost invincible. Hopefully the series fleshes him out and brings in some legit danger going forward.
A good, fast paced read.
However, I have now got to a point where I don't fear for Milton at all. He is so aggressive and mouthy to most people and is almost invincible. Hopefully the series fleshes him out and brings in some legit danger going forward.
A good, fast paced read.
January 4, 2017
As a fan of Jack Reacher novels, I like how Dawson creates a character, John Milton, who can use his brawn, but really just stays very careful in what he does. Alas, as he is being tracked by MI 6, one would expect them to follow Milton through his commitment to AA meetings, an easy habit to track.
August 23, 2022
Enjoyable adventure, easy undemanding read with a tantalising finish. Milton is not on a par with Reacher, but is a different type of character so comparison is a bit unfair. I enjoy both and will be continuing with this series.
April 14, 2021
The Driver is the third in Mark Dawson's series centred on John Milton, a former special forces operative, spy now turned outlaw, and in my opinion is a softer book than the first too.
Milton has made his way to California following his run in with the Mexican drug cartels in book 2 and has settled into a quiet life driving a taxi around the night time streets of San Francisco and working as a delivery man in the day. Anonymous and alone, Milton is seemingly happy, or at least as happy as it is reasonable to expect. He even has a regular AA meeting, and is invisible, which is perfect for a man on the run from the British Secret Service.
A chance drive shatters Milton's hope for anonymity. He drives an escort to a party at an out of the way location, and for whatever reason he decides he should wait for her. Screams drive Milton to enter the party in his usual manner, but the girl disappears, and Milton feels a responsibility to find her. When two dead girls are found, Milton fears the worst, and with the police turning to him as a suspect, he feels the need to solve the case himself rather than get his name (albeit a false one) in the juggernaut that is the police computer system which he knows would immediately be picked up by the people looking for him.
As one might expect, Milton digs deeper into the case and things turn nasty (well at least unpleasant), whilst the police continue to assume they have their man and they just need proof. There is an nicely set up relationship, and we get a bit more into Milton's head as a year has passed since his time working as a government assassin.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. As I mentioned, this is a seemingly softer book than the first two. There is less extreme violence, although it is there, and Milton is allowed to at least feel something. Dawson's writing continues to be interesting, and seems to know the areas he describes well, or has done his research and he gives the book a bit more depth than the run of the mill thrillers. The Epilogue is interesting and sets up the next in the series, which I am about to purchase for my Kindle.
Milton has made his way to California following his run in with the Mexican drug cartels in book 2 and has settled into a quiet life driving a taxi around the night time streets of San Francisco and working as a delivery man in the day. Anonymous and alone, Milton is seemingly happy, or at least as happy as it is reasonable to expect. He even has a regular AA meeting, and is invisible, which is perfect for a man on the run from the British Secret Service.
A chance drive shatters Milton's hope for anonymity. He drives an escort to a party at an out of the way location, and for whatever reason he decides he should wait for her. Screams drive Milton to enter the party in his usual manner, but the girl disappears, and Milton feels a responsibility to find her. When two dead girls are found, Milton fears the worst, and with the police turning to him as a suspect, he feels the need to solve the case himself rather than get his name (albeit a false one) in the juggernaut that is the police computer system which he knows would immediately be picked up by the people looking for him.
As one might expect, Milton digs deeper into the case and things turn nasty (well at least unpleasant), whilst the police continue to assume they have their man and they just need proof. There is an nicely set up relationship, and we get a bit more into Milton's head as a year has passed since his time working as a government assassin.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. As I mentioned, this is a seemingly softer book than the first two. There is less extreme violence, although it is there, and Milton is allowed to at least feel something. Dawson's writing continues to be interesting, and seems to know the areas he describes well, or has done his research and he gives the book a bit more depth than the run of the mill thrillers. The Epilogue is interesting and sets up the next in the series, which I am about to purchase for my Kindle.
April 25, 2021
The third installment of the franchise finds Milton (aka, John Smith) driving a taxi in San Francisco. One of his fares is a young “escort.” Trusting his gut, Milton decides to stick around while she attends a party, just to make sure she gets home safely after the party ends. When he hears her scream, he intervenes. But in the ensuing confusion she disappears. Soon Milton is looking for answers, only to finds himself up against the police (as a possible suspect) and some very powerful people w/ dark everts to hide.
The section rolls along well; not non-stop, but steady. The characters have some depth and texture to them. The read is immensely entertaining.
As far as weaknesses, I identified two. One is fairly minor: the author’s political views are on full display. His depiction of the antagonist(s) makes his position on the political spectrum abundantly clear, w/ commentary that is as subtle as an anvil dropped off a building (or - slight spoiler alert: a home-made microwave bomb). This issue is minor. I was still able to enjoy the plot and characters.
The other weakness was the depiction of the political candidate. No one who has gone so far in a campaign would be willing to sacrifice it all to cooperate w/ an investigation as this character did. Someone w/ his broken moral compass would not risk losing everything to help find a missing prostitute. I can’t suspend reality enough to believe that plot line.
Nonetheless, this book was superior to the previous one (Saint Death), which was nothing but trite stereotypes and chest-thumping machismo. The action in this book was more believable, particularly Milton’s escapes from tight scrapes against various villains. I bought the first three books in a package set. After the second one, I planned for this to be my last. However, the author overcame the weaknesses of the previous novel to the point that I will definitely consider continuing w/ this series.
The section rolls along well; not non-stop, but steady. The characters have some depth and texture to them. The read is immensely entertaining.
As far as weaknesses, I identified two. One is fairly minor: the author’s political views are on full display. His depiction of the antagonist(s) makes his position on the political spectrum abundantly clear, w/ commentary that is as subtle as an anvil dropped off a building (or - slight spoiler alert: a home-made microwave bomb). This issue is minor. I was still able to enjoy the plot and characters.
The other weakness was the depiction of the political candidate. No one who has gone so far in a campaign would be willing to sacrifice it all to cooperate w/ an investigation as this character did. Someone w/ his broken moral compass would not risk losing everything to help find a missing prostitute. I can’t suspend reality enough to believe that plot line.
Nonetheless, this book was superior to the previous one (Saint Death), which was nothing but trite stereotypes and chest-thumping machismo. The action in this book was more believable, particularly Milton’s escapes from tight scrapes against various villains. I bought the first three books in a package set. After the second one, I planned for this to be my last. However, the author overcame the weaknesses of the previous novel to the point that I will definitely consider continuing w/ this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2022
Just wrote this long review and went to save, said I had come to the end and alas did not save. Who cares really, not like anyone reads these I imagine, but I do like to remember if I had a good experience with a book, and unfortunately John and his narrator (and GD spell check...just fix the word jerk program, I know I spelt it wrong) who, after corpse pulled from beach or John has disembowled some baddie, cheerily announces "chapter 25 :) " WTH?! Not happy times Joe!
So he meets this call girl, knows her for an hour then spends the next 3 months kicking ass to find her, dealing with weak southern accents and mexican accents and a stupid boyfriend who was pretty intolerable, infiltrates mafia, kicks everyones ass with no repercussions, ends presidential campaign with jackass closely resembling our mistake from 2016, and finally reason for stories existence shows up at the end "oh, hi guys". WTH? And so much non important detail, "he put his hand in his pocket, after wiping the grease from his artisan beef cheeseburger on a cloth napkin folded neatly on the commode...zzz. " And such a cop out on the ending, double suicides, C Ya, not satisfying considering the time spent building these loser political characters. I will John credit for including us in AA meetings though, especially if it encourages anyone else to find help or allows others to feel better about sticking it out, getting their coin and carrying on. I am hoping that you will get better with age John, so one more go, see where it take us.
So he meets this call girl, knows her for an hour then spends the next 3 months kicking ass to find her, dealing with weak southern accents and mexican accents and a stupid boyfriend who was pretty intolerable, infiltrates mafia, kicks everyones ass with no repercussions, ends presidential campaign with jackass closely resembling our mistake from 2016, and finally reason for stories existence shows up at the end "oh, hi guys". WTH? And so much non important detail, "he put his hand in his pocket, after wiping the grease from his artisan beef cheeseburger on a cloth napkin folded neatly on the commode...zzz. " And such a cop out on the ending, double suicides, C Ya, not satisfying considering the time spent building these loser political characters. I will John credit for including us in AA meetings though, especially if it encourages anyone else to find help or allows others to feel better about sticking it out, getting their coin and carrying on. I am hoping that you will get better with age John, so one more go, see where it take us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2018
I liked this book the best of the series (I haven't read in sequence). John delivers blocks of ice in the afternoon and drives a cab at night in San Francisco. He makes enough to just get by, living in a rooming house in a rundown district. He attends his AA meetings and reads a lot in his spare time. His fare one night is a young prostitute going to a party in Marin county, across the bay; her regular driver couldn't make it. They chat and, against his better judgment, John agrees to wait for her to take her back. While waiting, he hears screaming, goes in to get her, and she runs out, terrified. No one can find her. Her boyfriend files a missing person report, but the party house is owned by a millionaire/corporation and is wiped clean. Then the bones/bodies of young hookers start turning up nearby, and the cops start looking at Milton because they have no where else to look.
In the meantime, there is a parallel story about the bright advisor to the governor of CA and the governor getting ready to make a run for president. This part of the story could be based on articles in the American newspapers of the past and present. And John Milton's investigation into his fare's disappearance crosses paths with the political story. Well written and the plot runs smoothly and is believable. I enjoyed this book and couldn't stop reading.
In the meantime, there is a parallel story about the bright advisor to the governor of CA and the governor getting ready to make a run for president. This part of the story could be based on articles in the American newspapers of the past and present. And John Milton's investigation into his fare's disappearance crosses paths with the political story. Well written and the plot runs smoothly and is believable. I enjoyed this book and couldn't stop reading.
November 4, 2023
This series finally comes into it's own.
John Milton is now in San Francisco laying low as a driver.
Things are going well - he has settled into a routine and found a meeting that is working for him. He is even starting to make some connections with people around him, but he worries that he has already stayed too long in one place and fears he will never be able to have a normal life.
And then it happens. One night he picks up a passenger for a party and agrees to wait for her. Then he hears her screams from inside and battles through security at the door to get to her. What he finds is a girl so terrified for her life that she not only runs from the goons at the door but also from him and then disappears into the night.
He was the last person to see her alive and the last thing he needs is to draw attention to himself so he needs to find her, before the police (and Group 15) find him.
I listed to the audio version of this book and found the narrator to be suited to the story.
Am I glad I read it - it was ok.
Was it a waste of my time - no.
Would I sit down and read it all over again - probably not.
Would I read more by this author based on this book - yes.
John Milton is now in San Francisco laying low as a driver.
Things are going well - he has settled into a routine and found a meeting that is working for him. He is even starting to make some connections with people around him, but he worries that he has already stayed too long in one place and fears he will never be able to have a normal life.
And then it happens. One night he picks up a passenger for a party and agrees to wait for her. Then he hears her screams from inside and battles through security at the door to get to her. What he finds is a girl so terrified for her life that she not only runs from the goons at the door but also from him and then disappears into the night.
He was the last person to see her alive and the last thing he needs is to draw attention to himself so he needs to find her, before the police (and Group 15) find him.
I listed to the audio version of this book and found the narrator to be suited to the story.
Am I glad I read it - it was ok.
Was it a waste of my time - no.
Would I sit down and read it all over again - probably not.
Would I read more by this author based on this book - yes.
January 27, 2019
I really like Mark Dawson's work. The earlier offerings in this series (THE CLEANER was decent, and SAINT DEATH and 1000 YARDS were really good) really hooked me, as did the first books in his Isabella Rose and Beatrix Rose series. This one just missed the mark (no pun intended) for me. It's an inevitable part of any series; there's always a book or three that just don't click for a reader and that was this book for me. The premise was fine and I was interested to know what happened to the girl at the beginning of the book, but the supporting cast of characters Milton worked and interacted with felt pretty flat, from the girl's boyfriend all the way to the predictable evil politicians. I'm still a huge Mark Dawson fan and will continue to read his books, but this one just didn't give me the same thrills I've come to expect from his work.
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