The Damaged

Jonathan Quinn #13

by Brett Battles, Scott Brick (Narrator)

Jonathan Quinn is the best at what he does: making bodies disappear. Within the espionage world, his reputation is impeccable.

There was a time, though, when that reputation was still being built under his mentor, Durrie. A time when the very man who had taught Quinn all he knew could have derailed the young cleaner’s future.

Fifteen years ago, Quinn was offered a job. On the surface, a straightforward mission to stop a terrorist. But the client gave Quinn the additional task of taking on Durrie as his number two, as a last chance for the veteran agent to be rehabilitated.

Durrie had been on a downward spiral, going from being a highly respected operative to an unreliable has-been. These changes threatened to destroy everything - not only in Quinn’s life, but Orlando’s, too. She was Durrie’s girlfriend, and Quinn’s best friend.

Both she and Quinn were desperate to help Durrie return to the person he once was.
They hoped this job would be the answer.

Durrie had other plans.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Mystery

Audible Audio

First published July 9, 2019

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

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing look into the past with Quinn and Durrie! Exciting read that shows the actions and events that put Quinn in his current position and explains many of the people around him. This is a great read that shows the start of Quinn's career with plots,problems and characters you can't forget!!
Quinn is one of the best at making bodies disappear, Durrie was his mentor, with several questionable personality defects! Orlando is Quinn's best friend, and Durrie's girlfriend, who wants him to stop his downward spiral. She will do Anything to keep Durrie on the right path, but Durrie has his own plans! The details and intricacy of their job forces them to keep it together, but what happens when Durrie can Not?!
A fast-paced,suspenseful story that keeps you quickly turning pages until the end!!

[Tracy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent episode! Having listened to all 12 (full) episodes of the Jonathan Quinn series, I especially appreciated this one - 'The Damaged' (Quinn, #13). Here, we learn detailed information about Durrie and Quinn's backstory - their last job working together as "cleaners" and the revelation of what actually happened on this last assignment Quinn would see his field mentor and friend, Durrie. Additional insight into Durrie's behaviors, insecurities and feelings towards Quinn and Orlando also answered a lot of questions. This episode also had one of (if not) the most unresolved, disturbing and epic endings I have encountered (books #1-13) thus far- with both plot and narrative masterfully developed - seamlessly overflowing with nonstop intrigue, thrills, and mystery - start till finish. Hope there are lots more (🤞🏽 ) Quinn episodes to follow. . .#Hooked.

Now it's right on to 'The Unknown' (Quinn,#14) and more supreme listening from the incredibly talented Scott Brick!

[Trish R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was more of a romance than a usual Quinn book, but I liked it, and didn’t like it. I always liked Durrie but in this one he’s a complete jackass. I know it’s from his bump on the head, but he’s still a jackass. And Orlando was an ass too. She blamed Quinn for what she thought happened and it wasn’t Quinn’s fault. This was not a favorite Quinn book, but it was still good.

No sex! And no swearing to speak of, which makes the book less exciting. So many bad guys and no serious swearing? Never gonna happen in real life.

As to the narration: Love Scott Brick but he really has to practice his female voices. He doesn’t change his tone at all when Orlando talks. Otherwise, he’s awesome.

[Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read The Cleaner, I was hooked and sucked into Quinn’s life. After finishing that book I had to get my hands on anything involving Quinn, Orlando and Nate. After finishing those got my hands on any and all books from Brett Battles.

I just finished The Damaged and it was brilliant and absolutely fantastic! I couldn’t put it down. It was electric the entire way through and I really loved getting the background and insight into Quinn’s early life and his relationship with his mentor. It also explained what happened to Orlando and Quinn and why their relationship was what it was in The Cleaner.

I love that Battles took us through that early Quinn adventure and I still always love the voice with which he writes all of his stories. It makes all of my senses tingle and makes me disappear into the world of the book. I suppose that’s why all of us read...we want to experience what the characters experience from the safety of our comfy chairs.

Excellent book, left me wanting more! I highly recommend this book as well as anything Battles has written. You won’t be disappointed. Quinn is one of my favorite characters of any of his books.

[Tracy T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book. I really liked the back story of when Durrie lost his mind.

Love this series. It is awesome and the characters are amazing.

Scott Brick is the perfect narrator!

[Abibliofob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time we get more background on Quinn and Orlando. Battles has produced yet another great book.

[Carl A. Dantzler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worst book in the series

I anxiously awaited the release of this novel. I had preordered it because I had read the entire Quinn series, Poe series and the Excoms series and loved them all. To say I was greatly disappointed is an understatement. The writing style was good but the story was weak. That may be because it was a flashback but it was boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Next time I will download a sample before purchasing.

[CORRI GRYTING · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eagerly awaiting the nextvQuinn

I love reading any book by Mr. Battles, but I especially love the Quinn series. Battles has a way of developing the plot and the characters to perfection in a way that keeps me from putting his books down once I dive into reading.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. I LOVE Quinn and Company and so the chance to see into Quinn's past was very enticing and enjoyable...except I HATE Durrie!!! I tried to make excuses for his behavior but I finally gave up and decided he must have a god-complex. It's the only explanation I can come up with; he's so full of himself it's pitiful! I SO wanted to throttle him! Now, remember, this a fictional character; not some real-life person. So if Mr. Battles can write well enough to get my undies in a twist, that's saying something.
I've read most of the negative reviews and I must admit that I'm a bit surprised, especially those saying the story was flat, the characters "dumbed down, etc. I couldn't disagree more. I think this was as good as the previous twelve books in the Quinn series. Maybe it wasn't up to everyone's standards (and I have to admit that the ending sucked the life out of me even though I was pretty sure that's where it was going. And if Mr. Battles uses this as a foundation for another Durrie story I may have to pass. I don't know that my blood pressure can take it!) but I think it had plenty of action and suspense. Another winner as far as I'm concerned.

[Jonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the backstory to Book 1, but I would not recommend reading this book first. I suggest reading Becoming Quinn, then all of the other books in order. Reading this book first will spoil parts of Book 1.

I have enjoyed most all of the books in this series, however this one was slow and not suspenseful. If you have read Book 1, then you know how this story ends. The ending tried to explain Orlando's reaction to Quinn, but it wasn't very satisfying. The story does show, though, how unstable Durrie had become in both his personal and professional life. Paranoid barely begins to describe the man.

I understand why the author wanted to write this short book in order to fill in some details from Book 1, but I wish there had been a little more action and substance to it. If there were half stars, I would have rated this 3.5 stars. I rounded up because I like the series and the author.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look into the back-story of how Durrie and Orlando's relationship came to an end, leaving the way for Jonathan Quinn to pair up with Orlando further in the timeline. If you haven't read any of the Quinn novels, this would be a good one to start with. But if you have read any of the novels in the series, this one is a good insight into what makes each of these characters tick. We meet Quinn in his early career and Orlando at her most vulnerable point. The insights into Durrie's changing personality had me intrigued.

Brett Battles is a master of suspenseful, fast-paced plots. His characters have depth and growth. The details of their unique profession bring the reader to the edge of his or her seat. Really enjoyable!

[Carol Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan is a cleaner basically gets rid of bodies and evidence so as to look like nothing has happened, and was taught by the best Durrie. Roll back 15yrs and newly going it alone, he was sent on a job and was asked to take Durrie as his No:2, and at this time Durrie was going thru a bad patch, drinking and terse with his longtime girlfriend Orlando. Nobody wanted to work with Durrie his last job went a bit wrong, but Jonathan to please Orlando to whom he secretly admired, went along with a few misgivings, and the job goes haywire, Durrie is dead? How do you tell someone you secretly adore what went wrong? Brett Battles books always have strong characters good plots and actions, and I was fortunate to receive an ARC copy, for an honest review

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This almost felt like the author needed something—anything—to write about and along came book 13.

You go back in time 15 years to a time when Quinn is just establishing his reputation as a cleaner—someone who picks up the dead bodies left behind by others. Sadly, Quinn’s mentor, who is the boyfriend of Quinn’s future wife in this installment, has lost his edge. Paranoia and booze drive him.

Quinn’s client insists that Quinn take the mentor along on one more job to determine his reliability. Against his better judgment, he does, and the job hoes badly up to and including the death of the mentor.

This wasn’t a bad book as they go. The end is certainly worthy of your time, and I don’t regret spending the time with it.

[Bklynsouth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan Mr. Battles and the Quinn series. I always look forward to reading these books and really take my time in reading them. This book had me a bit baffled, I get that premises of this story, which by the way is well written. I hard time wrapping my head around the emotions that Durrie was having towards Orlando his girlfriend and Quinn.

In reality that is called paranoid behavior. In any case, it left me with many questions and now I have to go to past books to get a better idea of where this story is headed.

Sorry, Mr. Battles in the scheme of things my rating will not make or break you just wanted my two cents in there. Looking forward to the next book.

[Mscool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning -- This book definately leaves you hanging. It isn't intended to tie up all the loose ends.

If you have read other Quinn books, you'll appreciate the background story of Orlando and Durrie, and the surprise appearances of some other characters we meet/have met in books set in later years.

If you haven't read any other Quinn books yet, there are no spoilers in this book so it is a prefect segue into "The Cleaner". Read more and get to know Quinn and Orlando and their underworld of espionage.

I still don't see what Orlando ever saw in the sour, moody Durrie, but hey, you can't account for some women's choice in men....

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entry into the Johnathan Quinn series is a story from the past. It's the story of what happened to the relationship between Quinn's mentor, Durrie and Orlando and the part Quinn played in it. It happens early in the overall story of Quinn and would properly fit sequence-wise up toward the first few full size novels. It fills in an untold story that if you've read the first 12 books, you've already got some idea about. For those of us who are going through each book sequentially, its taken quite a while to get to this point.

This one has a little less action than most, but it still a worthy addition.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifteen years ago, Quinn was offered a job. On the surface, a straightforward mission to stop a terrorist. But the client gave Quinn the additional task of taking on Durrie as his number two, as a last chance for the veteran agent to be rehabilitated.

Durrie had been on a downward spiral, going from being a highly respected operative to an unreliable has-been. These changes threatened to destroy everything—not only in Quinn’s life, but Orlando’s, too. She was Durrie’s girlfriend, and Quinn’s best friend.

Both she and Quinn were desperate to help Durrie return to the person he once was.
They hoped this job would be the answer.

[Robert Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Quinn series is one of the most consistently entertaining thriller series out there, and this is another strong entry. Chronologically it takes place before the first novel in the series (The Cleaner) and fills in some of the details in his past relationships with other main characters in the series. It would serve as a good introduction to the character while also deepening the long-term arc of the series.

Interesting characters, intense action sequences, and a plot that twists a few times make for a quick and pleasant read.

[Connie Y. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn is a complex character, an "onion" with more layers than most. The Damaged provides another level of Quinn's history to give a more complete picture of the man before he was a legend in the business. We've seen Nate as a newbie with Quinn his mentor. How fun to now see Quinn as the one learning from Durrie. The Damaged is an exciting thriller with an excellent plot, but for me, the character development was the highlight.

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Followers of the Quinn series by Battles will want to read this one just because it's Quinn. It goes back to a time when Durrie was still around in Quinn's life and Orlando was in Durrie's.

Those new to the series might not get as much enjoyment out of this. Without knowing the background of the players via later history (if that makes sense), it's just another thriller.


It was a quick read at a little over 200 pages.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent look at into the past. Set fifteen years back, we see Quinn and Orlando as best friends, Durrie's descent, what caused the schism between Quinn and Orlando, and what set up the events of The Cleaner. It's short but rich with details of who Quinn and Orlando are as people.

[Kodakjack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m confused. In the middle of the Quinn novels, this gets thrown in. OK, so Durrie decides to pull a stunt where he fakes his death, but, why? Orlando and Quinn do get together, but wasn’t there something where Durrie commits suicide? Orlando comes to the States from Viet Nam with the couple who watch/ care for her son? I guess my memory isn’t up to snuff because this whole thing does nothing but confuse me.

[Debra M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait... whaaaattt???

This latest installment of the Jonathan Quinn series has me stumped? I guess there is another reunion in Quinn’s future. And no one is going to be happy about it!

[Robbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series, pretty much every book deserving of 5 stars. Unfortunately, I rated this one only 4.8 stars (which I still consider an excellent rating) ; however, I'm sure the next one will be another 5.

[Robert Bradberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unnecessary

More interested in the future than the past and
much more interested in Quinn than Durrie. Maybe
the obvious sequel to this prequel will give me closure.
Or maybe not.

[Jay Clement · Rating 3 out of 5]

70-2019. I’ve enjoyed this series of books about our hero, the very capable Quinn, and his team. This is a prequel, and fills in some holes in Quinn’s story. Solid, but a bit thin, plot-wise. I look forward to the next book late this year.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the ‘cleaner’ for a covert operation is a tough job, made harder if the hit men aren’t professional or the operation goes side ways. Quinn’s mentor is acting strangely….And things only digress from there. A intriguing plot, and interesting characters.

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into the past for Quinn and company. A good book if you miss when Quinn was "just" a cleaner. Because this is a telling of events faithful readers are familiar with some may find it not as intriguing.

[David Patsel · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

Brett Battles is as good a thriller writer as any today. Writes a good tight script and story, very detailed and entertaining. Great supporting cast. Looking forward to the next book in this series. Highly recommend!

[John P. Tow · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Brett writings use real places, and his descriptive style of writing creates a way that your brain can visualize what you are reading like your watching a movie. What a delight!
Love this author and you will too.