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Jonathan Quinn #1
The Cleaner
Meet Jonathan Quinn: a freelance operative with a take-no-prisoners style and the heart of a loner. His job? Professional "cleaner." Nothing too violent, just disposing of bodies, doing a little cleanup if necessary.
But in Brett Battles's electrifying debut novel, Quinn's latest assignment will change everything, igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal, and revenge.
The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up where it doesn't belong, and Quinn's handlers at "the Office" turn strangely silent, he knows he's in over his head.
With only a handful of clues, Quinn scrambles for cover, struggling to find out why someone wants him dead . . . and if it's linked to a larger attempt to wipe out the Office.
Quinn's only hope may be Orlando, a woman from his past who's reluctant to help but who may hold the key to solving the case.
Suddenly the two are prying into old crimes, crisscrossing continents, struggling to stay alive long enough to unbury the truth.
But as the hunt intensifies, Quinn is stunned by what he uncovers: a chilling secret . . . and a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy, with an almost unimaginable goal.
Furiously paced, filled with superbly drawn characters and pitch-perfect dialogue, The Cleaner puts a powerful twist on all our expectations as it confirms Brett Battle's place as one of the most exciting new talents in suspense fiction today.
But in Brett Battles's electrifying debut novel, Quinn's latest assignment will change everything, igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal, and revenge.
The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up where it doesn't belong, and Quinn's handlers at "the Office" turn strangely silent, he knows he's in over his head.
With only a handful of clues, Quinn scrambles for cover, struggling to find out why someone wants him dead . . . and if it's linked to a larger attempt to wipe out the Office.
Quinn's only hope may be Orlando, a woman from his past who's reluctant to help but who may hold the key to solving the case.
Suddenly the two are prying into old crimes, crisscrossing continents, struggling to stay alive long enough to unbury the truth.
But as the hunt intensifies, Quinn is stunned by what he uncovers: a chilling secret . . . and a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy, with an almost unimaginable goal.
Furiously paced, filled with superbly drawn characters and pitch-perfect dialogue, The Cleaner puts a powerful twist on all our expectations as it confirms Brett Battle's place as one of the most exciting new talents in suspense fiction today.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 2007
645 people are currently reading
4001 people want to read
About the author
Brett Battles
90 books1,058 followersBrett Battles is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Barry Award-winning author of forty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn series and its Excoms spinoff, the Project Eden series, and the time bending Rewinder series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series. He is one of the founding members of Killer Year, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He lives and writes in Ventura County, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 413 reviews
June 17, 2011
From the summary of this book, I thought it’d be about a guy kind of like Harvey Kietel’s character Winston “The Wolf” Wolfe from Pulp Fiction. You know, a slick guy who shows up and gets rid of all the evidence after some criminal shennigans. But instead of getting The Wolf, this book featured a low-rent Jason Bourne wannabe named Jonathan Quinn.
In fact, I’m not even sure why Quinn is called a ‘cleaner’. He’s a freelance operative who works for intelligence agencies following up after covert actions. But he’s not the guy who gives instructions on how to wipe up brain matter sprayed all over a car and then dispose of the body at Monster Joe’s Truck & Tow. He doesn’t spread any bribe money around to shut somebody up about taking all their best blankets to hide the gore. Quinn doesn’t even wrap up a single dead hooker in a rug! And yet he calls himself a ‘cleaner’…
In the first part of the book, Quinn gets called in by the mysterious Office to impersonate a fed looking into a death at a fire scene, and his gig seems to be making sure the cops aren’t going to investigate and identifying any potential evidence like blood samples sent to labs so that it can be stolen. But not by him. Hell, he actually calls other people to dispose of the body after he kills someone so apparently he can't even clean up after himself.
When he’s targeted by an assassin Quinn and his numb nut apprentice have to go on the run to Southeast Asia, but then he’s called to another job in Berlin. The gig involves setting up cameras and bugs to record a meeting. I’m no expert on covert operations, but I believe that’s called ‘surveillance‘, and not ‘cleaning‘. Despite the early part of the book saying that Quinn’s role is much safer than being an actual operative, everything he does seems like the kind of stuff that spies do so again, I’m not sure where this ‘cleaning’ thing comes into it.
Anyhow, the plot is predictable spy-on-the-run crap. The characters are annoying clichés. The dialogue is horrible. The action is nothing special. Even the spy gadgets seem humdrum. This was a lame spy novel trying to suck people in by claiming to have a unique premise that it doesn’t come close to delivering on.
In fact, I’m not even sure why Quinn is called a ‘cleaner’. He’s a freelance operative who works for intelligence agencies following up after covert actions. But he’s not the guy who gives instructions on how to wipe up brain matter sprayed all over a car and then dispose of the body at Monster Joe’s Truck & Tow. He doesn’t spread any bribe money around to shut somebody up about taking all their best blankets to hide the gore. Quinn doesn’t even wrap up a single dead hooker in a rug! And yet he calls himself a ‘cleaner’…
In the first part of the book, Quinn gets called in by the mysterious Office to impersonate a fed looking into a death at a fire scene, and his gig seems to be making sure the cops aren’t going to investigate and identifying any potential evidence like blood samples sent to labs so that it can be stolen. But not by him. Hell, he actually calls other people to dispose of the body after he kills someone so apparently he can't even clean up after himself.
When he’s targeted by an assassin Quinn and his numb nut apprentice have to go on the run to Southeast Asia, but then he’s called to another job in Berlin. The gig involves setting up cameras and bugs to record a meeting. I’m no expert on covert operations, but I believe that’s called ‘surveillance‘, and not ‘cleaning‘. Despite the early part of the book saying that Quinn’s role is much safer than being an actual operative, everything he does seems like the kind of stuff that spies do so again, I’m not sure where this ‘cleaning’ thing comes into it.
Anyhow, the plot is predictable spy-on-the-run crap. The characters are annoying clichés. The dialogue is horrible. The action is nothing special. Even the spy gadgets seem humdrum. This was a lame spy novel trying to suck people in by claiming to have a unique premise that it doesn’t come close to delivering on.
August 1, 2020
I have read the prequel to this series “Becoming Quinn”. In this story Quinn does not have a chance to be a cleaner. Someone tried to kill him just as he returns from vacation. He then finds out eight people in the “office” have been killed. He sets off to find out who and why. The story travels the world from Asia to Europe.
The book is well written and I liked the travel descriptions. The suspense builds continuously. I could hardly put the book down. I am looking forward to the next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and twenty-eight minutes. Scott Brick does a great job narrating the book. Brick is a longtime audio book narrator and has won all the various awards over the years. He is one of my favorite narrators.
The book is well written and I liked the travel descriptions. The suspense builds continuously. I could hardly put the book down. I am looking forward to the next book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and twenty-eight minutes. Scott Brick does a great job narrating the book. Brick is a longtime audio book narrator and has won all the various awards over the years. He is one of my favorite narrators.
August 27, 2020
A very good story, I was definitely in the mood for something like that.
I have a great weakness for all kinds of criminals as the main characters in my novels - thieves, contract killers, assassins. Jonathan Quinn, the main character, is the cleaner. He obliterates the evidence of the crime and removes the bodies. Isn't that a fascinating profession for the main character of the thriller? For me it definitely is and I read with great interest the secrets of his business.
But Quinn is interesting not only because of his job. He is also a complex and multi-dimensional character who follows a series of rules - some of them his own, some of them instilled in him by his mentor. Following Quinn and watching him move in a world where the rules suddenly change without violating his beliefs and ethics is a very interesting experience. I definitely liked him as a character. As well as his associates Nate and Orlando.
The plot is also interesting. When you read a few thrillers with a global conspiracy, all the stories begin to look similar to each other and the constantly repeating themes get boring. It is good for a change to read a book in which the initiator of the global conspiracy is not traditional suspects - Russia, China or Islamists. And in this respect, this book lived up to my expectations. The whole story, while not presented in great detail, makes sense. But much more emphasis than the plotline is on the action, and that's fine too. There are many twists and turns, there is something going on all the time and we don't stop even for a moment. The pace of the story definitely worked for me.
My favorite part of the story, however, is watching Quinn and his friends deal with their problems. It was their profession secrets that were most interesting to me. And I must admit that they are very clever and resourceful.
I am also happy with the ending and who turns out to be the man behind the whole operation, although some people may consider it cliché. For me it worked well and I find it a good ending to this story.
I definitely plan on reading more books in this series. I want to know more about Jonathan Quinn.
I have a great weakness for all kinds of criminals as the main characters in my novels - thieves, contract killers, assassins. Jonathan Quinn, the main character, is the cleaner. He obliterates the evidence of the crime and removes the bodies. Isn't that a fascinating profession for the main character of the thriller? For me it definitely is and I read with great interest the secrets of his business.
But Quinn is interesting not only because of his job. He is also a complex and multi-dimensional character who follows a series of rules - some of them his own, some of them instilled in him by his mentor. Following Quinn and watching him move in a world where the rules suddenly change without violating his beliefs and ethics is a very interesting experience. I definitely liked him as a character. As well as his associates Nate and Orlando.
The plot is also interesting. When you read a few thrillers with a global conspiracy, all the stories begin to look similar to each other and the constantly repeating themes get boring. It is good for a change to read a book in which the initiator of the global conspiracy is not traditional suspects - Russia, China or Islamists. And in this respect, this book lived up to my expectations. The whole story, while not presented in great detail, makes sense. But much more emphasis than the plotline is on the action, and that's fine too. There are many twists and turns, there is something going on all the time and we don't stop even for a moment. The pace of the story definitely worked for me.
My favorite part of the story, however, is watching Quinn and his friends deal with their problems. It was their profession secrets that were most interesting to me. And I must admit that they are very clever and resourceful.
I am also happy with the ending and who turns out to be the man behind the whole operation, although some people may consider it cliché. For me it worked well and I find it a good ending to this story.
I definitely plan on reading more books in this series. I want to know more about Jonathan Quinn.
September 16, 2018
Although it took 12 days to read, I did enjoy the book, just fitted in a 60th birthday, a holiday for seven days, and then finished this book.
The book is a 3.5 to 4. This was a debut author from Brett Battles, another first read by this author for me.
Jonathan Quinn is the Cleaner, a former policeman, But you might not appreciate exactly what he cleans. A freelance “cleaner” who removes traces after high-end assassinations or espionage jobs, he has found himself increasingly working only for the shady governmental bureau known simply as the Office.
Mr. Quinn ‘cleans’ up operations that have not gone according to plan. That includes making a death look like an accident, or a body disappear.
In this first book in the series, Jonathan Quinn is sent to investigate a fire that has killed someone. But once he confirms for his employer that it was murder, not an accident, he can’t resist looking further. Soon after, an attempt is made on his life, and most of the others from his office are killed.
He and his apprentice, Nate, are forced to disappear. He heads to the only person left he thinks will help, a woman from his past, Orlando. Still wherever he goes, an unknown enemy finds him, leading him to wonder if it isn’t someone inside his office that is responsible.When they receive a clue to who is involved, they begin to piece together a conspiracy that could cause innumerable deaths. The author does a great job keeping up the suspense, with kidnappings, murders, and constant pressure on Quinn to stay ahead of those who want him dead. It’s hard to know who is NOT involved, who they can trust. It’s left to the three of them to stop the conspiracy.
Brett Battles keeps this book at an even paced book, reasonable paced, quite exciting, a good character, a good story, but without the great pace of some of my favourite action thrillers.
But this is a first novel on this character, and I am sure the book will get better, and he does have other serial books as well.
Enough to keep my interest. 3.5 stars
The book is a 3.5 to 4. This was a debut author from Brett Battles, another first read by this author for me.
Jonathan Quinn is the Cleaner, a former policeman, But you might not appreciate exactly what he cleans. A freelance “cleaner” who removes traces after high-end assassinations or espionage jobs, he has found himself increasingly working only for the shady governmental bureau known simply as the Office.
Mr. Quinn ‘cleans’ up operations that have not gone according to plan. That includes making a death look like an accident, or a body disappear.
In this first book in the series, Jonathan Quinn is sent to investigate a fire that has killed someone. But once he confirms for his employer that it was murder, not an accident, he can’t resist looking further. Soon after, an attempt is made on his life, and most of the others from his office are killed.
He and his apprentice, Nate, are forced to disappear. He heads to the only person left he thinks will help, a woman from his past, Orlando. Still wherever he goes, an unknown enemy finds him, leading him to wonder if it isn’t someone inside his office that is responsible.When they receive a clue to who is involved, they begin to piece together a conspiracy that could cause innumerable deaths. The author does a great job keeping up the suspense, with kidnappings, murders, and constant pressure on Quinn to stay ahead of those who want him dead. It’s hard to know who is NOT involved, who they can trust. It’s left to the three of them to stop the conspiracy.
Brett Battles keeps this book at an even paced book, reasonable paced, quite exciting, a good character, a good story, but without the great pace of some of my favourite action thrillers.
But this is a first novel on this character, and I am sure the book will get better, and he does have other serial books as well.
Enough to keep my interest. 3.5 stars
July 13, 2017
Another look into the life of a 'cleaner'
A pretty good action thriller, slow in some parts but picks up quickly. Ex-cop Jonathan Quinn now works for the Office, a black-ops agency, as he erases any traces of an op that takes place. Dead bodies are found where they shouldn't be,and the track to keep safe leads across Europe. The book kept my interest, with some exciting parts, but not sure what to think of this series yet.
A pretty good action thriller, slow in some parts but picks up quickly. Ex-cop Jonathan Quinn now works for the Office, a black-ops agency, as he erases any traces of an op that takes place. Dead bodies are found where they shouldn't be,and the track to keep safe leads across Europe. The book kept my interest, with some exciting parts, but not sure what to think of this series yet.
September 17, 2017
Jonathan Quinn works for the Office, no government sanctioned organisation but a freelance organisation, who does cleaning up jobs of investigate jobs of others and sees what needs to be amended. This new job investigating a fire turns out to be the beginning of journey of murder and mayhem. During this fast-paced adventure and journey through America, Asia & Europe we learn about Quinn, his companions and his past. When the curtain is raised we find out what started as in arson investigation became a conspiracy which would have altered the human race and politics.
A well written and fast paced book that has little flabby bits and races you to the ending of the story, and ending you would not expect when you started reading.
And excellent beach novel about a dark and clandestine world inhabited not by the most sympathetic of people. While Quinn is not a prince himself he is a beacon of light somehow and you cannot fail to root for a positive outcome.
Well advised.
A well written and fast paced book that has little flabby bits and races you to the ending of the story, and ending you would not expect when you started reading.
And excellent beach novel about a dark and clandestine world inhabited not by the most sympathetic of people. While Quinn is not a prince himself he is a beacon of light somehow and you cannot fail to root for a positive outcome.
Well advised.
April 26, 2016
This was my first tryst with Mr. Battle's Jonathan Quinn. And I must say, I am absolutely thrilled to have discovered him. "The Cleaner" starts of at an amazing pace and builds up momentum as we go further into the book.
You keep reading and suddenly you find yourself turning the midway point and the only thing to make you stop is the thought "Hey, let me savor this a bit".
The spy-craft is pretty exciting and extremely intelligent. The charatcers are endearing and you feel for the relationships among them. Be it mentor-student or the friend-lover dilemma, Mr. Battles have them pretty well etched out.
Add to that a race around some great locales. Starting from Colorado, California, Vietnam, Berlin, Brussels; you get yourself a first class view of these places. And, if you happen to have been there in real time, you will enjoy the ride all the more.
I don't want to reveal anything more about the plot that is already out there in "About The Book". But this book did bring back some of the Robert Ludlum memories which had started off my journey into the world of espionage fiction. Great start, great build up and a good finish.
I won't say this is a spy thriller. This is more of an alternate profession in the covert operations that are actually outsourced most of the times by various government agencies.
In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this book and would like to recommend it to anyone who loves racy page-turners. Oh, for those to whom it may concern - THERE ARE NO VAMPIRES IN THE BOOK.
You keep reading and suddenly you find yourself turning the midway point and the only thing to make you stop is the thought "Hey, let me savor this a bit".
The spy-craft is pretty exciting and extremely intelligent. The charatcers are endearing and you feel for the relationships among them. Be it mentor-student or the friend-lover dilemma, Mr. Battles have them pretty well etched out.
Add to that a race around some great locales. Starting from Colorado, California, Vietnam, Berlin, Brussels; you get yourself a first class view of these places. And, if you happen to have been there in real time, you will enjoy the ride all the more.
I don't want to reveal anything more about the plot that is already out there in "About The Book". But this book did bring back some of the Robert Ludlum memories which had started off my journey into the world of espionage fiction. Great start, great build up and a good finish.
I won't say this is a spy thriller. This is more of an alternate profession in the covert operations that are actually outsourced most of the times by various government agencies.
In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this book and would like to recommend it to anyone who loves racy page-turners. Oh, for those to whom it may concern - THERE ARE NO VAMPIRES IN THE BOOK.
July 2, 2012
This isn't a bad book, my 3 star rating rule is that I don't dislike the book, but I can't really say I liked it a lot...it's okay but I think could have been better.
We're introduced to "Jonathan Quinn" here. He's a Cleaner. When wet work takes place and those pesky bodies, blood pools and viscera are left lying around "They" call John.
Who are "They"? Why, "The Office".
I liked the idea of this one and it touched on what I think is one of the more frightening possibilities of modern "terrorism" . The application here is however a little weak. I'm not knowledgeable enough but I wasn't drawn in.
Maybe that's the problem here that keeps me from giving this book a higher rating. I was just never drawn in. The secondary characters were so generic that at times I'd have to stop and go, "which one is that?" Another aspect of this is the "apprentice Cleaner" Nate. He's very cliched and frankly the way he's written in the book I'd have my doubts that he's going to live long enough to be a Cleaner in his own right.
You'll find a lot of cliches here, plot points characters and actions sometimes could have come right off the "Dark Overlord list" and the "Hero List" (which is less known and a bit harder to find but includes things like "All my friends and loved ones will be told that if they're taken and held as hostages they will be assumed to be already dead).
Cliched situations and plot points in a book aren't necessarily bad as in truth there are probably very few if any actually original plot points left. Still it depends a lot on how these things are handled and presented. In this case there was a definite "yawner" aspect to this book.
Now others like the book much better than I so this is another I'd say look around and see which reviewer you seem to agree with most often. This may be one you'll want to try for yourself. Also this is the opening salvo in the Jonathan Quinn story so I may at a later time give a second book a try and see how the series develops.
So, the conclusion here is, not bad. Not a book I was heavily involved in or plan to reread but not a book I really disliked. 3 stars and at best a tepid recommendation with the caveat that I think the book is "lukewarm" at best. Just me.
We're introduced to "Jonathan Quinn" here. He's a Cleaner. When wet work takes place and those pesky bodies, blood pools and viscera are left lying around "They" call John.
Who are "They"? Why, "The Office".
I liked the idea of this one and it touched on what I think is one of the more frightening possibilities of modern "terrorism" . The application here is however a little weak. I'm not knowledgeable enough but I wasn't drawn in.
Maybe that's the problem here that keeps me from giving this book a higher rating. I was just never drawn in. The secondary characters were so generic that at times I'd have to stop and go, "which one is that?" Another aspect of this is the "apprentice Cleaner" Nate. He's very cliched and frankly the way he's written in the book I'd have my doubts that he's going to live long enough to be a Cleaner in his own right.
You'll find a lot of cliches here, plot points characters and actions sometimes could have come right off the "Dark Overlord list" and the "Hero List" (which is less known and a bit harder to find but includes things like "All my friends and loved ones will be told that if they're taken and held as hostages they will be assumed to be already dead).
Cliched situations and plot points in a book aren't necessarily bad as in truth there are probably very few if any actually original plot points left. Still it depends a lot on how these things are handled and presented. In this case there was a definite "yawner" aspect to this book.
Now others like the book much better than I so this is another I'd say look around and see which reviewer you seem to agree with most often. This may be one you'll want to try for yourself. Also this is the opening salvo in the Jonathan Quinn story so I may at a later time give a second book a try and see how the series develops.
So, the conclusion here is, not bad. Not a book I was heavily involved in or plan to reread but not a book I really disliked. 3 stars and at best a tepid recommendation with the caveat that I think the book is "lukewarm" at best. Just me.
July 23, 2012
The Cleaner was a slow read for me, but ultimately I enjoyed it. I appreciated the attention to detail evident in this novel. It felt authentic (although I could hardly say yay or nay since I am not a spy and I don't know any). I feel that the world-building lends a credibility to the concept of Quinn as a Cleaner, at any rate.
As far as characterization, Quinn remains a mystery, but I felt that I got to walk inside of his skin and get a feel for how he processed things. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to the spy world. He is more than able to handle himself in a lethal situation. He uses his brain to get himself out of tough spots, and violence is a last resort, although he has no problem using it if necessary, although lethal force is not his preferred method. In his way, he is a man with values. He might steal a car, but he won't murder an innocent person, and he tries to protect those who are under his charge. It's clear that Orlando is very important to him, although he doesn't feel he can act on that. I think his apprentice Nate is in good hands with him.
I feel that people who enjoy spy movies (like myself) but haven't read a lot of spy novels might enjoy this book. It had that feel of the spy TV shows and movies I enjoy. Although at times it wasn't the most exciting book, I wasn't at the point where I wanted to give up on it. I would read it and then put it down if my attention wavered. But I did want to go back to it. I wanted to follow the story and see where it led me. I think that was because I was engaged with Quinn's character and his shadowy world of a cleaner, a man who goes behind the ops and erases any evidence of what occurred.
I will read more of these books.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars
As far as characterization, Quinn remains a mystery, but I felt that I got to walk inside of his skin and get a feel for how he processed things. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to the spy world. He is more than able to handle himself in a lethal situation. He uses his brain to get himself out of tough spots, and violence is a last resort, although he has no problem using it if necessary, although lethal force is not his preferred method. In his way, he is a man with values. He might steal a car, but he won't murder an innocent person, and he tries to protect those who are under his charge. It's clear that Orlando is very important to him, although he doesn't feel he can act on that. I think his apprentice Nate is in good hands with him.
I feel that people who enjoy spy movies (like myself) but haven't read a lot of spy novels might enjoy this book. It had that feel of the spy TV shows and movies I enjoy. Although at times it wasn't the most exciting book, I wasn't at the point where I wanted to give up on it. I would read it and then put it down if my attention wavered. But I did want to go back to it. I wanted to follow the story and see where it led me. I think that was because I was engaged with Quinn's character and his shadowy world of a cleaner, a man who goes behind the ops and erases any evidence of what occurred.
I will read more of these books.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars
September 12, 2018
This story was a bit long, without adding much substance. However, the last three hours of listening on audio book were so fast paced and suspenseful that I can forgive the "fluff" a bit. And the ending was a real shocker which is always a plus for me! 5 out of 10.
August 19, 2013
I don't usually have time to make a worth wile review so I don't bother, but I just can't keep quiet this time.
I thought this book will be an action one through and through. Assassin agency, spy activities and an attractive hostage for a little Stockholm syndrome romance. It made me think of the John Rain series.
Now don't get me wrong, it has all of the above but in such a twisted unrealistic story that at first I thought I was drunk. It wasn't me, but the author that was inebriated. At least I hope he was...
Anyway, my main problem was that hard ass archenemies who are professional killers let each other live for different "stupid" reasons like "I can still use you to advance my psychotic plans" or "I'll kill you later because now I have a coffee date". WTF? At least try to make the story as realistic as possible.
The characters are very poorly drawn with huge conflicts between their image and the way they act. Now I get you can use this technique to humanize them....but it had the opposite effect on me.
Basically, a poorly thought book that seems to take place in a parallel universe where everyone has ADD and is bipolar.
I thought this book will be an action one through and through. Assassin agency, spy activities and an attractive hostage for a little Stockholm syndrome romance. It made me think of the John Rain series.
Now don't get me wrong, it has all of the above but in such a twisted unrealistic story that at first I thought I was drunk. It wasn't me, but the author that was inebriated. At least I hope he was...
Anyway, my main problem was that hard ass archenemies who are professional killers let each other live for different "stupid" reasons like "I can still use you to advance my psychotic plans" or "I'll kill you later because now I have a coffee date". WTF? At least try to make the story as realistic as possible.
The characters are very poorly drawn with huge conflicts between their image and the way they act. Now I get you can use this technique to humanize them....but it had the opposite effect on me.
Basically, a poorly thought book that seems to take place in a parallel universe where everyone has ADD and is bipolar.
June 19, 2009
I gave 3-stars as this was a debut and one could only hope that Battles can get better with future books. For a near perfect debut in a similar style/subject-matter, read Barry Eisler's Rain Fall.
The Cleaner is nicely paced for the most part, although I found there were parts of this book where Battles over-described a scene. The first two scenes in the sphere took forever and cried for a quicker pace. And, as this book was written in 2007, there was really no need to detail (really detail!!!) how to do a web-search. In addition, there were so many little "conveniences" throughout that just served to derail the enjoyment of this thriller.
I won't bother going in to how sophomoric the dialogue is here, only to say that it betrays the fact that the writer should probably spend a bit more time reading.
The whole "cleaner" aspect of Quinn's job didn't ring true to me either. Someone is paying this guy $30,000 (roughly 2-weeks work) per job to go in after a hit and clean up the mess. Sounds like an overpaid busboy to me. You can pay me $30,000, and I'll do the intel, surveillance, hit, and cleanup...and I wouldn't need a "team" to help me!
The Cleaner is nicely paced for the most part, although I found there were parts of this book where Battles over-described a scene. The first two scenes in the sphere took forever and cried for a quicker pace. And, as this book was written in 2007, there was really no need to detail (really detail!!!) how to do a web-search. In addition, there were so many little "conveniences" throughout that just served to derail the enjoyment of this thriller.
I won't bother going in to how sophomoric the dialogue is here, only to say that it betrays the fact that the writer should probably spend a bit more time reading.
The whole "cleaner" aspect of Quinn's job didn't ring true to me either. Someone is paying this guy $30,000 (roughly 2-weeks work) per job to go in after a hit and clean up the mess. Sounds like an overpaid busboy to me. You can pay me $30,000, and I'll do the intel, surveillance, hit, and cleanup...and I wouldn't need a "team" to help me!
October 18, 2010
I like my thrillers to be more that ok and this one just didn't do it for me. I didn't find Johnathon a compelling character and I just got tired of reading about him so I didn't finish the book.
February 28, 2015
This novel can be summed in three words. bioterrorism, kidnapping, betrayal. Should this float your boat, then its for you. 4 of 10 stars
February 3, 2015
Enjoyed this book no end. Another series of books to get stuck into.
October 5, 2023
Really didn't love this one. Not sure if I will pick up the next book in this series.
December 22, 2010
Synopsis: Ex-cop Jonathan Quinn now works for a shadowy U.S. intelligence agency known merely as the Office, erasing all traces of violence and mayhem when an operation goes south. During an apparently routine assignment to look into a fatal fire that claimed the life of Robert Taggart, a viral biologist, in his Colorado home, Quinn finds evidence that Taggart was murdered, and that discovery is followed by an attempt on Quinn's own life. While Quinn survives, he learns that the Office's top operatives have been killed in near-simultaneous attacks. Quinn, who makes a compelling protagonist, heads to Europe to track down the mastermind behind the scheme.
The concept of the cleaner in this series is that Quinn literally cleans up scenarios that have gone wrong. He makes evidence and leads disappear before anyone can find out what truly happened. Of course, more times than not, the situation goes south, and he has to fight his way out. Now, he has an apprentice to train (Nate) who he actually cares for. An apprenticeship, we are told, lasts anywhere from three to four years; Quinn's own apprentice has been learning on the job for four months as the novel opens. One of Quinn's own early lessons: "We come in, gather whatever information's been requested. Maybe do a little cleanup if necessary. Then get out. That's the job. Kill your curiosity, kid. For your own sake." Advice that's not always easy for Quinn to follow.
After being attacked in his own home, Quinn and Nate disappear halfway around the world to Vietnam. He enlists the help of Orlando, another `agent' and a friend from his past, who currently hates his guts. As a hacker, she can find information that would be otherwise lost to him. Orlando is also tied to Quinn's former mentor who may or may not have anything to do with agents being killed.
Then Quinn's boss asks him to go Berlin to investigate a lead that may tie-in to `The Office's disruption. There, they find out more is at stake, for bioterrorism is thick, and Quinn will do anything to stop it. Nate has disappeared; dead or alive, Quinn doesn't know. Orlando's son is kidnapped in an attempt to force Quinn and Orlando to back off. If they don't, Orlando would lose her son permanently.
The action includes red herrings, double and triple crosses, and outlandish coincidences. For the first book in the series, this isn't all that bad of a read. The novel is both complex and violent (the scene where Borko kills a female asset with a screw driver is one example), and it certainly raises the stakes for every author working in the thriller genre.
The concept of the cleaner in this series is that Quinn literally cleans up scenarios that have gone wrong. He makes evidence and leads disappear before anyone can find out what truly happened. Of course, more times than not, the situation goes south, and he has to fight his way out. Now, he has an apprentice to train (Nate) who he actually cares for. An apprenticeship, we are told, lasts anywhere from three to four years; Quinn's own apprentice has been learning on the job for four months as the novel opens. One of Quinn's own early lessons: "We come in, gather whatever information's been requested. Maybe do a little cleanup if necessary. Then get out. That's the job. Kill your curiosity, kid. For your own sake." Advice that's not always easy for Quinn to follow.
After being attacked in his own home, Quinn and Nate disappear halfway around the world to Vietnam. He enlists the help of Orlando, another `agent' and a friend from his past, who currently hates his guts. As a hacker, she can find information that would be otherwise lost to him. Orlando is also tied to Quinn's former mentor who may or may not have anything to do with agents being killed.
Then Quinn's boss asks him to go Berlin to investigate a lead that may tie-in to `The Office's disruption. There, they find out more is at stake, for bioterrorism is thick, and Quinn will do anything to stop it. Nate has disappeared; dead or alive, Quinn doesn't know. Orlando's son is kidnapped in an attempt to force Quinn and Orlando to back off. If they don't, Orlando would lose her son permanently.
The action includes red herrings, double and triple crosses, and outlandish coincidences. For the first book in the series, this isn't all that bad of a read. The novel is both complex and violent (the scene where Borko kills a female asset with a screw driver is one example), and it certainly raises the stakes for every author working in the thriller genre.
October 9, 2015
Jonathan Quinn is a freelance operative with a take no prisoners
style. His job is a professional cleaner with nothing too violent,
just disposing of bodies and a little clean up if necessary. His latest
assignment is going to change all this with a journey of violence, betrayal
and revenge. The job seems simple enough a simple case of arson but when
a body turns up where it doesn't belong and Quinn's handlers turn suddenly
silent he knows that he's in over his head and it's all linked to a plan
to eliminate the office. His only hope is Orlando a woman from his past
who is reluctant to help. They are suddenly prying into old crimes, cris-
crossing continents and struggling to stay alive. Quinn is stunned by what
he uncovers. A chilling secret and a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy
with an almost unimaginable goal. This is book one in the Jonathan Quinn
Thriller series and the only one I've read so far. I thought that the story
was pretty good and I gave it a 4.
style. His job is a professional cleaner with nothing too violent,
just disposing of bodies and a little clean up if necessary. His latest
assignment is going to change all this with a journey of violence, betrayal
and revenge. The job seems simple enough a simple case of arson but when
a body turns up where it doesn't belong and Quinn's handlers turn suddenly
silent he knows that he's in over his head and it's all linked to a plan
to eliminate the office. His only hope is Orlando a woman from his past
who is reluctant to help. They are suddenly prying into old crimes, cris-
crossing continents and struggling to stay alive. Quinn is stunned by what
he uncovers. A chilling secret and a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy
with an almost unimaginable goal. This is book one in the Jonathan Quinn
Thriller series and the only one I've read so far. I thought that the story
was pretty good and I gave it a 4.
March 23, 2015
implausible, cliched when it isn't, and not very well written.
March 16, 2014
Well, shoot. I had really hoped to like this book. Brett Battles, as far as I can tell, is an independent author who sells his books for a few bucks a pop. I had enjoyed one I got for free on Kindle called "Sick", although it was a bit derivative. I figured "The Cleaner" was a good next choice. Unfortunately, not so much.
The premise of the book is that Jonathan Quinn is a guy who usually cleans up crime scenes - I guess sort of based on "The Wolf" from Pulp Fiction. Suddenly, he is brought into the action after cleaning up after a crime. That's a good start. However, it took very little time for the book to lose my interest, for a number of reasons. The novel has problems both with characters and the plot.
The characters are the biggest problem. First, there are way too many of them, and almost all seem to be men involved in some aspect of crime. Peter, Piper, "The Mole", etc. etc. None of them, with the exception of the Bosnian villain, do much to distinguish themselves, so the reader is left to try to remember why this person is important and where they came into the plot in the first place. Second, the more major characters don't have much to them that allow the reader to connect emotionally. Quinn is very nondescript, although he could have easily been written as an outsider spy along the lines of LeCarre so that we get a glimpse of his inner conflict. Instead, he just comes across as cold, mechanical and well, boring. The same goes for Orlando and Nate. I didn't find myself caring much about any of them.
The plot wanders from one place and one context to the next, each with something connecting it to the first segment, but nothing too exciting or interesting. I listened to this book while walking in the dark in the early mornings -- not much to distract me -- and I still found my mind wandering. The action sequence towards the end of the book perked things up a bit and held my attention, but by, then, it was too little, too late.
I wish Brett Battles all the success in the world. I really like the idea of authors controlling their own work. Maybe I will give the successor to "Sick" a try, since that held my attention a lot more. I don't think I will be back for more Quinn, because I didn't really care what happened to him due to a lack of depth to his character and an interest in the plot that surrounded him. Sorry, Quinn.
The premise of the book is that Jonathan Quinn is a guy who usually cleans up crime scenes - I guess sort of based on "The Wolf" from Pulp Fiction. Suddenly, he is brought into the action after cleaning up after a crime. That's a good start. However, it took very little time for the book to lose my interest, for a number of reasons. The novel has problems both with characters and the plot.
The characters are the biggest problem. First, there are way too many of them, and almost all seem to be men involved in some aspect of crime. Peter, Piper, "The Mole", etc. etc. None of them, with the exception of the Bosnian villain, do much to distinguish themselves, so the reader is left to try to remember why this person is important and where they came into the plot in the first place. Second, the more major characters don't have much to them that allow the reader to connect emotionally. Quinn is very nondescript, although he could have easily been written as an outsider spy along the lines of LeCarre so that we get a glimpse of his inner conflict. Instead, he just comes across as cold, mechanical and well, boring. The same goes for Orlando and Nate. I didn't find myself caring much about any of them.
The plot wanders from one place and one context to the next, each with something connecting it to the first segment, but nothing too exciting or interesting. I listened to this book while walking in the dark in the early mornings -- not much to distract me -- and I still found my mind wandering. The action sequence towards the end of the book perked things up a bit and held my attention, but by, then, it was too little, too late.
I wish Brett Battles all the success in the world. I really like the idea of authors controlling their own work. Maybe I will give the successor to "Sick" a try, since that held my attention a lot more. I don't think I will be back for more Quinn, because I didn't really care what happened to him due to a lack of depth to his character and an interest in the plot that surrounded him. Sorry, Quinn.
November 28, 2016
The book promises twists and turns.
It did not fulfill its promise.
It is typical thriller fare, the only thing that it separates apart is the fact that the main character, instead of being a wet-works spy, deals in dry-works - cleaning up crime scenes, some investigations, some monitoring set-up.
So it sets up a more cerebral character, but does not deliver. Unlike the Jack Ryan mix of thinking man and action man, we get more wet-work spy behavior than the thinking analyst type character.
Instead of puzzling out solutions, the main character, Quinn, uses brute force, stealth killings, and lots and lots of gun play.
Any puzzle that needed to be figured out was out-sourced. Major clues were ignored until plot ready. And the 'twist' wasn't so much of a twist, but predictable schlock. And it really shouldn't have been. The 'twist' wasn't earned, but because the jacket promised one, I was able to figure it out - not from a well written set up, but from soap opera plot development and advancement.
And even after the twist reveal, there was no emotional weight to it and it would have been so easy to include that - matter of fact, not just easy, but absolutely necessary.
The ending dropped the balls they had up in the air and devolved to mindless and most times, pointless action.
Yawn.
It did not fulfill its promise.
It is typical thriller fare, the only thing that it separates apart is the fact that the main character, instead of being a wet-works spy, deals in dry-works - cleaning up crime scenes, some investigations, some monitoring set-up.
So it sets up a more cerebral character, but does not deliver. Unlike the Jack Ryan mix of thinking man and action man, we get more wet-work spy behavior than the thinking analyst type character.
Instead of puzzling out solutions, the main character, Quinn, uses brute force, stealth killings, and lots and lots of gun play.
Any puzzle that needed to be figured out was out-sourced. Major clues were ignored until plot ready. And the 'twist' wasn't so much of a twist, but predictable schlock. And it really shouldn't have been. The 'twist' wasn't earned, but because the jacket promised one, I was able to figure it out - not from a well written set up, but from soap opera plot development and advancement.
And even after the twist reveal, there was no emotional weight to it and it would have been so easy to include that - matter of fact, not just easy, but absolutely necessary.
The ending dropped the balls they had up in the air and devolved to mindless and most times, pointless action.
Yawn.
July 14, 2017
Jonathan Quinn is an espionage agent, but he doesn't work for MI6 or the CIA, he's freelance.
Quinn is asked to investigate a suspicious arson and death, and soon someone is trying to kill him. Quinn needs to find out what's going on and stop those who are after him before they put a stop to his investigation permanently. The trail will take Quinn to Vietnam, Germany and Brussels, and put Quinn in some tight spots where his death is one likely outcome.
This is the first in the Jonathan Quinn series by Brett Battles and I will certainly be getting the next one in due course.
Brett Battles knows how to tell an action packed tale, leaving me breathless at times, and not wanting to put my kindle down. The knowledge of spy craft and the "toys" that Quinn uses leave you wondering just how Brett knows the details that he writes in his book, but they form part of a nail biting tale.
I would heartedly recommend this book.
[On a negative point, although I have given my review 5 stars I have done so on the strength of the writing and the story alone. The transfer to Kindle was particularly poor, with a huge margin on the left of the page, and many other visual mistakes that made reading hard work.]
Quinn is asked to investigate a suspicious arson and death, and soon someone is trying to kill him. Quinn needs to find out what's going on and stop those who are after him before they put a stop to his investigation permanently. The trail will take Quinn to Vietnam, Germany and Brussels, and put Quinn in some tight spots where his death is one likely outcome.
This is the first in the Jonathan Quinn series by Brett Battles and I will certainly be getting the next one in due course.
Brett Battles knows how to tell an action packed tale, leaving me breathless at times, and not wanting to put my kindle down. The knowledge of spy craft and the "toys" that Quinn uses leave you wondering just how Brett knows the details that he writes in his book, but they form part of a nail biting tale.
I would heartedly recommend this book.
[On a negative point, although I have given my review 5 stars I have done so on the strength of the writing and the story alone. The transfer to Kindle was particularly poor, with a huge margin on the left of the page, and many other visual mistakes that made reading hard work.]
December 7, 2014
I have wavered between three and four stars in rating this book but, ultimately decided on a four because it is a good story. It is supposed to be the story of a "cleaner," one who cleans up after crimes, disposing of bodies, etc. and his apprentice. Irrespective of his somewhat non-violent job description, Jonathon Quinn, the cleaner, ends up killing people right, left and center. As you can see, this inconsistency between the description and the story bothered me.
The story involves an attack against the organization that Quinn works for (supposedly just one of his clients, but there is never a mention of another). He then becomes the target of the attackers for reasons unbeknownst to him. Ultimately, he becomes aware of a horrible plot and, as our hero, he does his best to undermine it, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Some potentially very interesting characters are introduced but they are not well developed.
The story is a good one although it strains credulity from time to time but it is quite suspenseful.
On my 1 to 10 enjoyment scale (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would give The Cleaner a 7.
The story involves an attack against the organization that Quinn works for (supposedly just one of his clients, but there is never a mention of another). He then becomes the target of the attackers for reasons unbeknownst to him. Ultimately, he becomes aware of a horrible plot and, as our hero, he does his best to undermine it, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Some potentially very interesting characters are introduced but they are not well developed.
The story is a good one although it strains credulity from time to time but it is quite suspenseful.
On my 1 to 10 enjoyment scale (1 = didn't enjoy it; 10 = couldn't wait to get back to it each evening), I would give The Cleaner a 7.
June 10, 2009
Globe trotting thriller, similar in style to the new "Robert Ludlum" titles (Ludlum story outlines written by other authors). A bit flat in places, while in others very engaging and suspenseful; enough to keep the pages turning. Quinn's contacts, alertness, powers of observation, reactions to events, and fast-paced travel itinerary reminded me of Jason Bourne.
A "cleaner" who surely exceeds his commission in terms of follow up. Won't stop following the trail despite more than one warning to give up.
Characters were interesting and more than one-dimensional, but didn't quite make top grade. Background was painted in as the plot developed leading to a few "ah, so that's the reason" moments. The plot was engaging and developed in a logical manner without too many contrived events.
While I've read many spy thrillers, I've never given any thought as to what happened to the bodies piling up. This book provides a plausable explanation. I will read future works by this author to see how he develops.
July 3, 2012
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.
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.
March 20, 2013
Boring. I do my best to avoid the 'modern detective' story, you know the ones where the description starts; "Former CIA operative", "Disgraced FBI agent", or "Suspended ATF officer" takes no prisoners to save the day. I took a chance on this one as the main character seemed to be a bad guy (Quinn is The Cleaner and shows up after crimes to clean the scene and prepare it for the local cops to get the wrong idea of what happened), and that sounded fun.
Nope. Despite the slightly different angle the story followed the same predictable recipe of a cop redemption story who saves the day by any means necessary. I could have written the rest of the book after about 40 pages in and the writing was uninspired. Only reason it gets 2 stars is there were a few interesting characters and one interesting interrogation scene. You can skip this one.
Nope. Despite the slightly different angle the story followed the same predictable recipe of a cop redemption story who saves the day by any means necessary. I could have written the rest of the book after about 40 pages in and the writing was uninspired. Only reason it gets 2 stars is there were a few interesting characters and one interesting interrogation scene. You can skip this one.
May 20, 2009
This is a very poor almost painting by numbers thriller. "Spook based hero with a conscience - check. International locationsa - check. Suitable expert / love interest combined - check. Thin and transparent plot with little reasoning, common sense - check.
Thin characters follow an even thinner plot. Conveninece tortures logic to the point that it screams and finally fades away.
Oh - the writing is pretty ppor too. Cliched and clumsey.
Don't even waste your time with it on holiday.
Thin characters follow an even thinner plot. Conveninece tortures logic to the point that it screams and finally fades away.
Oh - the writing is pretty ppor too. Cliched and clumsey.
Don't even waste your time with it on holiday.
October 25, 2013
This book had pretty good ratings, and it's the kind of book (meaning the genre) that I usually like. However, it was just a snoozefest. The author was never able to get me interested in the characters or the story.
I didn't finish it.
I didn't finish it.
April 10, 2017
Interested to see where this goes. I have a sneaky suspicion. Thanks BB.
July 26, 2020
This guy does special jobs for the CIA not as a hit man but sometimes that becomes necessary to survive. It is a very lucrative profession but it consumes him and he has no real personal life, family or friends, only acquaintances he meets thru the various jobs. And these are folks you really don't want to know. When an upheaval within the CIA occurs, he no longer knows who to trust and is on his own to get to the source of the nefarious plot. The book kept getting better and better and I did enjoy it.
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