The Cleaner (Jonathan Quinn)

Hated it

The central character in this story is Jonathan Quinn. He is actually a "cleaner". He goes to pick up after a situation has occured. He does things like dispose of bodies and actually clean up the scene of all evidence. The "office" an agency of the government hires Quinn to go to Colorado to do an investigation in an arson case. Upon arrival he makes a discovery that a murder has occured. He also finds another body. He leaves Colorado. Upon getting home someone tries to kill him. He and his apprecentice Nate go to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to hide out. They next go to Berlin to do a job where they are nearly killed again. Quinn has also brought in someone from his past,Orlando,to help him. They start investigating and find some stunning facts. They discover a conspiracy with an unbelivie goal. This is a fast moving book that you will enjoy.

I loved this book. It's been a long time since I've had a hard time putting a book down. Due to the internet and my satellite DVR system, I've developed a sort of adult ADD. The thing about Battles is that he does a great job of moving his story along without a lot of extraneous details and over-involvement with his characters and their relationships. Some authors spend so much time trying to develope their characters, the storyline suffers. Not so with Battles. He only tells you what you need to know, when you need to know it. I'm looking forward to his next installment of the Quinn series.

Although he goes by the name Jonathan Quinn, that is not his real name. He is a freelance operative who works for the Office, a sub rosa agency based in Washington D.C. He doesn't do wet work, assassinations and the like. He calls himself a cleaner because it is his job to get rid of the bodies, find out information and sanitizing sites. His latest assignment takes him to Allyson, Colorado to see if Robert who died in a fire was murdered or if it was a household accident. Despite evidence to the contrary, he finds proof that a murder occurred and he find a silver bracelet in the rubble that he puts in his pocket. He returns home to Los Angeles with his apprentice Nate only to discover that the operatives of the office and him are on someone's hit list. Nate and Quinn go to the Ho Chi Minh City where he picks up operative Orlando. The head of the office sends them to Germany where they are to find the people who nearly destroyed the office; what they find instead is an operation that could mean the death of millions of people. He intends to stop them anyway he can but first he has to find Nate who was captured and Orlando's son who has been kidnapped. They are being held hostage so Quinn doesn't clean up their operation. It is so very hard to believe Brett Battles is new to the thriller scene because THE CLEANER is an extremely well written tale that is on a par with the works of Le Carre. The hero is a James Bond type down to the wit and provocative asides under pressure. His apprentice is comic relief in a tense tale of betrayal, double agents and terrorists who make Bin Laden look like a choir boy. The plot throws one surprise after another at the audience who finds they can't stop reading to find out how it all works out. Harriet Klausner

I found "The Cleaner" by Brett Battles fascinating, exciting and fast paced. As an avid reader it is exciting to find a book where the main character is usually never heard from or seen. That is the role of a "Cleaner". Their job is to clean up the mess after the crime has been committed. In this case Johathan Quinn, "The Cleaner", must take on the role of the aggressor for a fight for his life. For his debut novel Battles has hit a homerun. I am anxiously awaiting for the second installment of Quinn.

Jonathan Quinn is a professional, contract "cleaner," making bodies disappear and covering tracks. But when a seemingly routine job leaves behind too many questions, Quinn decides to do some investigating on his own. After a subsequent attempt on his life, he and his apprentice must flee the country. And as Quinn begins to discover, his latest job and the attack at his home might be connected. An international conspiracy unfolds, but who can be trusted? The Cleaner is a nonstop, electrifying thriller. The story is intense, full of surprises, action and intrigue. And the character of Quinn is akin to James Bond - smart, detached, with a soft-side for the ladies. With detailed, fascinating locales, it's obvious that Battles is more than familiar with his subject matter and scenery. I am simply amazed that this is a debut thriller for Battles. This novel had me hooked from page one, and had me riveted until the very end! Everyone loves a good spy novel. This is definitely an author I'll be following.