Meet Jonathan Quinn: a freelance operative with a take-no-prisoners style and the heart of a loner. His job? Professional “cleaner.” No...
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reviews
Jun 17, 2011
Kemper
rated it: 
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 More...
In fact, I’m not even sure why Quinn is called a ‘cleaner’. He’s a freelance operative who works for intelligence agencies following More...
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Jun 09, 2009
KarenC
rated it: 
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
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Sep 04, 2011
Alan
rated it: 
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 th More...
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 th More...
Jul 19, 2009
Heather
rated it: 
I chose to read this book after having recently read Shadow of Betrayal. While this was a very good book, it wasn't quite as good as Shadow of Betrayal, but I still liked it a LOT. Unlike Shadow of Betrayal, this one didn't have me hooked from the very beginning. I am not sure how far into it I was finally hooked, but I did read it pretty fast. I really liked finding out the full story behind past events mentioned in Shadow of Betrayal. I likely will reread Shadow of Betrayal again now that I kn
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Feb 02, 2011
Charles
rated it:
An excellent first novel. A globe-trotting, spy thriller without an over-the-top spy. Mr. Battles does an excellent job of pacing the momentum and builds to a suprise ending that few will suspect in advance. The protagonist, Jonathan Quinn,
is no James Bond (thank you Brett Battles for not taking the easy road) - rather he
is a believable, albeit somewhat reluctant spy that steps up and delivers.
However, the author comes up short a couple of times - at times the prose read More...
is no James Bond (thank you Brett Battles for not taking the easy road) - rather he
is a believable, albeit somewhat reluctant spy that steps up and delivers.
However, the author comes up short a couple of times - at times the prose read More...
Oct 15, 2011
Denise M.
rated it:
I do not normally read espionage type thrillers but had heard good things about this book so I got it. The suspense was on going and credible. A few times I struggled to believe what is possible in the world of secret agents but overall I enjoyed the book. Jonathan Quinn the main character was a good guy in his world but got involved in some dark things from a routine job. I was able to solve the who part of the mystery from clues in the book a few chapters before it was revealed, but still enjo
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Feb 10, 2009
Bill
rated it:
This is Battles' first effort and a very good one indeed. I did not read any of the other reviews prior to writing this - didn't want to have my opinion tainted in any way. I expect some readers did not enjoy the book as much as I did. The writer is certainly following a formula but hat is almost inevitable in any genre. I thought this was an especially good first effort and I look forward to reading the next Battles book, "Deceived". In fact, I have already reserved it through my loca
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Sep 29, 2011
apple
rated it:
Perfect spy-thriller for long flight or lazy girls-night-in. Jonathan Quinn is the spy who came in from the cold then settled comfortably into his modern Scandinavian couch and read Murakami’s South of the Border, West of the Sun. I’m not making this up. Here’s an espionage operative who prefers a quiet night reading Haruki Murakami over flirticating with leggy blonde Russian double agent. Admittedly compared to Bond, Bourne, Bauer and other Bs I might have missed..Quinn is just this side of bor
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Jan 09, 2011
Viccy
rated it:
Jonathan Quinn is a cleaner, a dry cleaner. He prefers no wet work but does not hesitate if it is necessary. When he is sent by The Office to Colorado, from his vacation in Hawaii to clean up a mess, his curiousity gets the better of him and soon the bodies are dropping. Quinn himself becomes a target as well as his apprentice. Quinn and Nathan flee to Vietnam and soon they are on the run to Berlin along with Orlando, a friend of Quinn's. She is an expert in communications and Quinn and Nathan n
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Mar 11, 2010
Maddy
rated it:
PROTAGONIST: Jonathan Quinn
SERIES: #1 of 2
SETTING: Colorado, Vietnam, Germany
RATING: 3.75
WHY: A fast-paced thriller featuring Jonathan Quinn, a "cleaner" whose career involves cleaning up crime scenes by disposing of bodies or removing trace evidence. After looking at one scene, he finds himself the target of an assassin. He and his apprentice end up in Germany chasing clues, and he is assisted by a former female colleague, Orlando. They find a chilling consp More...
SERIES: #1 of 2
SETTING: Colorado, Vietnam, Germany
RATING: 3.75
WHY: A fast-paced thriller featuring Jonathan Quinn, a "cleaner" whose career involves cleaning up crime scenes by disposing of bodies or removing trace evidence. After looking at one scene, he finds himself the target of an assassin. He and his apprentice end up in Germany chasing clues, and he is assisted by a former female colleague, Orlando. They find a chilling consp More...
Jan 16, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
Former cop Jonathan Quinn works as a cleaner - but not the kind that cleans offices or houses. Quinn works for a secret government agency known only as The Office, cleaning up the sites of completed operations and erasing all signs of violence so that the locals and other outsiders don't realize that anything happened. When an assignment in Colorado doesn't go quite as planned, Quinn finds himself the target of an assassination attempt and decides it would be prudent to disappear for a while.
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Jul 23, 2009
Rose
rated it:
After winning the book "The Shadow of Betrayal", I had to go back and read his other works. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this book, in fact I've enjoyed all the books in this series so far! I hope he writes more in the future.
For this book, it was interesting to see the growth of people I'd read about in "Shadow of Betrayal". It was neat to see the background - how they'd met Jonathan Quinn etc. Brett Battles does a good job of filling in some background (or More...
For this book, it was interesting to see the growth of people I'd read about in "Shadow of Betrayal". It was neat to see the background - how they'd met Jonathan Quinn etc. Brett Battles does a good job of filling in some background (or More...
Dec 22, 2010
Shelley
rated it:
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 ope
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Jun 19, 2009
Scott
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
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Nov 08, 2008
Gina
rated it:
A compelling, page-turning debut novel!
Jonathan Quinn, a professional ‘cleaner’ for a covert government known as ‘The Office’ is contracted to go to Colorado to ‘investigate’ the death of a man named Taggert. However, to Quinn, the whole thing smells fishy. With the help of his apprentice, they look for any clues that need to be ‘cleaned’. Discovering the body of another female ‘agent’, Quinn knows everything isn’t as it seems. He knows he should be minding his own business, that he’ More...
Jonathan Quinn, a professional ‘cleaner’ for a covert government known as ‘The Office’ is contracted to go to Colorado to ‘investigate’ the death of a man named Taggert. However, to Quinn, the whole thing smells fishy. With the help of his apprentice, they look for any clues that need to be ‘cleaned’. Discovering the body of another female ‘agent’, Quinn knows everything isn’t as it seems. He knows he should be minding his own business, that he’ More...
Aug 24, 2008
Creative
rated it:
This is the first novel by debut author Brett Battles, and book one in the Jonathan Quinn series. As a cleaner, Quinn covers up messy murder scenes before the police can discover the crime. He's a mind-your-own-business kind of guy with a sort of grim wit and a dedication to his old teacher who died on the job.
This book sucked me in right off the bat with it's original premise and swift plot. The twists really are surprising, and the characters develop in interesting ways through th More...
This book sucked me in right off the bat with it's original premise and swift plot. The twists really are surprising, and the characters develop in interesting ways through th More...
Sep 07, 2007
Just bought from Audible.com 9/7/07
Narrator: Scott Brick
Publisher: Books on Tape, 2007
Length: 12 hours and 28 min.
What the Critics Say
"Displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles's debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias....Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following." (Publishers Weekly)
Publisher's Summary
Me More...
Narrator: Scott Brick
Publisher: Books on Tape, 2007
Length: 12 hours and 28 min.
What the Critics Say
"Displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles's debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias....Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following." (Publishers Weekly)
Publisher's Summary
Me More...
Aug 05, 2009
Swanbender2001
rated it:
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 Quinn is given a job where everything turns against him and he knows he's in over his head. With only a handful of lcues he runs for cover, trying to find out why someone wants him dead.
With a woman from his past, he uncovers a chilling secret and an amazing conspiracy
But Quinn is given a job where everything turns against him and he knows he's in over his head. With only a handful of lcues he runs for cover, trying to find out why someone wants him dead.
With a woman from his past, he uncovers a chilling secret and an amazing conspiracy
May 20, 2009
Steevan
rated it: 
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
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
Oct 10, 2010
Ron
rated it:
The Cleaner is a well written and exciting novel. It misses any connection to reality however. Like the James Bond novels, there are strong heros and strong villians but little else. There is little to connect the reader to life in general. Nothing that brings the reader into the novel. Its like watching life go by from the other side of the window. Still, if you don't mind being a watcher instead of a participant in a novel then The Cleaner delivers excitment and suspense.
Aug 09, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Fast paced thriller. Jonathan Quinn is a cleaner and is out on a job to see if a fire was arson or accidental. From there the book escalates to people trying to kill him. While on the run he looks up an old friend, Orlando, and asks for her help. This is a great book. I enjoyed the writing and didn't see who was behind trying to kill Quinn or ruin the agency he contracts for. I was surprised by the ending and can't wait to read the next book.
Dec 08, 2010
Meghan
rated it:
I like this book alright. It was not what I expected by the synopsis. There was plenty of action, but it all came down to a single point and it wasn't all that shocking or exciting. The characters were somewhat shallow and you didn't have too much investment in them. Although the action was pretty steady, it wasn't all that engrossing and I wasn't dying to finish it...hence the month it took me to read.
Dec 22, 2011
John
rated it:
Was preparing myself for disappointment halfway thru this book as it all seemed a little too farfetched but definitely redeemded itself in the latter half when the pace picked up considerably with a number of twists and turns and the ultimate conspiracy / plot becoming revealed perhaps that reveal should have come sooner but I will follow the adventures of Jonathan Quinn for a while longer.
Jan 05, 2011
Steve
rated it:
This book forced me to clear my schedule and then kept me up most of the night until I finished it. I just *had* to find out what happened!
John Quinn is an thinking hero who's not afraid to get his hands dirty. The action was nonstop, the stakes high. And Quinn was just the man for the job.
I can't wait for the next one!
John Quinn is an thinking hero who's not afraid to get his hands dirty. The action was nonstop, the stakes high. And Quinn was just the man for the job.
I can't wait for the next one!
Apr 16, 2009
Jonah
rated it:
This was my first book by Battles, and I enjoyed it. I usually don't read much from this genre, so I can't compare the book to others, but I'll be reading the second in this series with no complaints. I found the characters to be fairly complex, dynamic and I was pleased that the story went in places I didn't expect. More violence, please!
Aug 31, 2010
Mary JL
rated it:
This book was well-written, fast paced and had a good concept. It is well worth a read, especially if you like spy thrillers.
However, three stars is all I can give. There are some convenient co-incidences that imho weaken the plot; also one fairly large plot hole, and the ending seems not to fit to me.
Also, I've noticed lately many mysteries now have the protagonits---I cannot say 'hero'--a criminal. Quinn is a cleaner--he disposes of bodies for a clandestine outfit kn More...
However, three stars is all I can give. There are some convenient co-incidences that imho weaken the plot; also one fairly large plot hole, and the ending seems not to fit to me.
Also, I've noticed lately many mysteries now have the protagonits---I cannot say 'hero'--a criminal. Quinn is a cleaner--he disposes of bodies for a clandestine outfit kn More...
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Dec 30, 2008
For a first novel I was very impressed. Great characters, decent plot, and lots of action. There were a lot of flashbacks but I think the author was building a background for Quinn, who will be the primary character in this series. I look forward to reading the second installment.
Aug 18, 2010
Tina Marie (Highlandress)
rated it:
Spy novels with a difference. The Jonathan Quinn novels are fabulous! They bring you into a world of intrigue that is fast paced and fascinating. Be prepared to stay up late into the night because you won't be able to put them down until you turn the last page.
Jan 17, 2012
Peg
rated it:
Remember this as being a pretty darn good read but so far haven't had any desire to continue the series. However, there is a new book coming out in trade paper the end of the month (not in this series) but this author that is interesting me.
Feb 02, 2009
Michael
rated it:
This book is pure espionage type action and entertainment. Read it when you need something that's not too deep and when you just want to escape. I was impressed that it is the authors first book as it read well and was very fast paced.
