The Cleaner

By: Brett Battles

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

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. But in Brett Battles' electrifying debut novel, Quinn's latest assignment will change everything.

The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up, 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 struggles 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 may hold the key to solving the case. Suddenly, the two are prying into old crimes, crisscrossing continents, and struggling to stay alive. But as the hunt intensifies, Quinn is stunned by a chilling secret...and a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy.

Furiously paced, filled with superbly drawn characters and pitch-perfect dialogue, The Cleaner confirms Battles' place as one of the most exciting new talents in suspense fiction.

©2007 Brett Battles (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

2008, Shamus Award

"Brett Battles makes a grand entrance into the thriller scene with this unputdownable spy novel. The Cleaner has it all: exotic locales, James Bondian derring-do, and ingenious plot twists that will keep you sweating all the way ’til the end.”—Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of The Bone Garden

“This book is a pure delight. Protagonist Jonathan Quinn is a unique and welcome addition to the world of crime fiction. The Cleaner is a brilliant and heart-pounding thriller; I’m on the edge of my seat, awaiting future installments of Quinn’s adventures.”—Jeffery Deaver, bestselling author of The Broken Window

“A page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias . . . .Quinn [is] a compelling protagonist. . . . Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following.”—Publishers Weekly

Complicated story that delivers...

STORY (espionage) - Quinn (main character), Nate and Orlando are caught up in a plot against their organization (The Office) that leads them across several continents. While trying to figure out who has killed multiple agents, they discover a bioterrorism plot. Are the two connected and, if so, how?

I liked this book. It takes place in the early 2000's, I suppose, as there were a couple references to phone booths. Cell phones are used but I don't believe they're smart phones, so some of the methods like transferring photos are somewhat dated. The story was still very good, however. Contrary to some other reviewers, I enjoyed the characters and everything about it. My only complaints are that there were a few times when I was unable to keep some of the minor characters straight as to who was who and there a couple times in the beginning where Quinn (a super badass) makes novice-type mistakes. For example, he has a state-of-the-art home security system but didn't install a monitor in his bedroom or keep a gun by his bed. I guess nobody's perfect!

PERFORMANCE - Scott Brick is awesome as always. Perfect voice for Quinn and great performance of the entire story.

OVERALL - There is only one non-explicit sex scene in the book. There are a few utterances of the F-word but not a lot. There is lots of action and killing and a bit of torture. The story stands alone, though there is character development that runs through the series (particularly a potential future romance between Quinn and Orlando). Recommended for anyone who enjoys espionage.

Super Detail!!

A multi continent thriller. The detail was excellent. Hated to turn it off at the end of my commute.

Overall A Great Book!

Very satisfying book and was a great listen can't wait to continue the series. The narrator was great also which is hard to find nowadays.

What a book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Certainly. If you like action with a lot of unexpected twists this is your book. I will order the next in the series without a doubt.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Unexpected twists and turns

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Quinn of course. He was the main character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Clean

Would you listen to The Cleaner again? Why?

Yes I would.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Quinn is the man

Any additional comments?

It's a good book, the series is great each book gets more interesting. I'm listening to Becoming Quinn (book 4.5) now and I'm hooked on this series.

Nothing Surprising Here!

After reading/listening to many "C.I.A" novels this is the first of someone who works behind the scenes.

While the overall premise is interesting the book failed to get off the ground.

Kept waiting for that moment where I could shout, "IT'S FINALLY OVER!"

Disappointing

After listening to "Becoming Quinn" - I couldn't wait to get the next book: The Cleaner. Wow. What a disappointment. The story is convoluted and boring. There is so much unnecessary detail that I literally lost my place with what I was listening to and quite frankly, I didn't care. Yes, Quinn is quite an interesting character or the making of Quinn was quite an interesting character but this just turned into a mish-mash of whodunnit, who is gonna do it and finally: Why did they do it. The storyline is very weak as are all of the characters. And the end of the story "surprise" was so predictable. Oy! I was so looking forward to this long list of everything Quinn but I am going to give myself a break and hopefully erase this negative memory.

great read!

I found this book to have a Fast moving with an interesting plot and engaging character development.

First time reader

I have never read any of Brett Battles novels before.
I have been missing out on a real adventure, travel to foreign counties, terrorist, Bio-weapons, kidnappings, bad guys, and good guys all in this first novel, 'The Cleaner'. It is not to be missed!

Leave the Cleaning to Quinn...

Enough twists and turns to make the Autobahn jealous. Brett Battles weaves the kind of tale with which you would hope someone would purchase the movie rights! 🎬 Time for a new movie franchise. Jason Bourne, James Bond, Ethan Hunt... why not Jonathan Quinn? The Mission Impossible franchise features an ensemble in support of Ethan Hunt, so, again, I ask- why not?
Scott Brick does a great job as narrator... As he's done apparently over 800 audio books! Give it a listen, you'll be entertained!