“ 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 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’s latest assignment is about to 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 turn strangely silent—he knows he’s in over his head. Quinn’s only hope may be Orlando, a woman from his past who could hold the key to solving the case. Suddenly the two are prying into old crimes, struggling to stay alive long enough to unbury the truth. But as the hunt intensifies, Quinn is stunned by what he uncovers: a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy—with an almost unimaginable goal. Praise for The Cleaner “Battles is a compelling new voice in the thriller genre. The Cleaner combines the best elements of Lee Child, John le Carré and Robert Ludlum. . . . A stellar debut.“ —Sheldon Siegel “A brilliant and heart-pounding thriller.” —Jeffery Deaver “A tightly written page-turner.” — Booklist “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 “It’s always great to discover a new writer who can turn a genre on its ear. The Cleaner proves the case. Part Raymond Chandler, part Clive Cussler, part Robert Ludlum, here is an international thriller chocked full of action, taut with suspense, and laced with a fair amount of humor and romance. An exciting debut by a major new talent—I look forward to seeing what comes next!” —James Rollins, bestselling author of The Judas Strain “ The Cleaner is one of the most enjoyable thrillers I’ve read in a while. It has all the elements necessary—an unrelenting pace, likeable heroes, despicable bad guys with evil plots and mayhem aplenty. Can’t wait for the next one.” — Wichita Falls Times Record News “Exciting . . . [a] globe-trotting page-turner . . . Well written and frighteningly believable, The Cleaner balances cool gadgets, killer action and emotional twists just like master spy novelists Charles McCarry and John le Carré. . . . One hell of a read.” — E News “Battles hits for extra bases in his first novel. The Cleaner is a tightly written page-turner, filled with tradecraft and offering as much action as a James Bond film. . . . A wild ride.” — Booklist “Battles spins a tense tale of betrayal and revenge in The Cleaner. ” — San Diego Union-Tribune   Brett Battles lives and writes in Los Angeles. The Cleaner is his debut novel, and he is currently at work on the next book featuring Jonathan Quinn. Chapter One DENVER WAS NOT HAWAII. THERE WERE NO BEACHES, NO palm trees, no bikinis, no mai tais sipped slowly on the deck of the Lava Shack on Maui. Instead there were people dressed like they were expecting the next ice age, directing planes down taxiways lined with mounds of freshly plowed snow. There wasn't anyone wearing a bikini within five hundred miles. Worse yet, while it was only 3:00 p.m. local time on Thursday afternoon when Jonathan Quinn's flight began disembarking, a layer of gunmetal-gray clouds made it seem like it was almost night. It was definitely vacation over, back to work. After he exited the plane, Quinn made his way toward the front of the terminal, pulling his only piece of luggage, a carry-on suitcase, behind him. Not far beyond his arrival gate was a small kiosk. He stopped and bought an overpriced cup of coffee. As he took a sip he glanced around. There seemed to be an equal amount of people walking to and from the gates. A typical busy afternoon in a typical busy international airport. But it wasn't typical people he was looking for. He did a lot of traveling and knew from experience that you could never be sure who you might run into. In his business, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. But his arrival appeared to have been unobserved. He took another