The Cleaner

John Milton, Book 1

By: Mark Dawson

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Meet John Milton. He considers himself an artisan. A craftsman. His trade is murder. Milton is the man the government sends after you when everything else has failed. Ruthless. Brilliant. Anonymous. Lethal. You wouldn't pick him out of a crowd but you wouldn't want to be on his list.

But now, after 10 years, he's had enough - there's blood on his hands and he wants out. Trouble is, this job is not one you can just walk away from. He goes on the run, seeking atonement for his sins by helping the people he meets along the way.

But his past cannot be easily forgotten, and before long it is Milton who is hunted, and not the hunter. The Cleaner. A career of state-sanctioned murder has taken its toll. Milton is troubled by nightmares, a long line of ghosts who torment his dreams. He resolves to make his next job his last and, then, perhaps, he can start to make amends for everything that he has done.

Sharon Warriner is a single mother in the East End of London, suicidal with fear that she's lost her young son to a life in the gangs. After Milton saves her life, he promises to help. But the gang, and the charismatic rapper who leads it, is not about to cooperate with him.

As London burns through summer riots, Milton finds himself in unfamiliar territory, dealing with an unfamiliar foe. And when his employer sends another agent after him, the odds against him are stacked even higher.

©2013 Mark Dawson (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

didn't hold my attention

started well, but sputtered out with all the black gang action... stopped listening around chapter 10 or 11.

Slow

The Cleaner was ok but it was unexciting and seemed rather slow. Since this is book 1 might try another in the series to see if it is an improvement.

Pretty good with some complaints

Excellent narrator. You start off wondering if his prim British pronunciation can go anywhere else, and then it does. It does gang-bangers of different races, good guys of different races, and women. Fantastic.

Here is another government assassin who wants out, but we know that you can't get out of secret black ops any more than you can the mafia. But he's determined. He finds new purpose when he saves a woman from her own suicide, and then tries to take on her wayward son who so wants to be respected. Then his own handler decides he is too unstable to be allowed to live and sends another like him to finish the deal. Rival gangs and inter-gang rivalry. Lots of room for excitement, do-gooding, justice, and turning lives around. Several great side characters--Pops and Rutherford.

But then it kind of rambles and you can see the author pondering the plot. "Ok, I need the kid to get mad here and leave and go to the rival gang. How can I make that happen? Yes, I can have him sleep with the mum!" I just don't see the Gray Man or Victor doing this. Yes, after the fact, he realizes it was a bad move and "he should have had more control," but isn't that what his whole life has been up to now? Control and calculation and several steps ahead of the game? It did not ring true.

I loved the irony of his cover story when he first approaches the gangs. I expect to see this in sequels. You cannot leave this hanging.

I was saddened by one of the gang deaths, but it fits within the rules of literature, and gang behavior.

**spoiler here:
Then he offs the best character in the book. Now I know this is not a fairy tale where everyone gets to go to college and live happily ever after. But literature has its rules too. I sooo saw this ending differently. I saw the best character married to the lady and the kid on a good path. An anonymous donation to the boxing club. They stand in the doorway of their new, but modest, apartment while our turning-a-new-leaf assassin drives off into the sunset to right past wrongs and do some good in the world.

(end of spoiler)** But it's not like that.

Maybe my version was still more fairy-tale than real, but it does fit the rules of literature. I wasn't very happy with this darker ending though.

Jack Reacher with a British accent

What did you love best about The Cleaner?

John Milton is a compelling character strong, willed, but with flaws that make him human. This book is an excellent introduction to a series that takes one to places around the world. Research is excellent.

What other book might you compare The Cleaner to and why?

Any of the Reacher novels. Like Reacher, Milton is able to conquer any situation, but not without being endangers and even wounded. Yet, he overcomes. Also like Reacher, he is compelled to help the underdog, evento his own peril.

What does David Thorpe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Thorpe gives life to the dialog, creating the right level of emotion. One can imagine this if one only reads,but the narration gives more life to the text.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Maybe, but I rarely am able to do that. I mostly listen in the car. If ona long enough trip, I would listen to the entire book.

Any additional comments?

If you like Reacher and similar characters, you will also like John Milton. His drinking problem adds to his humanity. I have enjoyed all of Mark Dawson's works. If you like this book you also will like the Beatrix Rose and Isabella Rose series and his Noir series.

Sometimes you just want a change.

What did you love best about The Cleaner?

Milton's desire to help and the ability to do so.

What did you like best about this story?

Milton's change of character and his attempt to move on.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, but I had difficulty understanding the different accents especially in the beginning. You pick it up as you go through.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh yeah, but not possible for me.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to more John Milton stories. I voluntarily reviewed this audiobook.

Narrator's voice

I am sorry to say the narrator's voice was a little too brassy for me. The story was good.

Good but Expected More

What made the experience of listening to The Cleaner the most enjoyable?

Narration and plot were intriguing but could have uplifted the reader better.

Any additional comments?

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

Mark Dawson is a God Amongst Mankind

I absolutely love this book! The pace was just right. The narration was spot on, inclusive of perfect British West End accents. The characters were all complex, so much so that you identified even with the bad guys, because somehow their human side shone through. I would recommend this book to readers who love twisted plots engaged in by assassin-type James Bond-esque characters that have heavy faults, but good hearts.

A little slow to get the stew prepared, but...

I found the story to be exciting but it took a little while to get warmed up before the action kicked in. Overall, this story took somewhat predictable turns but ended up rounding out to a solid finish. This was a good introductory novel to a series with a lot of promise. Looking forward to book number 2.

thrill ride

if you like the Gray Man this is better. Fast paced. Performance is awesome. The characters are relatable and interesting. I have listed to as many of these books in order as possible. Great listen. I even bought the book.. lol