The Deceived

It’s been a while since I read Battles’s first novel, but I think this one is better. Quinn’s characterization is expanding and he seems much less robotic than in the first one. He’s still methodical and ruthless, but he’s also got a human side and that is very much at the fore as he pursues his friend’s killer. Battles’s use of more descriptors add to a better sense of place than in the first novel which was very stark by comparison. Quinn still barks out monosyllabic orders, though, in keeping with his persona.

The action never lets up once it starts. Just as Quinn, Nate and Orlando can’t catch their breaths, neither can we. One thing that does bug me is that the title sort of gives away everything. I’d have called show more it something else if it were me. When I met Tasha and Jenny, I was automatically suspicious of both and when their characters were established, it stuck so the ending wasn’t a surprise; it was expected. I just didn’t know when Quinn would figure it out. I didn’t expect what happened to Nate, though. That sucks and I hope he’ll be back. He was starting to be a person and not a prop in this one.

The overall plot was decent and not too hackneyed. The shadowy international organization behind it was a bit though I haven’t personally encountered it in a while. At least he didn’t give it an acronym that spelled anything like K.A.R.L.A. or S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Once again he gives us good spy craft detail with lots of protocols and procedures Quinn follows. That kind of stuff always fascinates me.

The Orlando thing is bugging me though. I KNEW he’d go there. The cheap and easy romance angle. It’s boring and played. So in future we’ll be treated to the big, huge, and glaringly obvious weak spot for Quinn. She’ll be held hostage. Her kid will be held hostage. Quinn will feel conflicted about sending her into dangerous situations. She’ll argue that it’s her job and that he has no right to “let” her do anything. Ugh. Spare me. Please Brett, kill her off or separate them or something. For the good of your story. Romance kills. show less

The Deceived, by Brett Battles is the story of Jonathan Quinn, a professional "cleaner", who is called to a job one day to find the body of his friend, Steven Markoff is the problem that needs "cleaning". Markoff saved Quinn's life once and Quinn now takes it upon himself to find out both how Markoff was killed and why someone sent the body to Quinn. What follows is a great spy novel, filled with exotic locations, cool gadgets, clever plot twists and brave heroics, reminiscent of Robert Ludlum's best.

I was interested to read this book since I'm the type of person who loves series, and yet never reads them out of order. I hadn't read this first book in the series and I was wondering how the author would bring me up to speed. Battles show more does a superb job. He introduces a new reader to the characters with a deft and subtle hand, giving us enough background on each character with just a few well placed sentences. It is a fine line the author of a series must tread, allowing new readers to get to know the characters, without making loyal readers feel like they're re-reading the previous book, and this author does this very well.

The Deceived is a well done, engaging spy novel. I'll be going back and reading the first book in this series, The Cleaner. Brett Battles and his character Jonathan Quinn have just joined my "must read series" list. show less

Jonathan Quinn is a freelance cleaner and the man you call when you’ve got a mess than needs cleaning up. Quinn can get rid of any and all evidence and erase any trail that leads to you up to and including the disposal of a dead body.

When Quinn is called on to dispose of the body of a former associate and close friend Steven Markoff, Quinn takes it on himself to contact Markoff’s girlfriend, Jenny Fuentes. When he finds Jenny has disappeared, Quinn puts his skills and resources into finding out where Jenny is and what’s happened to her.

Battles writes a fast-paced, spy-thriller. Quinn is one part James Bond, one part Jason Bourne. The story moves along at a nice pace, giving us action pieces and suspense while keeping the clues show more coming at enough of a clip to keep you interested. As Quinn investigates the conspiracy and cover-ups, you’ll find yourself more and more intrigued by what’s happening and eager to find out the truth. And when Quinn does find out what’s going on, it’s brought together in a satisfying way. show less

Holey moley! I was in the mood for a page turner and with Brett Battles’ [The Deceived], I got that in spades. This book sucked me in and swept me along in the way only a good, action-filled suspense novel really can.

The book’s central character is a mercenary with the alias Jonathan Quinn. Quinn is a ‘cleaner’, hired by government and crime bosses alike to go in and eliminate evidence (and remove bodies) after the violence is over.

In this, the second novel in a series, Quinn is hired to clean out a shipping container, only to find that it contains the body of a man who once saved his life. The man, a former CIA agent, was badly beaten and left to slowly die in the shipping container. He did, however, manage to scrawl a message show more (in blood, of course), consisting of a series of letters and numbers, on the container wall. And he died clutching a photo of his girlfriend - one that had been taken by Quinn himself when all three had been on a fishing vacation.

Quinn sets out to find out what happened to his friend and soon learns that the man’s girlfriend, Jenny, has disappeared. The reader travels with Quinn to several American cities and, eventually, to Singapore, as he begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together and very quickly puts himself in the line of fire.

The book is well-written (a real necessity for me to enjoy any book. Even with a great plot, badly written prose is like nails on a chalk board), with great dialogue between likeable characters, who manage to be believable despite their existence among the world of “secrets.” And the action scenes are great fun (they certainly got my heart racing).

The book did start to drag near the end (the part that takes place in Singapore), as it took a little too long to build to the climax. And there was one plot twist that I saw coming a mile away. However, there was a terrific ending and a few subsequent plot twists that did surprise, so I consider these to be minor quibbles.

I don’t know if I’ll remember [The Deceived] in a few weeks’ time but I certainly had fun reading it. If you are looking for some enjoyable summer reading and mysteries are your thing (and you don’t mind a little violent action), then get yourself a copy of [The Deceived]. I have already ordered the first book in the series from the library. show less

I read and enjoyed the first Quinn novel. Quinn is a cleaner, a person hired to remove bodies and clean up after assorted mishaps. In this 2nd in the series, Quinn has been hired to get rid of a body in a shipping container. He discovers that it’s an old friend Steven Markoff, a CIA operative who once saved his life. On the wall of the container, Markoff had scratched a series of numbers and two letters: LP.

As a way of honoring his old friend, Quinn decides to contact Jenny, Markoff’s girlfriend, only to discover she has disappeared and is on the run. She is being sought by numerous people who always seem to be just behind Quinn and when he tries to discover the meaning of LP, people shut down and tell him to immediately drop his show more investigation. The conspiracy grows and they soon find themselves battling numerous foes in Singapore where Markoff’s clues have led them.

In the end, Battles has taken his series off in a slightly different direction, a little more like a Tom Cruise movie rather than the cool undercover professional in The Cleaner. It works and is still a very fast and enjoyable spy novel, just a little different than the first book. show less

The murder of his friend Steven Markoff takes cleaner Jonathan Quinn and his friends to Singapore to avenge his death and find out why he was murdered..

Fast-paced read with lots of threads to the plot. The anti-ero character of Jonathan Quinn keeps expanding with each book of the series that I read.

My 2nd Review.

I usually don't read a book series out of order, and had I known this was the second of novels staring "Jonathan Quinn", I'd have ran to a bookstore to grab a copy of "The Cleaner" and read them back-to-back. "The Deceived" was so good, I was left wanting a James Bond-length series to read RIGHT NOW!!! Without giving away any spoilers, here is the basis of the plot: Like everyone else from time to time, Jonathan Quinn receieves a package. Not like most everyone else, his package is a shipping container containing the corpse of a man he owes his life to. In a whirlwind adventure spanning the globe from Washington D.C. to Singapore, "The Deceived" was entirely enjoyable. The suspense was as substantial as a volcanic show more erruption and the characters as well-sculpted as Michelangelo's Pietà. I can't wait for the news of this book being developed into a film. show less