The Cleaner

 By: Mark Dawson

Location: FIC DAW

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Mystery

Series: John Milton#1

“Come on,” Milton said. “Look at me—do I look like James Bond?”

"This novel takes a hard look at gangs, drugs, alcoholism, poverty, working three jobs and still not being able to pay all of the bills, atonement, helping others, jealousy, corruption, theft, riots, murder, revenge, and much more." pam

John Milton is the man the government call when they want a problem to vanish . . . but what happens when he's the one that needs to disappear?
After a botched job leaves a bloody trail, government assassin John Milton does the one thing he's never done before: he hides.

Disappearing into London's bustling East End and holing up in a vacant flat, Milton becomes involved with single mother Sharon and her troubled son Elijah, who are caught in an increasingly bloody turf war between two rival gangs.

Unable to ignore the threat, Milton sets about protecting mother and son, meeting violence with violence. But his involvement puts him in the sights of the government's next best killer, and before long Milton is not just fighting to save a family and a home – he's fighting to stay alive . . .

Review by Collin

Secret Government problem solver John Milton sorts out things that the usual agencies can’t touch. When the results of his most recent assassination job begin to prick his conscience, Milton wonders if it’s time to get out and do something different. Trouble is, his boss doesn’t agree - simply leaving the ‘service’ isn’t an option. However, while reflecting on his future, Milton finds himself in a situation that demands quick thinking. In saving the life of a young mother, the former killer is given a new perspective – perhaps he can make up for his past by helping the woman and her wayward son?

This is the first of Mark Dawson’s John Milton series and I’m happy to say it got off to a cracking start. I was gripped from the beginning and could hardly bear to put it down. The writing is tight and to the point, with a whole host of interesting and dangerous characters. Be warned, though, there’s a massive body-count in this one and the hero probably isn’t someone you’d want to invite round for dinner.

The comparison to Lee Child’s Jack Reacher is often bandied about in relation to Milton, yet while the characters are similar in terms of their abilities, I’d say they don’t have a lot in common. In any case, ‘The Cleaner’ is a great read and I’m already looking forward to the next volume.