In Battles's strong sequel to The Cleaner
—which introduced Jonathan Quinn, an ex-CIA agent who cleans up crime scenes for a shadowy U.S. government intelligence agency—Quinn determines to find the murderer of his CIA friend Steven Markoff. Quinn and his team must also locate Steven's missing girlfriend, Jenny Fuentes, to notify her of Steven's death. The search for Jenny hopscotches from Los Angeles to Houston to the Washington, D.C., offices of Jenny's boss, an ambitious politician. Along the way, Quinn and his compatriots contend with villains who appear to be linked to an international conspiracy. The chase ends in Singapore, where Quinn enlists a former underworld contact to help identify the plot's nefarious mastermind. Breakneck pacing, colorful locales and dizzying plot twists make the Quinn series a welcome addition to the political thriller genre. (July)
