I was so excited to listen to this audiobook and it started out brilliantly, it sadly it then fell flat for me. A professional assassin quits after 10 years in the job after being hauled over the coals for allowing a young child, a witness, to live. Everyone knows that assassins never leave, they disappear. John Milton didn't seem overly concerned about being found, but he was concerned about how his former employer would react if they discovered he was attending AA meetings - I would have thought that would be the least of his worries, if his location were discovered!

I liked that Milton had a heart, you don't read of many deadly assassins with a conscience, but with his experience, how was he so naive? A one man cure for London's gangland culture? Never going to happen! Through Milton trying to atone his past, I felt like too many other people lost their lives.

This book did have an excellent narrator in David Thorpe, who portrayed so many characters brilliantly!

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This, unfortunately, really wasn't for me. It's not my usual genre. However, I am attempting challenges here and trying to expand my reading library to open my awareness to different types of writing styles, etc. Given this detail in my review, it is important as it may simply be that I have less to work with in regard to this genre. I appreciate the work that goes into researching & writing a book hence the 3 stars still felt well deserved this was more a personal preference of genre.

With all that being said I felt this just didn't hold my interest I did of course complete the audiobook and the beginning started off well I seemed to get lost around maybe a quarter of the way in and found myself being easily distracted. It just became almost like listening to a conversation between Milton and Elijah.

The narration has to be said is, rather soothing, which although I enjoyed very much the narrators audio, possibly for this audiobook, it doesn't quite all gel for me. Sorry this isn't more positive. However, it is completely honest and all my own opinions.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to this ELC in return for a review. With thanks to Netgalley & W F Howes Ltd. Best wishes for publication on 14th April. I'm sure this will do well for all the spy enthusiasts out there 📚🎧

*The Cleaner* by Mark Dawson is the first book in the John Milton series, introducing readers to a former government assassin seeking redemption. John Milton, a highly skilled operative, decides to leave his life of state-sanctioned killings behind and atone for his past. However, walking away from his profession isn't easy, as his former employers won't let him go without a fight.

The story takes Milton to London's East End, where he becomes entangled in the lives of a single mother and her son, who are caught in a violent gang conflict. As Milton tries to help them, he faces challenges from both the gang and his own past, which comes back to haunt him.

Dawson masterfully combines action, suspense, and character depth, creating a gripping narrative that explores themes of guilt, redemption, and survival. It's a must-read for fans of fast-paced thrillers with morally complex protagonists.

3.5 🌟

From other reviews here I can only assume this title has been relaunched with the publisher.

Initially I wondered would this title hold my interest. It wouldn’t really be my usual genres but I’m trying to widen the scope a little bit here and there. I expected high action, spy movie vibes, but I was wrong, so maybe if that’s what you’re looking for you might struggle with it, but it is the first in a series, so perhaps it’ll head in that direction.

Milton is disheartened, after many years of cleaning up situations his final hit has gone wrong, and hie wants out,instead he’s told he doesn’t make those decisions and is suspended. Milton finds that he’s struggling with his conscience, and when he meets Sharon who is struggling to keep her son away from gang culture he sees it as an opportunity to mentor Elijah and seek some sort of atonement for his past. This takes the story on a sharp turn into inner city gangs, drugs and violence, this probably made the novel more appealing to me. I’d be keen to read more in the series, but I’d also like to be back with the characters from this title, I’m not sure that would work.

I enjoyed David Thorpe’s narration on the title.

Huge thanks to Quest from W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC 🎧