The novel “The Cleaner” by Mark Dawson was published for the first time in 2014. It’s the first book in the John Milton series.
John Milton is the number one man sent by British intelligence when they deem it necessary to physically eliminate some dangerous person and to do it in a clean way. He’s tasked with eliminating a couple of Iranian scientists linked to the atomic program who are officially on vacation in France but the information in his possession doesn’t include the presence of their son and he decides to spare him. Instead, he’s forced to kill a gendarme who arrives at the crime scene.
The mission has deeply affected John Milton’s conscience, already shaken by the long trail of blood he has left behind over the years. He wants to resign but such a choice is inconceivable in his type of work and his supervisor assesses the measures to take. By chance, Milton comes across a woman who wants to commit suicide and saves her. He discovers that she’s in a complicated situation with a teenage son who is part of a London gang intent on various crimes.
Mark Dawson uses “The Cleaner” to introduce John Milton and his attempt to change his life after being British intelligence’s top man in eliminating people who could constitute a threat. The beginning is used to tell his last mission with the reasons why he can no longer have the cold blood needed to kill the people he’s assigned.
It’s clear from the beginning that John Milton’s decision will have consequences and that his supervisor’s only doubts are related to evaluations of his mental health and the best way to handle a man with his skills and experience.
In some ways, John Milton is searching for himself but it seems impossible for him to stay away from violent events. His missions can be considered a necessary evil but the story of the last one shows that situations are not black and white. For this reason, he’s consumed by remorse for what he has done but he is a man of action and does not spend much time brooding.
Following his nature, when he saves Sharon from a suicide attempt and discovers that her son Elijah is part of a gang, Milton throws himself into a sort of personal mission. Saving the boy from the short and bloody life typical of members of that type of gang becomes his goal.
The story follows mainly John Milton but also Elijah and other members of the same gang, telling the dynamics within it. Even the leaders are young because the life expectations in that environment are really limited. Despite this, for teenagers with a very limited education, the prospect of easy money is definitely better than a school they see as a waste of time.
These plot elements are not exactly original but Mark Dawson gives a realistic flavor to a type of story that sometimes is just an excuse to tell continuous action. The author develops important characters well, makes good use of dialogues that include slang expressions, and ties part of the plot to the real events of the 2011 England riots. The result is that the reader feels like being in real places while witnessing the events.
All of this forms a novel that has a lot of action, with moments of great intensity, but also stories of diverse people who are faced with different kinds of choices. Each choice has its consequences and each character deals with them in their own way.
In my opinion, “The Cleaner” works well as an introduction to John Milton and his search for a new life in which he can make amends for his past actions. It’s the first book in a series with an ending that offers a conclusion to the plot and at the same time, leaves the protagonist’s personal story open to new adventures. If you like this genre, I recommend reading it. It’s available on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
