No Return
Authors: Brett Battles
Tags: #Conspiracies, #Suspense, #Mystery & Detective, #Fiction, #Aircraft accidents, #Thrillers, #Television Camera Operators, #General
Praise for Brett Battles
And the Jonathan Quinn series
THE
CLEANER
“Brett Battles makes a grand entrance into the thriller scene with this
unputdownable
spy novel.
The Cleaner
has it all: exotic locales, James Bondian derring-do, and ingenious plot twists that will keep you sweating all the way till the end.”
—T
ESS
G
ERRITSEN
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“This book is a pure delight. Protagonist Jonathan Quinn is a unique and welcome addition to the world of crime fiction.
The Cleaner
is a brilliant and
heart-pounding
thriller; I’m on the edge of my seat, awaiting future installments of Quinn’s adventures.”
—J
EFFERY
D
EAVER
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“An emotionally tense tale of espionage and betrayal from a new author who writes with assurance and sophistication,
The Cleaner
’s
teeth-gritting action
is an auspicious debut for the talented Brett Battles.”
—P
ERRI
O’S
HAUGHNESSY
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Hypnotically gripping,
The Cleaner
moves with the speed of an assassin’s unerring bullet. From Colorado to Vietnam and Germany, this
ripping-good read
will leave anyone who loves suspense not only happily satisfied but eager for Battles’s next thriller.”
—G
AYLE
L
YNDS
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Brett Battles is a compelling new voice in the thriller genre.
The Cleaner
combines the best elements of Lee Child, John le Carré and Robert Ludlum. Deftly plotted, perfectly paced and expertly executed … Jonathan Quinn is a character worth rooting for. Battles is a
master storyteller
. Find a comfortable chair and plan to stay up late. You won’t be able to put it down. A stellar debut.”
—S
HELDON
S
IEGEL
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“The
Cleaner
is a terrific novel. It features a compelling plot,
thrilling action
and an unforgettable cast of characters. This debut novel is a powerful read.”
—R
OBERT
K. T
ANENBAUM
,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Globetrotting suspense, intriguing characters and a plot that ricochets like a bullet, Battles’s first novel is definitely in the running for
best thriller debut of the year.”
—
Daily Record
(UK)
“A page-turner … Quinn [is] a
compelling
protagonist.… Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Battles hits for extra bases in his first novel.
The Cleaner
is
a tightly written page-turner
, filled with tradecraft and offering as much action as a James Bond film … a wild ride.”
—
Booklist
SHADOW OF BETRAYAL
“Battles has established himself as
one of today’s best thriller writers
, right up there with Lee Child, Barry Eisler and Thomas Perry. His writing is smooth and perfectly paced. His ‘cleaner’ is eminently believable as well as a hero worth caring about. I look forward to many more years of Brett Battles’s books on my nightstand.”
—Deadly Pleasures
“As in [Battles’s] previous two Jonathan Quinn novels,
the action is heart-pounding
, gripping, and always engaging.”
—Tucson Citizen
“An absolute pleasure to read. Battles has a true gift for writing thrillers and this book should put him on everyone’s list.… From page one this is
a perfect summer read
.”
—
Crimespree
magazine
“[A] plot so
downright clever
it’s a wonder somebody hasn’t tried something similar in real life. Start
Shadow of Betrayal
early in the day, or be prepared for a later-than-usual bedtime.”
—BookPage
“Battles
keeps the reader hooked
to the last sentence.
Shadow of Betrayal
is a wonderful thriller.”
—
www.iloveamystery.com
THE DECEIVED
“Breakneck pacing, colorful locales, and
dizzying plot twists
make the Quinn series a welcome addition to the political thriller genre.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Plenty of
globetrotting nonstop action
, plot twists, tight writing, whiz-bang high-tech devices … Derring-do will always find an audience.”
—
Booklist
“A successful sequel to
The Cleaner
.
Highly recommended
.”
—
Library Journal
(starred review)
“Complex and believable.”
—
Deadly Pleasures
No Return
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
A Dell eBook Edition
Copyright © 2012 by Brett Battles
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Dell, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
DELL is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
eISBN: 978-0-345-53219-0
Cover design: Jerry Todd
v3.1
Contents
A DISTANT BOOM ECHOED FAINTLY ACROSS THE
hills.
Wes Stewart peered at the sky. He recognized the sound, but it was one he hadn’t heard in years.
“What the hell was that?” Danny DeLeon asked. He was holding the second camera.
“Sonic boom.”
Danny still looked confused, so Wes added, “You know, when a jet breaks the sound barrier.”