Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Invisible. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

When a letter from his father reaches Paul McGrath two years after it has been written, the military intelligence agent decides to return home and patch up his relationship with the man. Finding out that his father was murdered months before, with key evidence against the suspect going missing at the courthouse, Paul makes it his mission to solve his father's case. Going undercover as a janitor in the very house of law in which the evidence disappeared, can Paul navigate the path of corruption to its source?

Invisible has all of the hallmarks of a great suspense thriller. Paul McGrath is an interesting, determined, and well-meaning man with the potential for many possible future plot lines. The story of corruption in the law enforcement world is nothing new, but the author crafted a great story of those who champion the causes for the downtrodden. I really liked the balance between the character development and the fast moving plot, as this propelled the book forward to the well laid conclusion. Invisible is a novel that I would highly recommend to readers who like suspense thrillers and I look forward to reading more by author Andrew Grant in the future.

I was pleased overall by this thriller. The premise of the "invisible" man in the courthouse ferreting out the secrets was appealing. The main character, ex special ops, is fairly typical to the genre, and he wasnt quite as complex a character as I would have liked. He definitely fit the hero mold however, sometimes a little fantastically. I appreciated the pacing of Invisible, a slow build to a racing last third. My only complaint is that a lot was left unresolved. I assume there will be a sequel.... I'd read it.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

RATING 3.5 STARS

Paul McGrath is on a personal mission. After completing his mission with government, he now wants to make nice with his father that he hasn't seen in years. Never seeing eye to eye with his father, he hopes that time will heal but time has taken his father away. He now wants to make his father's death right. With a new mission and a new purpose, he is invisible as a janitor in the Federal building where evidence seems to disappear. Evidence that could convict the man responsible for his father's death.

A thriller that plot is driven by corruption and weeding thru who really pulls the strings, an estranged son finds redemption.

A Special Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

I really liked the premise of Invisible. It's like when people have servants and assume the servants are not listening. A janitor in a courthouse is certainly the perfect cover to become invisible. It's a story of good against evil, one man doing the right thing, justice. I enjoyed the story. I will read more from the author. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Published by Ballantine Books on January 8, 2019

Invisible is another human trafficking novel, the haven of thriller writers who can’t concoct a fresh plot. Paul McGrath is the kind of thriller hero who can’t stop telling us how great he is. He doesn’t overlook any injustice, he won’t tolerate people who dishonor a military uniform, yada yada. I just didn’t like the guy, making it difficult to build enthusiasm for the story he tells. Readers who like characters like McGrath will probably like the book, because parts of the story will push their thriller buttons.

McGrath is a working-class hero who calls himself The Janitor. He’s cleaning up the city’s streets — get it? The Janitor? McGrath starts the novel as part of Military Intelligence (and we know what George Carlin said about that!). He’s suspected of a crime, so he quits the military and returns to the States to make peace with his dad. Part of the conflict might have stemmed from McGrath’s father telling McGrath that he was a psychopath who should seek treatment (McGrath joined the Army instead).

McGrath’s good intentions are foiled when he learns that his father died right after an argument with a business partner who was defrauding the business. A nitwit prosecutor charged the business partner with homicide on the theory that the stress of the quarrel caused a heart attack due to a previously undiagnosed health condition. Andrew Grant apparently believes that’s a valid homicide theory, but even the most zealous Manhattan prosecutor would be too overworked to pursue such a nonsensical charge.

The prosecutor’s fraud case against the business partner tanked when files containing the evidence went missing. (Although the evidence consists of documents, the prosecutor doesn’t think she can prove the case with copies, which again demonstrates that she is a nitwit or that Grant doesn’t understand much about evidence.) McGrath learns that evidence has also gone missing in other cases. He makes it his mission to learn why.

McGrath takes a job as a courthouse janitor so he’ll have access to places where files might have been stashed. Since people are searched on their way into a courthouse, not on their way out, there’s no reason to stash the files where they might be found as opposed to taking them to a distant location and burning them. Still, McGrath is convinced that playing janitor will solve the mystery. That plot thread is only partially resolved because Grant wanted to set up a sequel.

While snooping around the courthouse, McGrath stumbles upon evidence of other possible crimes that he reports to the police, making a nuisance of himself when they fail to prioritize his reports. Naturally, he takes it upon himself to solve the world’s problems, which is smart because searching the courthouse while sweeping floors would have made for a less-than-riveting plot.

Some of McGrath’s plans to solve problems are just preposterous, but the whole story is pretty silly. So is McGrath. Like most action-thriller heroes, McGrath has utter contempt for bosses who (like most action-thriller writers) have never spent “time in the field.” Grant coughs up other reliable clichés: McGrath doesn’t “play by the rules”; McGrath had a sensei; McGrath tells war stories that, in his view, impart profound lessons; McGrath defeated countless terrorists when he was a military spy; McGrath drinks regular coffee with “nothing foamy in it” because he’s a regular guy; thriller heroes hate New York slumlords and Russian gangsters; thriller heroes who served in the military (didn’t they all?) are superior to people who didn’t. McGrath also follows the mold of thriller heroes who are appallingly self-righteous. And he plays an action role alongside the police, even though he’s not a cop, which would never happen in the real world.

The second half of the novel contains quite a bit of backstory regarding the bad guys. Lacking the Janitor to bring down the plot, that section of the book is actually pretty good. Grant’s writing style is serviceable, so Invisible is not painful to read. Fans of clichéd action heroes might enjoy it. Other thriller fans can easily find better choices. Clearly Grant has another Janitor novel in mind, but I'll be skipping it.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

Pretty good book based around an ex-military intelligence officer who comes home to a different world. I got an advance copy to read which meant that there were some movement that needed to be done on parts of the book, but overall a good read, relevant storyline, and the potential of a new hero-the janitor.

I would recommend this book highly.

This would probably appeal to readers who loved the "mystery"/"thriller" novels of the 1980s--the hero is basically a superhero, the villians are cartoonish in their villiany, the "mystery" is obvious--but I found it far too old fashioned. The idea/"plot" had promise but was both completely shallow and hollow. It depended on events that stretched the bounds of credulity to the breaking point, and I didn't enjoy it.

Paul McGrath is an army veteran that goes back home to try to make things right with his dad. When he gets home he finds that his dad has died while he was on a mission. He also discovers that things aren’t what they seem. This sends him on a mission of his own where there are many twists and turns. I really enjoyed this character and hope there will be more books featuring him. I received a copy of this book through Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Over the objections of his pacifist father, Paul McGrath has made a successful career out of the Army, learning skills not generally taught in private industry. In fact, most of what McGrath did in the service would land him behind bars were it not for the special dispensation given to members of the military to eliminate problems in particularly final ways. Now discharged, McGrath is given a letter from his estranged father written two years earlier and lost in the abyss of the army's mail system, a letter, surprisingly, seeking to repair their damaged relationship. Arriving at his childhood home, McGrath discovers that he is too late to see his father, who died six months previously, following an argument with the man his dad had partnered into the firm and who had been caught altering the firm's financial reports, a crime that landed him in court. When McGrath finds the man has disappeared after missing evidence resulted in his case being thrown out, he takes a job as one of the invisible people: a janitor at the courthouse, where he uncovers corruption so widespread that he uses all the tactics at his disposal to find and eliminate those involved.
As usual, Grant has written a really good thriller, except that the ending, which leaves plot lines dangling unresolved, is rushed and tepid. So, a decent read, as long as you don't mind filling in the plot resolution yourself.

I have read a few books by Mr. Grant and am a fan. Invisible was not what I was expecting, and I am grateful for the pleasant surprise. At first blush, our protagonist seems to be some sort of military operative a la Jack Reacher. As Invisible progresses, we see that Paul, our hero needs to discover what happened to his father and why. Was his death related to shady business dealings? And where is the ex-partner in the business? Paul gets a job as a janitor in the courthouse, hoping to resolve his questions. Invisible does have many characters and sometimes that is challenging. Overall this is another absorbing mystery by a talented writer. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy

First, there was Superman to help mankind. Then, Batman arrived to fight crime. Now, it’s The Janitor because everyone knows they’re Invisible but have access to everything. The Janitor, playing soon at your local multiplex starring Ben Affleck.

Paul decides not to reenlist as an Army Special Forces Military Intelligence Officer (aka spy) because he wants to return home to reconcile with his father. However, when he arrives his father is dead.

The police arrested his father’s business partner for fraud and manslaughter. However, crucial physical evidence is lost in the courthouse forcing a mistrial. The partner vanishes two days later. The detective on the case not so subtly tells Paul that if the evidence is found, the case will be retried.

Paul uses his spy craft to acquire a job as a janitor in the courthouse so he can find the evidence files. While working there, he hears various tales of woe and becomes a vigilante. He calls himself, The Janitor.

Okay, it sounds pretty campy. You can almost see the big red Pow! and Zonk! in your mind as you are reading Invisible. It begins completely differently with Paul’s last job for the Army. I would have preferred more of that story. However, the janitor story was entertaining. It seemed very cinematic. You do root for Paul though his side trips to fix everyone’s problem before resolving his own are distracting.

The author, Andrew Grant, is the younger brother of Lee Child. He has written two series, both are trilogies, so I expect to see a couple more books in The Janitor series too.

If you like superhero movies and thrillers, this novel will be perfect for you. If you like thrillers, Invisible is recommended as a breakneck read with a likeable lead. 4 stars!

Thanks to Ballantine Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"I'm just a janitor."

Paul McGrath is anything but a lowly janitor at the courthouse. He's using the skills he honed as a military intelligence officer to track down one particular packet -- the missing evidence that could have put his father's killer in prison. Instead, his father's cheating, scamming partner, Alex Pardew, has disappeared without consequence. Paul knows he can find the paperwork and takes a job there giving him the means to search the premises. In addition, there's a much larger criminal network that needs seeing to and Paul has just the expertise needed to take them all down. NO SPOILERS.

What a great action-packed suspense novel that blends a certain level of investigatory detail along with organized crime and unusual punishment. Paul is a very intriguing character and I sure hope that there will be another adventure in his future with another book -- perhaps this is the beginning of a new series? I liked the plot and the complexity of the "cases" that Paul is managing in a bit of a maverick fashion especially now that he's left the military and is a civilian with few official resources. Excellent writing propels the narrative and I really felt I was on the streets of New York as the descriptions are quite well done. I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them as well. This one was hard to put down so I read it over the course of a couple of hours this evening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. Enjoy!

Some people you just don’t notice. A janitor is a great example and the choice for Paul, former special forces, to assume as he returns home to find out what has happened to his father.

Andrew Grant has delivered an engrossing, propulsive suspense novel about a former military intelligence officer who goes undercover to solve a mystery that hits close to home.
Paul McGrath gets a job as janitor at the courthouse in order to search for evidence against the man responsible for the death of McGrath’s father. Evidence that conveniently got “lost” in the middle of his trial. As a janitor, he can go everywhere, but is essentially invisible.. As the action ratchets up, the janitor cleans up messes and defends the defenseless. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new and interesting series.

Grant is always readable, but this one does seem to have a lot of “filler” detail. It’s not pertinent to character of plot development, but turns a really nice short story into a novel. The protagonist — a highly trained army counter-espionage agent, “retires” to avoid career-ending conflict, aiming to return to his estranged father, and try to establish a new life.

Instead he finds his father recently deceased — and mysteriously so, and the victim of massive financial fraud. With lots of implied but undescribed violence, Paul sets out to track down missing legal detail as well as the perp.

It’s a good read, but not the author’s best work.

Paul is an ex Army intelligence officer who after leaving the military goes home to reconcile with his Father. He arrives and finds out his Father died 6 mos ago. His Father died after he and his business partner have an argument. The partner had been embezzling from the business. There is an open and shut case against the partner but crucial evidence disappears, so does the ex partner. Paul decides he is going to find the evidence. He goes to work at the courthouse as a janitor to search. Along the way he discovers other things that aren’t right. He presents the problems to a police contact but nothing is done. Paul decides he has to handle it himself.

This was a bit convoluted for me. Some of the chapters went into the past. There were a lot of moving parts in this book to keep track of. Also the problem with his Father’s partner isn’t fully resolved. I have liked Andrew Grants books in the past, but this wasn’t my favorite. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This book will doubtless appeal to a wide range of readers, just not to this one. To me this was something like the Hardy Boys combined with Superman. It was clean, shallow and depended on the miraculous. It was the sort of thing that mothers of fifth grade boys would choose for their children to read.

It was entirely unrealistic and the characterizations definitely did not “fit” the characters – any of them. I made it through about 2/3 before calling it quits. I’m giving it 3 stars for a worthy effort.

NetGalley and the publisher made this available to me as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review will be published immediately on GoodReads and on Amazon after the publication date.

good book full of action and suspense would make a great new serie with this character hope to see more in the future

Loved this novel. Do I see a series starting? A regular guy, superhero without the costume. He just does good for people who need it, while looking for a way to bring his father's killer to justice...more please

This was a entertaining, exciting story with a lot of intrigue. Easy to read with a good ending. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys suspense.