intern01Debut novel THE INTERN’S HANDBOOK (Simon and Schuster)by Shane Kuhn is just the kind of book we love to read. Fast paced, some great humor thrown in and characters that are a little bit out of step. John Lago is an assassin who pulls off his jobs by being a faceless intern, access and invisibility both working for him. His background on paper should throw off some warning signs, orphaned at a young age in and out of the foster care system. But he is eventually taken in by a hitman who while providing a home also teaches him a skill he can later use to make a living. Not quite like my Father teaching me to change my own oil, but it is fiction.  But he’s reached the age that he will start to stick out as it is a young person’s game. He takes on one last job and along the way runs into a complication of a woman he might be falling for but also works for the FBI. I’ve read a lot of hitman books over the years and I’ve also read a lot of books that have killers with a sense of humor. My first thought was that I would enjoy the book, but it would be one of those been there done that kind of reads. Not at all. It feels very fresh and I read it in one sitting. This will appeal to fans of  Tim Dorsey, Duane Swierczynski and Victor Gicshler.
Really looking forward to the next book by this new author. On our short list for best debut of the year.