A stranger to the thriller genre, Shane Kuhn’s “The Intern’s Handbook” seemed like a something I’d flip through on a long flight or a late night after tedious textbook review. The unique blend of morbid humor, gore and questionable romanticism, however, made the read an immediate priority.

The book is narrated by John Lago, a self-professed bad guy, who works for the secret assassination agency HR. Inc. Utilizing the truism that “interns are invisible,” the agency places young assassins in low profile positions to take down big ticket targets: military personnel, oil barons, and in this account, law firm CEOs.

Drafted into the agency from a youth detention center by the mysterious leader Bob, John has carried out his fair share of missions. “The Intern’s Handbook” serves as his confessional, a memoir for prospective employees of HR. Inc. who want to avoid a dip in one of the company’s barrels of acid. Recounting his last mission before mandatory retirement at the ripe age of twenty-five, Lago leaves no room for guess work and propels readers into an adventure that can only be described as “James Bond” meets “Dexter” meets “Suits.”

The brutal dialogue injects an adrenaline rush that leaves you yearning for more. The plot is likewise succinctly executed, avoiding exaggeration while delivering the kind of serendipity that makes life curiously enjoyable and miserable at the same time, and the clever use of blank slate characters makes it easier to forget that you are indeed not a clever assassin hiding in one of the top-ranked law firms of Manhattan.

Plausibility is the only force working against Kuhn’s risky twist on the assassination motif, though the subtle works of HR. Inc. employees are certainly more enjoyable than the big bang antics of typical of Hollywood characters. Shying away from high tech gadgets and impossible stunts, Lago prefers Rule #4: “Learn how to make the perfect cup of coffee: you make an exec the best coffee he’s ever had, and he will make sure you’re at his desk every morning for a repeat performance. That’s repetitive exposure, which begets access and trust. 44% of my kills came from my superior coffee-making abilities.”

Kuhn’s foray into the assassin genre is a success, and, much like Stephanie Meyer with Edward Cullen, he’s created a heartless, borderline-sociopathic character that readers can’t help but empathize with.