Hostile Takeover: A John Lago Thriller

When newlywed hit man John Lago and his former nemesis, Alice, cap their bespoke Manhattan nuptials by bumping off their boss at Human Resources Inc.—a boutique contract assassination firm with the genius MO of getting killers close to otherwise inaccessible targets by placing them as interns—the couple expect some blowback. But nothing even their exquisitely twisted imaginations can conjure comes remotely close to the smoke and mirrors scenario that unfolds in this sardonically funny and psychologically astute sequel to Kuhn’s debut, 2014’s The Intern’s Handbook. Nor does anything prepare the sizzling hot duo, now partnering uneasily as co-CEOs of the thriving HR Inc., for the marathon mayhem that ensues once their bone-deep distrust turns them back into each other’s deadliest enemies. Though character soon takes a back seat to the inspired multiplex-ready execution scenarios of the bullet-train plot, readers ready for a cartoonishly enjoyable adventure shouldn’t mind a bit. [em]Agent: Hannah Brown Gordon, Foundry Literary + Media. (July) [/em]