Written in the style of a "handbook", the main character, John Lago, is 25 and a specially trained assassin for a company called HR. He does undercover jobs as an intern in Fortune 500 companies and high-brow law offices, and his boss, Bob, sends him to complete difficult jobs. With his position as intern, he is given close proximity to his marks, and, as he says in the handbook, "no one pays attention to interns but they are given access to everything." Lago's newest and last assignment as an intern at a law firm puts him close to his mark, the head of the company; however, Alice, a gorgeous lawyer for the firm keep him otherwise occupied. At first, Lago remains the unfeeling sociopath. He accounts his every move towards his mark while Alice plays a secondary role. When he finds out that Alice is actually an FBI agent, he bugs her computer for information and he reads the contents of all her files. However, Lago's feelings change toward Alice when she gives him a special birthday present: information that could lead him to his father. Lago is an orphan whose mother was killed by his drug-dealing disappeared father and, with his recount of his horrific upbringing in a variety of foster homes, he is surprisingly touched by her thoughtfulness. Sensing that Lago is weakening, Bob calls Lago into the office where Bob questions his timeline on killing his mark. Lago insists that he's on the case, and he realizes that he will have to kill Alice to move forward. Though his plan had been on killing Alice all along, Lago now finds that he will regret not having her in his life. However, Lago becomes fixed on finishing the job no matter what the cost. Under the guise of bringing papers to his boss, Lago is ready to kill his mark. However, the plan is thwarted when other attackers show up, spraying the place with bullets, and Lago has to respond like a true intern: scared and vulnerable. Later, to gather more information, Lago breaks into Alice's apartment when he thinks she is away on business, with his face covered in ninja gear, to retrieve information from his computer. Unknowingly, Alice is in the apartment and pulls a gun on him, and they have a brutal fight invoking pots, pans, guns, knives, and martial arts. In the end, Lago thinks wins the fight, but one of Alice's bullets has grazed his heel, forcing him to limp. When he turns to leave, Alice is gone, only to reappear fully loaded and ready to gun him down. Lago decides to make a jump for it out her window, hoping that the usual dumpster is still there to receive him. He barely gets away. On his way limping home, Alice calls him, upset and wanting comfort for the break-in. Deciding that this is the best time to make the split and upset when he sees the bruises he inflicted on her, Lago goes to see her, starts an argument, and leaves. Soon after, he is contacted by the agency who is looking to find his birth father, and they say that they have a match and they send over his information with a picture. Lago considers his background and his apathy towards his life and job. A few days later, he hits a dead end with information because Alice's computer is no longer sending him files. To finish the job, he must reconnect with her. Knowing this will be difficult, Lago gets the help of HR to construct the best romantic apology ever, and he caps off this part of the mission asking Alice to marry him. She accepts, and for a brief moment John feels happy. Soon after, Lago speaks to his real father, who is in Honduras. Lago tries to explain that he hasn't been a very good person, and his father invites him to stay with him once he is able to get away. Knowing that he must kill his mark to satisfy Bob and expose his past to Alice, Lago hurriedly pretends to finish the job. However, one night, on coming home to Alice, he finds her dead. Distraught, he goes to Bob, who has been like a father to him, and Bob turns on him, beating him up. Lago escapes to Honduras to see his father. Out of nowhere they are tracked and knocked out. When Lago comes to, he is tied to a chair with his father. Then, while Bob explains his treachery against him, Alice steps out from the shadows clearly on Bob's side. Bob explains that the true mark was Lago's real father, who wasn't a drug dealer after all, but a most-wanted assassin who used to work for HR who left when Lago's mother was murdered by HR men for not giving up information. Lago and his father escape in a flurry of tactical fighting and bullets. The book ends with Lago realizing that though Alice was a traitor, he actually does love her. He tracks her to remote location, where he surprises her at gunpoint, professing his love.
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Best part of story, including ending:
I liked this story because it had dark-humor, and it was rather interesting. The author's authenticity made me question whether he was really a writer or an assassin! Lago, the main character, though a criminal, was very human in regards to his sense of loneliness about the world. His connection with Alice, though it almost killed him, was a true epiphany for him.
Best scene in story:
I enjoyed the fight scene where Lago breaks into Alice's apartment. It was very descriptive and funny; she used every appliance she could get her hands on to throw at him and he was surprised at her strength.
Opinion about the main character:
Though Lago calls himself unfeeling, he wants to improve himself and his life situation. He isn't sure what that will look like outside of his life at HR; he's never known anything different. However, he is excited to be normal, to have love, to have friends. He is ready to join society instead of staying in the shadows.
