The Intern's Handbook: A Thriller

Written by Shane Kuhn

Narrated by Pete Simonelli

**INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER** Best of the Year—Seattle Times
An elite assassin goes undercover as an unpaid office lackey in The Intern’s Handbook, “a sexy, darkly comic thriller with cinematic flourishes” (New York Daily News).

“Imagine Dexter working in The Office” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) and you have John Lago, intern at one of the biggest law firms in Manhattan. He clocks eighty hours a week getting coffee, answering phones, and doing all of the grunt work no one else wants to do…and he doesn’t make a dime. But John isn’t trying to claw his way to the top of the corporate food chain. He was hired to assassinate one of the firm’s high profile, heavily guarded partners. His internship is the perfect cover—he can gather intel and secure the access he needs to execute a clean, untraceable kill. “Faceless and forgettable, an intern’s as invisible as a ninja in fluorescent lights—and, at least in John Lago’s case, just as deadly” (NPR.org).

The Intern’s Handbook begins as an unofficial survival guide for new recruits at Human Resources, Inc.—a front for one of the most elite assassin training and “placement” programs in the world—and becomes a chronicle of John’s final assignment, a twisted, violent thrill ride in which he is pitted against the strongest (and sexiest) adversary he has ever faced: Alice, a federal agent assigned to investigate the same law firm partner John’s been hired to kill.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781442368156

Shane Kuhn

Shane Kuhn is a writer, director, and producer with twenty years of experience working in feature films, documentaries, and advertising. He is a cofounder and executive board member of the Slamdance Film Festival, and a member of the Writer’s Guild of America. He lives in Colorado and works as Vice President of Creative Services for a San Francisco-based media and special events company. He is the author of The Asset, The Intern’s Handbook, bought for film by Sony Pictures, and Hostile Takeover, the second book in his John Lago intern-assassin thriller series.

Reviews for The Intern's Handbook

[tsmom1219 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think the idea for this book was really interesting. The execution (so to speak) worked pretty well, although I found myself skipping over the details of the fight scenes toward the end.

I kept thinking that it reminded me of a cross between Grosse Pointe Blank and Burn Notice (or maybe Covert Affairs, which makes sense because the author is a screenwriter.

I liked the way the main character changed during the book. The first person narration made it easier to see that his image of himself shifted as the story progressed. Often, books like this don't feature character development, so that's definitely a plus.

Overall, worth a look. It's really a 3.5 star book.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I liked this but, I'm really not at all sure. It's one of the strangest tales I've ever read. It is, indeed and mostly, a handbook for interns who use internship to hide their assassin-ness. And, then there's a memoir-ish bit at the end. I think calling it a thriller is a bit of a stretch. But it is certainly interesting.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a well-written thriller about John Lago, a professional assassin. He is not your typical assassin. Instead of going after political figures, he infiltrates major companies and kills crooked executives who are using their position for personal gain, often to the detriment of our country. He discusses how to be the perfect intern, from what to wear to be forgettable to how to make the perfect cup of coffee to gain trust and access, as he writes his “handbook” for all future interns. He does this as he works his last case since at the old age of 25 he is no longer a viable intern. Mix in Alice, an undercover FBI agent, to provide more twists and turns in this twisted and fun-filled book. Loved it!

[memccauley6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The concept of this book is more appealing than its execution. It reads like a screenplay for an action movie, and like the typical action movie, the character takes a back seat to all the whiz-bang effects and neato gunfire. And, like an action movie, it is easily forgettable… sitting here a couple of weeks later, I’m having a hard time remembering anything about the main character or the supposed love of his life.

However, it was pretty fun while it lasted and 2 people saw me reading it and called dibs on my copy. It will probably make a good movie

[bearlyr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You know those dry, hard to read, corporate training manuals? This is a corporate training manual, sort of, at least that's the format! This is a wonderful read, you won't want to put it down. The characters and situations are so well developed and presented. The story is about a not so noble profession, but you will find yourself pulling for otherwise repugnant human beings. I'll be reading more by Mr. Kuhn!

[mhanlon_19 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was another great, entertaining summer read. I thought the diary/handbook-like voice worked well with this hard-boiled, rough and tumble intern who also happens to be a trained killer.There are a few punches that might have been telegraphed that would have been more effective when they landed, but overall this was a fun read.

[twink_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

They're everywhere. You just might not see them - or overlook them as your gaze sweeps around your workplace. They're somewhat invisible. They're.....interns. From the opening pages of Shane Kuhn's novel The Intern's Handbook."You can tell executives your name a hundred times and they will never remember it because they have no respect for someone living at the bottom of the barrel, working for free. The irony is that they will heap important duties on you with total abandon. The more of these duties you voluntarily accept, the more you will get, simultaneously acquiring TRUST AND ACCESS. Ultimately, your target will trust you with his life and that is when you will take it."Uh huh - paid assassins from a little company known as Human Resources Inc. John Lago is one of the senior ops - he's almost twenty five and won't be able to pass himself off as an intern for much longer. The Intern's Handbook is words of wisdom for those coming behind him - and a detailed description of his last job. One that doesn't go to plan. At all.I thought The Intern's Handbook was a fun read - yes it's about hired killers - but it's darkly humourous. The dialogue is razor sharp and witty. Yes, some of the scenes and actions are over the top, but it makes for one heck of an action packed read. As I was reading, I started thinking this would make a great action film. Well, Kuhn himself is a screenwriter - and it shows. He absolutely knows how to write a fast moving thriller. And The Intern's Handbook is indeed going to be a movie (starring James Franco - good choice!) For those who might be thinking this is a male oriented book? I don't think I mentioned Alice - the FBI agent who puts a wrinkle or two into John's last job. Keep your eye out for the next John Lago (and Alice!) book - Hostile Takeover - due out in July of 2015. Readers who enjoyed Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell would enjoy this book. Fair warning - gentle readers may be offended by some situations and language.

[fredamans · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can't wait to see the film adaption!What an incredible story! There was a feeling of six degrees of separation throughout, but it totally worked! The story was full of action, lots of comedic moments, and mixed it all up with this intricately told tale. I just couldn't get enough of it!The idea of an intern being an assassin is unheard of, so being a fresh and new premise made for an even more exciting read.I do have to say that I am not sure how to feel about the ending, which you know endings mean a lot to me. I think everyone should have got what was coming to them, but can still see why the author went the direction that he did. It just wasn't convincing to me.I still think it is a wicked story and highly recommend it to you all!4.5/5

[zmagic69 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

On the cover f this book it says it is a thriller. Nothing could be further from the truth! This book is mildly entertaining, but as many others who have read the book have pointed out it reads more like a movie screen play, the type of movie made I. The late 60's or early 70's and exclusively shown at a drive in, in other words, schlock. The story never really goes anywhere, similar to many of the chapters in a Tim Dorsey Serge and Coleman adventure, but nowhere near as funny.
This was another book that received quite a bit of hype, and as it turns out the hype was unjustified.

[4leschats · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this satire of both the corporate world and the thriller genre and a soupcon of romance, Kuhn displays ninja-like skills bouncing between Jason Bourne level action and dark humor. John Lago works for HR, Inc, a company that performs contract killings using the lowly, invisible (but highly trained) interns as assassins that no one will remember. Aging out at 25, Lagos decides to leave his wisdom behind for the next crop of interns (if he can survive his final mission) leading to hilarious insights into the business world while poking fun at the impossibly perfect assassin know-it-all. A definite recommendation!

[michellebarton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a violent, action-packed thriller with assassins, intrigue, and plenty of twists and turns! The Intern’s Handbook starts out as a sort of guide for new assassins, written by an assassin about to retire (age out) of a company that sends its employees to businesses disguised as interns in order to get them close enough to their intended targets. Our hero is bad to the bone, but yet still follows his own internal moral code. One cannot help but admire his ingenuity and calm kick-buttedness in stressful situations and seemingly dire circumstances.

[randall6hansen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Funny, thrilling, violent, twisty, and entertaining story -- all set in the world of business and internships. You've never met interns like the main character in this book, who not only do their jobs well, but are paid assassins to boot. You have to have a bit of a warped mind to enjoy the story, but the writing is so strong and the characters so well developed, that the pages just zip by. Favorite read of this year -- so far.

[undermyappletree · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Lago works for HR, an agency of contract killers that hides hitmen (or women) in plain sight by placing them as interns, ostensibly because no one notices interns. John needs to complete one last assignment before he can retire at the ripe old age of 25. But this time the job isn’t going as smoothly as he expected. Distractions can be dangerous, especially when they are in the form of Alice, a very attractive lawyer who works at the firm. And then his birth father turns up – another distraction. (HR prefers to recruit orphans and potential sociopaths.)This is a clever, quirky, satirical read filled with fun, snappy dialog. The book is written in the first person as a handbook for new recruits joining HR, a sort of memoir of John’s experiences and the do’s and don’ts for success on the “job”. At times it reads like an action movie, and while often unbelievable, it’s an entertaining thrill-ride of an adventure.Audio production:The narration was performed by Pete Simonelli. Using a cold, emotionless voice, he sounded like the calculating killer I imagined John Lago would be. A fun, easy book to listen to – the eight hours flew by.

[thelibraryhag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Lago works for HR, a firm that supplies interns to high profile companies. But these interns are not there just to make the coffee.. They are there to kill. John is at the top of his game and is about to retire. He has one more job to complete and it turns out to be a doosey. Since failure is not an option, he will go to any lengths to deliver his final corpse. I really enjoyed this book. It is darkly funny as John writes a handbook for future interns by explaining the "rules" while recounting his current and past assignments. There is plenty of action and humor. There is even some romance (sort of). It is definitely something different for me and I found it a refreshing change.

[bookappeal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shane Kuhn succeeds in writing one of those rare smart, comedic, page-turning thrillers. Facing retirement at the age of 25, John Lago pens a handbook for the new and future employees of HR, Inc., an agency of hired assassins who gain access to their despicable targets by posing as interns. Bob, the mastermind behind the agency, recruits people like John, "a dumpster baby with a broken beer bottle for a pacifier," and trains them to kill and get away clean using a simple philosophy: interns are invisible. But John has a few more tidbits of wisdom to impart before he (hopefully) completes his last job and begins a nonviolent life, including "Rule #4: Learn how to make the perfect cup of coffee." But this job has certain "irregularities" that are going to make survival challenging, starting with an unknown target at a prestigious Manhattan law firm who is selling names on the Witness Protection List to the highest bidder. Kuhn takes John's internship through several wild, unexpected turns but manages to keep the action just barely inside the lines of a believable thriller. The Intern's Handbook is a sarcastic, fast-paced gem of a book, recommended for fans of Beat the Reaper (Josh Bazell) who like their well-placed profanity and graphic violence lightened by smart, funny internal monologue and external dialogue.