August 22, 2022
The hit man codenamed Seventeen, the narrator of Brownlow’s pulse-pounding debut, was preceded by Sixteen, now retired, and the line stretches back to the Romanovs. Seventeen, who reports to a boss known only as Handler, works his way through two stressful hits in Berlin, pulling them both off but showing the sort of weakness and hesitation that make clients nervous. Sure enough, Eighteen, highly trained and itching to get to the top of the heap, is tasked with taking out Seventeen, but fails. Rattled and sensing that Handler may try to reactivate Sixteen, Seventeen begins an arduous search-and-destroy mission at Sixteen’s well-protected hideout in rural South Dakota. The two clash, fighting to a deadlock, before deciding to join forces against a mutual enemy. An explosive showdown awaits in the California desert. After a brisk start, the action moves more haltingly toward the end. Seventeen’s captivating voice—imagine a cold killer who speaks with savage directness but desperately wants to bring the reader into the complexity of his world—helps carry the plot and mask some of its formulaic aspects and silliness. Bronlow is off to a good start.