INGRAINED

After being held captive for five years, the son of a tech entrepreneur escapes and trains as a hit man in this novel.

At the opening of the story, Tyvon, whose father is Odell Sands, the wealthy, Black virtual-reality pioneer, is being held against his will in a desolate basement. His captor is his father’s friend and accountant, Barry Linus Gaines, a man who is infatuated with Odell. Barry is keen on shaping 18-year-old Tyvon in Odell’s mirror image. After years of abuse, Tyvon escapes the basement, but no sooner has he found his freedom than he runs into the mysterious Quentin. The stranger promptly nicknames Tyvon “Shadow” and treats him to a meal at a restaurant. When a politician at a nearby table begins choking, Quentin reveals himself to be a hit man, responsible for the poisoning. Quentin offers to become Tyvon’s mentor before the teen returns home to a family that suspects he is dead. After agreeing to be trained by Quentin, Tyvon is turned into a skilled assassin but is reluctant to make his first kill. Quentin assigns him to execute a corrupt psychiatrist, knowing that the target will act in a manner to sufficiently trigger Tyvon’s rage. When Tyvon tries to back out of performing further hits for Quentin, his mentor lures him with the suggestion that he has information about Barry, who is thought to have died by suicide. The narrative skips back in time to recount dark moments in Tyvon’s childhood and a troubled paternal relationship. Riddled with twists and turns, the story discloses that the motives behind Tyvon’s abduction are less straightforward than they initially appeared.

Jenkins’ fast-paced writing with its slow reveal makes for a killer combination. The author writes adrenaline-fueled action scenes that can prove unapologetically grisly: “Tyvon initiated a sawing motion to make sure that the garrote was doing its job as efficiently as possible. Spit flew from Tyvon’s gritted teeth and his eyes bulged madly, incensed veins visible in his forehead.” Still, the author is not short on subtlety when required. Jenkins builds Tyvon into a psychologically believable character by gradually divulging details of his formative years: “As a child, Tyvon had a stuttering problem and ate as a coping mechanism for the consequent bullying he had to endure, eventually making him chubby.” The novel shines a light on mental health issues, particularly how past abuse shapes an individual’s personality. Set in 2020, the tale delivers descriptions of nascent technology that add a further layer of intrigue, ingeniously predicting readers’ future relationships with virtual reality: “What better spectacle could exist than a microchip that reads your brainwaves? The Virtua adapts to your mind, your habits, your fears, and creates a world tailor-made for its user!” Tyvon’s training with a hit man after only recently escaping captivity may push the boundaries of plausibility for some readers, but it lends the book a certain hyperbolic, action movie–style charm. Jenkins is an engaging storyteller, capable of creating psychologically dark, surprising worlds—the result is a compelling thriller that will make readers want to grab some popcorn.

A multifaceted, engrossing, and slickly imaginative page-turner.