Seventeen Last man standing

This is clearly a spy novel. But of what ilk? The spy, known as Seventeen, drives a Bugatti Veyron. Are we in Bond land? But then we meet Seventeen's handler, named Handler, who has a Three Stooges haircut and a facelift. Is this parody, like Flashman? But then Seventeen laments the devastation of a life of betrayal, all guilt and sadness, like le Carré. The plot is a version of a ploy popular in the sixties. The agent is pulled into a scheme to kill a rival, who turns out to be . . . him. Seventeen is at the top of a super-secret civilian organization contracted by NSA and CIA types for wet work they don't dare do, and as Seventeen cranks up, the nature of the beast is revealed. This is a movie disguised as a novel, bursting to get on the big screen, where all the firefights, chases, and explosions can have the space they deserve. Still, it's quite an entertaining romp, thanks largely to Brownlow's ability to turn a phrase--a villain is about to be "Jackson Pollocked with blood."

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. (Nov.)