Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh

Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh

'I don't want to know your reasons. I don't care. Think of me as a bullet. Just point.' Spademan used to be a garbage man. That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, before New York became a burnt-out shell. Now the wealthy spend their days tapped into virtual reality; the rest have to fend for themselves in the streets. Now there's nothing but garbage. So he became a hit man. He doesn't ask questions, he works quickly, and he's handy with a box-cutter. When he's hired to kill the daughter of a high-profile evangelist, Spademan's life is upended. He will have to navigate two worlds - both the slick fantasy and the wasteland reality - to finish the job, clear his conscience, and make sure he's not the one who winds up in the ground.

Hardboiled as f*** with writing as fierce and sharp as a paper-cut -- Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls
Savage future noir that crackles with deadpan wit -- Nick Harkaway, author of The Gone-Away World and Angelmaker
Debut novels as sleek, resonant and accomplished as this are a rare gift -- Megan Abbott, author of Dare Me
Elegant, lean and clever noir -- Roger Hobbs, author of Ghostman