The story is set in a dystopian future and centers on a garbageman-turned-hitman who opts to instead protect a young girl he’s been asked to kill – the daughter of a powerful maniacal evangelist. 

Sternbergh is also the culture editor of the New York Times magazine. The novel won’t actually be available for sale until early 2014.

Given the above description, comparisons to past Denzel Washington films like Man On Fire, as well as future Denzel Washington films like The Equalizer, abound. In both, like Shovel Ready, Denzel is paired up with a young girl whom he has to protect.