Charlie Fitzer’s life is in shambles. A once promising business journalist, he’s now juggling substitute teaching gigs while trying, without success, to secure a loan from a bank to buy out a local bar. He is living in his childhood home he inherited once his father passed away. To add to Charlie’s misery, his siblings are trying to sell it out from under him. The only positive in Charlie’s life is his relationship with his cat Hera. Things look bleak until out of nowhere, his estranged billionaire uncle Jake dies, leaving Charlie his vast fortune. But the inheritance comes with strings and conditions. Uncle Jake was secretly a supervillain, and Charlie has just been thrust into the top spot of his empire. Complete with a volcano lair, an army of henchmen, world ending technology, spy cats, and dolphins on strike for better working conditions, Charlie’s new world is as absurd as it is dangerous.

What follows is a wild ride as Charlie becomes entangled with the Lombardy Convocation, a secret organization of villains who rule the global economy. They are ruthless oligarchs with a penchant for double-crosses and assassination. With the help of his uncle’s assistant, Mathilda Morrison, and Hera, who reveals herself to be a talking, whip-smart cat, must decide if he has what it takes to survive in this high-stakes world of villainy.

John Scalzi’s Starter Villain is a genre-blending romp that mixes spy thriller tropes with sharp humour. It brims with clever twists, social critique, and laugh-out-loud moments, with a dash of labour politics thrown in. At its heart, though, this isn’t just a satire of corporate greed and global conspiracies; it’s a story about connection. Charlie, a loner with no close family or friends, finds himself building unexpected relationships as he navigates his inheritance. The most touching of these is with Hera, whose loyalty and insights provide a surprising emotional anchor to the otherwise zany plot. Their bond adds layers of heart to the story, grounding the absurdity in moments of genuine warmth.

Scalzi blends humour, suspense, and heartfelt storytelling here. While the plot hits familiar beats—the everyday man thrust into extraordinary circumstances—the execution feels fresh and engaging. Starter Villain is equal parts satire and spy thriller, with enough assassinations, secret lairs, and clever twists to keep you hooked.