A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Pick
From Kotaro Isaka, the award-winning, internationally bestselling author of Bullet Train, the high-octane thriller Three Assassins, set in Tokyo’s criminal underworld, pits an ordinary man against a group of talented and very unusual assassins.
Suzuki is an ordinary man . . . until his wife is murdered. To get answers and his revenge, he abandons his law-abiding lifestyle and takes a low-level job with a front company operated by the crime gang Maiden, who are responsible for his wife’s death. Before long, Suzuki finds himself caught up in a network of quirky and highly effective assassins:
The Cicada is a knife expert.
The Pusher nudges people into oncoming traffic.
The Whale whispers bleak aphorisms to his victims until they take their own lives.
Intense and electrifying, Three Assassins delivers a wild ride through the criminal underworld of Tokyo, populated by contract killers who are almost superhumanly good at their jobs.
“Feels like a fever dream that makes sense when you’re in it, but whose strange contours linger long after you wake up.” —New York Times
Praise
“[An] engrossing thriller . . . Isaka makes what could be an over-the-top narrative work through his depiction of an everyman protagonist in way over his head. Fans of Bullet Train won’t be disappointed.”Publishers Weekly
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“A delicate balancing act between this heady nihilism and his direct, propulsive plotting... Three Assassins feels like a fever dream that makes sense when you’re in it, but whose strange contours linger long after you wake up.”The New York Times Book Review, Editors Choice Pick
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“The world created here is highly imaginative and chaotic, with very engaging characters. This prequel to Bullet Train is a super fun and wild ride.”BookRiot
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“Isaka cuts from scene to scene, injecting plentiful amounts of humor, pathos, and surprisingly deep musings on pop culture into his plot as it pinballs along . . .a wildly entertaining criminal romp with a surprisingly poignant ending. Recommended.”Criminal Element
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“Tense and action-packed, Kotaro Isaka’s Three Assassins offers an exploration of just how dangerous and uncertain the quest for vengeance can be.”Portland Book Review
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“Very well done . . . The plot is well-designed, the connections neatly made – and the intricacy is pleasing . . . the storyline in Three Assassins makes for a very enjoyable and quite satisfying read.”Complete Review
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