Three Assassins: A propulsive thriller from the Japanese bestseller and award-winning author of Bullet Train

Kotaro Isaka

Apr 2022 · Random House

About this ebook

Three killers. One plan. No one gets out clean.

When Suzuki’s wife is murdered, he infiltrates the criminal underworld to find those responsible - only to discover a trio of professional assassins, each with a signature method and a deadly philosophy.

THE WHALE convinces his victims to take their own lives using just his words.

THE CICADA is a talkative and deadly knife expert.

THE PUSHER dispatches his targets in deadly traffic 'accidents'.

Fast, funny and full of twists, Three Assassins spins revenge into a gripping and unputdownable ride.

‘Showcases Kotaro Isaka's Tarantinoesque blend of offbeat wit and stylised violence’ The Times

‘Highly entertaining... grips with plenty of twists’ Sunday Express

Ratings and reviews

A great novel, easy to read and very entertaining. The only reason I've given it 4 rather than 5 stars is that it doesn't quite match it's sequel, Bullet Train, in terms of excitement or unique characters.

it was alright

About the author

Kotaro Isaka is a bestselling and multi-award-winning writer who is published around the world. He has won the Shincho Mystery Club Award, Mystery Writers of Japan Award, Japan Booksellers' Award and the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize and twelve of his books have been adapted for film or TV. He is the author of the international bestseller Bullet Train, which was made into a major film starring Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock in 2022. Sam Malissa holds a PhD in Japanese Literature from Yale University. He has translated fiction by Toshiki Okada, Shun Medoruma, and Hideo Furukawa, among others.