Books-for-Killing-Eve-fans

Reading lists

13 must-read books for Killing Eve fans

Crime-books-set-in-Japan

17 top crime books set in Japan

An illustration of a bullet train driving past Mount Fiji 

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Features

From the Orient Express to Bullet Train: why crime loves a locomotive

Seesaw Monster

'Fascinating and thought provoking with some genuine surprises and incredibly clever ideas that kept me thinking about it long after I finished it… a Japanese Black Mirror!' Ajay Chowdhury, author of The Waiter 
 
Some mother-in-laws are hard. This one might be murder. 
 
Miyako suspects her mother-in-law is a murderer. It’s not just a case of them rubbing each other up the wrong way – there is definitely something suspicious going on. But Miyako isn’t exactly what she seems either. Her husband has no idea about her past life as a secret agent. When she decides to use her professional skills to investigate her mother-in-law, the delicate equilibrium of their lives is thrown wildly out of balance. 
 
Many decades later, in a future world where electronic communication has been irrevocably compromised, confidential messages must be delivered by trusted couriers like Mito. But one delivery pulls Mito into a conspiracy beyond his wildest imaginings, and forces him into a race against time to defeat a world-changing technological threat. 
 
Seesaw Monster contains two sharp, thrilling linked novellas - SEESAW MONSTER and SPIN MONSTER - from the bestselling and multi-award-winning writer Kotaro Isaka, internationally celebrated for his offbeat humour and inventive talent for twists. 
 
*LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA DAGGER FOR CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION* 
 
PRAISE FOR KOTARO ISAKA: 
 
‘Unlike anything you're likely to have read before . . . white-hot with double-crosses’ Financial Times 
 
‘Entertaining . . . high-speed . . . with lots of twists and turns’ The Times 
 
‘Thoroughly enjoyable’ Guardian

Fascinating and thought provoking with some genuine surprises and incredibly clever ideas that kept me thinking about it long after I finished it… a Japanese Black Mirror!

Isaka’s exceptional latest combines the author’s flair for violent comic farce with an unsettling look at the near future. Isaka’s talent for kinetic, hilarious carnage is on full display, and it’s fortified with philosophical depth and surprisingly potent ruminations on the nature of fate. This ranks among the author’s best

Unlike anything you're likely to have read before...white-hot with double-crosses

Entertaining...high-speed...with lots of twists and turns...it has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it

An offbeat but touching thriller, with a wonderful final twist

Kotaro Isaka (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 fourteen 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. 
 
 
Sam Malissa (Translator) 
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.

'Fascinating and thought provoking with some genuine surprises and incredibly clever ideas that kept me thinking about it long after I finished it… a Japanese Black Mirror!' Ajay Chowdhury, author of The Waiter 
 
Some mother-in-laws are hard. This one might be murder. 
 
Miyako suspects her mother-in-law is a murderer. It’s not just a case of them rubbing each other up the wrong way – there is definitely something suspicious going on. But Miyako isn’t exactly what she seems either. Her husband has no idea about her past life as a secret agent. When she decides to use her professional skills to investigate her mother-in-law, the delicate equilibrium of their lives is thrown wildly out of balance. 
 
Many decades later, in a future world where electronic communication has been irrevocably compromised, confidential messages must be delivered by trusted couriers like Mito. But one delivery pulls Mito into a conspiracy beyond his wildest imaginings, and forces him into a race against time to defeat a world-changing technological threat. 
 
Seesaw Monster contains two sharp, thrilling linked novellas - SEESAW MONSTER and SPIN MONSTER - from the bestselling and multi-award-winning writer Kotaro Isaka, internationally celebrated for his offbeat humour and inventive talent for twists. 
 
PRAISE FOR KOTARO ISAKA: 
 
‘Unlike anything you're likely to have read before . . . white-hot with double-crosses’ Financial Times 
 
‘Entertaining . . . high-speed . . . with lots of twists and turns’ The Times 
 
‘Thoroughly enjoyable’ Guardian

The Mantis

Dad by day, murderer-for-hire by night.Kabuto appears to be an ordinary man: a stressful job, a complicated marriage and an irritable teenage son. It’s no wonder he’s always seeing his doctor. But the “doctor” is actually his handler, and Kabuto is a killer for hire. He’s almost out – one last job before he quits for good. Then the final contract lands too close to home – putting his unsuspecting family in danger.With Isaka’s trademark wit and cinematic pace, this is a Tarantino-tinged tale of double lives and moral knots. Can Kabuto save his family, and quit the killing business for good?‘Showcases Isaka’s Tarantinoesque blend of offbeat wit and stylised violence’ The Times‘Unusual and thoroughly enjoyable’ Guardian

An offbeat but touching thriller, with a wonderful final twist

Unlike anything you're likely to have read before...white-hot with double-crosses

Entertaining...high-speed...with lots of twists and turns...it has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it.

Showcases Kotaro Isaka's Tarantinoesque blend of offbeat wit and stylised violence

Highly entertaining... grips with plenty of twists before delivering a stylish and fitting finale

Three Assassins

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

Three Assassins...showcases Kotaro Isaka's Tarantinoesque blend of offbeat wit and stylised violence

[A] mesmerising tale of how life is simultaneously cheap and precious, and the past catches up with us all.

Delivers an unusual journey. The eponymous killers - along with a man bent on payback 
for the death of his wife - are engaged in a dance of death

Isaka knows how to keep his readers on their toes. His characters are colourful, varied and morally despicable.

High-octane...an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable read

SUZUKI IS JUST AN ORDINARY MATHS TEACHER...UNTIL HIS WIFE IS MURDERED. 
 
Seeking justice, he leaves his old life behind to infiltrate the criminal gang responsible. What he doesn't realise is that he's about to get drawn into a web of the most unusual professional assassins, each with their own agenda: 
 
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'. 
 
Suzuki must take on the three assassins to avenge his wife - but can he keep his innocence in a world of seasoned killers? 
 
THEIR MISSION IS MURDER. HIS IS REVENGE. 
 
PRAISE FOR BULLET TRAIN: 
 
'Unlike anything you're likely to have read before...white-hot with double-crosses' Financial Times 
 
'Entertaining...high-speed...with lots of twists and turns...it has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it' The Times 
 
Part high-octane thriller, part farce, this is an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable read' Guardian 
 
The action accelerates up and down the ten carriages but the question is: who will get off alive? Daily Mail

Bullet Train

Tie-in edition for the major motion picture release in April 2022.

* NOW A MAJOR NEW FILM * 
 
FIVE KILLERS. ONE JOURNEY. BUT WHO WILL SURVIVE? 
 
Discover the original and propulsive thriller from the massive Japanese bestselling author. 
 
Satoshi looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a viciously cunning psychopath. Kimura's young son is in a coma thanks to him, and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train heading from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge. But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. 
 
Nanao, the self-proclaimed 'unluckiest assassin in the world', and the deadly partnership of Tangerine and Lemon are also travelling to Morioka. A suitcase full of money leads others to show their hands. Why are they all on the same train, and who will get off alive at the last station? 
 
(Bullet Train was originally published in Japan with the title Maria Beetle.) 
 
'A locked-room crime drama played out at 200mph' The Times 
 
'A high-octane thriller... Thoroughly enjoyable' Guardian 
 
Don&rsquo;t miss the next thrilling Kotaro Isaka book, HOTEL LUCKY SEVEN, available to pre-order now. 
 
Readers are OBSESSED with Bullet Train: 
 
'Original, quirky and highly entertaining' 
 
'A dark-humoured, twisty thriller that's a lot of fun' 
 
'One of the most addictive thrillers I've ever read... smart and cinematic' 
 
'What an original novel! Exciting from beginning to end' 
 
'A whole lot of darkly comic fun' 
 
'A thrilling ride'

An entertaining thriller... Kill Bill on wheels or a locked-room crime drama played out at 200mph

Unlike anything you're likely to have read before...white-hot with double-crosses

Entertaining...high-speed...with lots of twists and turns...it has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it.

Part high-octane thriller, part farce, this is an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable read

The action accelerates up and down the ten carriages but the question is: who will get off alive?

As the body count increases Isaka introduces new characters and juggles the survivors' storylines adroitly.

A highly original take on the locked-room mystery: twisty, funny and horrifying in its examination of organised crime, bullying, bad luck and psychopathy

Breakneck pacing, masterful character development, and well-timed comic relief set Isaka's 
pitch-perfect (and seamlessly translated) thriller up for blockbuster status...a twisty, darkly hilarious game of musical chairs

Impressive...Isaka keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of intricate action fiction will be enthralled

Myriad twists... a high-octane dark comedy as the body count stacks up.

Isaka knows how to keep his readers on their toes. His characters are colourful, varied and morally despicable...there's much more to it than a thrill-a-minute action fix. It's dark, funny, absurd and it certainly boast the most interesting bunch of characters we've seen in a while.

This propulsive novel tauntingly flaunts its cinematic bona fides

Bullet Train is a knockabout black comedy with a plot as fast-moving as the express train from Tokyo to Morioka on which the action takes place

Five killers. One train journey. But who will survive? The original and propulsive thriller from a massive Japanese bestseller. 
 
* NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE * 
 
Satoshi looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a viciously cunning psychopath. Kimura's young son is in a coma thanks to him, and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train heading from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge. But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard. 
 
Nanao, the self-proclaimed 'unluckiest assassin in the world', and the deadly partnership of Tangerine and Lemon are also travelling to Morioka. A suitcase full of money leads others to show their hands. Why are they all on the same train, and who will get off alive at the last station? 
 
'A locked-room crime drama played out at 200mph' The Times 
 
'A high-octane thriller... Thoroughly enjoyable' Guardian 
 
Readers can't stop reading Bullet Train! 
 
'Original, quirky and highly entertaining' 
 
'A dark-humoured, twisty thriller that's a lot of fun' 
 
'One of the most addictive thrillers I've ever read... smart and cinematic' 
 
'What an original novel! Exciting from beginning to end' 
 
'A whole lot of darkly comic fun' 
 
'A thrilling ride' 
 
Bullet Train was originally published in Japan with the title Maria Beetle.

Kotaro Isaka

Brian Bergstrom

Inventive fun… quirky charm and dark humour… his sense of glee is infectious

If you were a fan of Bullet Train then you’ll love Kotaro Isaka’s follow-up… the twists and turns make this a lively read

Full of narrative twists and colourful characters

Isaka takes readers on a furious cat-and-mouse race through the luxury hotel… a near-perfect thriller.

Isaka’s style is terse, laden with dark humor expressed with a flat affect — just the right tone for a book that walks the line between comedy and violence.”

Unlike anything you're likely to have read before. . . white-hot with double-crosses

Entertaining. . . high-speed. . . with lots of twists and turns. . . it has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it

Showcases Kotaro Isaka's Tarantinoesque blend of offbeat wit and stylised violence

An offbeat but touching thriller, with a wonderful final twist

A thriller on amphetamines, fresh and fun and full-throttle -- both a giddy romp and an unexpectedly involving crash course in human nature. This is a hotel fans of Quentin Tarantino and Martin McDonagh will want to check into.

A. J. Finn, bestselling author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

A LUXURY HOTEL FULL OF KILLERS. FIND THE TRUTH. CHECK OUT ALIVE. 
 
Nanao, ‘the unluckiest assassin in the world’, has been hired to deliver a birthday present to a luxury Tokyo hotel. By the time he leaves the guest's room one man is dead and more will soon follow. As events spiral out of control as it becomes clear that several different killers are taking a stay in the hotel at the same time. And they're all looking for a young woman with a photographic memory, hiding out on one of the twenty floors. 
 
Will Nanao find the truth about what’s going on? And will he check out alive? 
 
PRAISE FOR KOTARO ISAKA: 
 
‘Inventive fun...dark humour’ The Times 
 
‘Fresh and fun and full-throttle’ A. J. Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window 
 
‘The twists and turns make this a lively read’ Daily Mirror 
 
‘A near-perfect thriller' Booklist 
 
‘Laden with dark humour’ New York Times Book Review

Kotaro Isaka

Books by Kotaro Isaka

Articles featuring Kotaro Isaka

13 must-read books for Killing Eve fans

17 top crime books set in Japan

From the Orient Express to Bullet Train: why crime loves a locomotive

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