Thank you to ABRAMS and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka is a fun, comedy-filled thriller that reminded me of Snowpiercer meets Deadly Class. The story revolves around a group of unrelated assassins on a train in modern-day Japan. as they start to realize that their missions may intersect with each other. First is Nanao, the self-proclaimed unluckiest guy in the world. His mission is to steal a suitcase and get off at the next stop, but, of course, everything goes wrong. Next is Kimura, a middle-aged man out for revenge on the boy who pushed his son off a roof. That boy, the Prince, looks like a honors student but actually spends his time manipulating his classmates and teachers into torture and murder. Last is the assassin duo, Lemon and Tangerine, a duo who are complete opposites, but who have done many jobs together. The suitcase Nanao has to steal is currently with them.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Kimura's perspective:

"He enters car seven. On the left side of the aisle are rows of two seats and on the right side are rows of three, all facing forward, backs of the seats to him. He puts his hand in the bag, closes it around the gun, then takes a step in, once, twice, counting the rows.
There are more empty seats than he had expected, just a sprinkling of passengers here and there. In the fifth row, by the window, he sees the back of a teenager’s head. The kid stretches out, white-collared shirt under a blazer. Clean cut, like an honours student. He turns to stare out the window, dreamily watching other Shinkansen pull into the station.
Kimura draws closer. One row away he’s seized with a moment’s hesitation –
Am I really gonna hurt this kid? He looks so innocent? Narrow shoulders, delicate frame. Looking for all the world like a schoolboy quietly excited about a solo trip on the Shinkansen."

Overall, Bullet Train is an amazing and innovative mix of comedy, action, and psychological thriller. One highlight of the book are the characters. They reminded me of watching an anime, because they're are so colorful and larger-than-life. Such a weird novel could have only come from Japan! I mean this in a good way. The Japanese novels in translation I've read recently have been hit or miss recently. I loved The Decagon Murders (Yukito Ayatsuji) and Confessions (Kanae Minato), but I did not enjoy The Woman in the Purple Skirt (Natsuko Imamura) and Earthlings (Sayaka Murata). I'm happy to say that Bullet Train falls in the former category. I enjoyed reading it so much and then had assassin and heist-inspired dreams at night. It's no wonder that this novel is a bestseller and will be adapted into a movie in its home country of Japan! If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers and/or Japanese fiction in translation, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

What do you get with a bunch of assassins on a train, a suitcase, blackmail, diversions, and a sick kid? Complete chaos in a small space!

This book has a lot of characters that become linked within the chaos. I enjoyed the overall plot, but the book jumped around too much at times for me. All of the "Thomas and Friends" references throughout were odd as well.

I was hoping for more of a twist at the end, but it was a true thriller in its entirety.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital copy of this book for my honest review.

Intersecting stories set on a train filled with criminals who are trying to figure out who did what to whom before bad things happen to them. It reminded me of Pulp Fiction but with most of the action taking place on a train. Same humor, fun, and action!

The premise is a good one: assassins and gangsters, a hostage victim, and a suitcase of money, all on the Shinkansen, all happening over the course of a few hours. Great. The execution though is so muddled. Lots of confusing flashbacks, unclear motives, who anyone is in relation to others - why is this mob boss sending two (or maybe more) sets of assassins to get his son and case of money? And the story is, ironically, so slow moving and tedious. I got halfway and realised hardly anything had happened and gave up. I'm sure the movie will be much more entertaining but the book sure isn't.

Mi ci sono divertita un sacco. XD
Un tipico libro da ombrellone, pieno di situazioni surreali e situazioni scombinate, ma che davvero tiene incollati alle pagine.
E come si può non trattenere il fiato per scoprire quale sarà il prossimo colpo di sfiga di Nanao, non per nulla soprannominato 'Coccinella'? XD
Il treno corre rapidissimo, le stazioni scivolano via, i cadaveri si accumulano uno dopo l'altro, serpenti vagano alla ricerca di un posticino scomodo, facce poco rassicuranti si susseguono ai finestrini, si discute di letteratura e, soprattutto, omicidio.
Cosa potrebbe andare male? XD

The story is very conceptual and while the author is skilled at making the pages turn, the writing feels uneven, as some characters are delineated well whilst others are quick and sloppy. I would have preferred more depth to the characters Lemon and Tangerine rather than, "This one likes Thomas the Train," and Nanao--"that one is described by his 'round glasses.'" The author attempts to lend these veneers of character by inserting exchanges of what seems like profound philosophical rationale and discussion, yet they seem specious when coming from the mouths of characters that are not as fleshed out, say, as the wonderful elderly couple toward the end. Not since "Lord of the Flies" has there been a character as evil as the Schoolboy. It is difficult to balance horror with humor and while Isaka manages this well, at times, at times it leans a little too much toward being "cute" or overly precious. I am intrigued by what was missed in translation, as the original title of the book implies focus on the Maria Beetle/Ladybeetle character while the English title is Bullet Train. Maria plays such a small part throughout most of the book that she comes across as a minor character until she appears in person toward the very end. I'd wondered what I missed with this detail or if the original title was intended to reflect on the author's poetic description at one point of a ladybeetle on the verge of flight...but as for how that connects to Maria's character, I am lost. The chapter headings delineating the Shinkasen are marvelous. These are my honest thoughts as I read, and I say them knowing what an ordeal it is to write a book, yet alone to translate.

This is a really fun ride of a thriller! I felt like this was rather cinematic in its style and humor (I definitely see the Tarantino references here), and so as a book, I'm not sure this was as successful as I had hoped. That said, this was a good time and really made me excited to see the upcoming film adaptation

A comic thriller which is something I have not read before, but I really really loved. The entire book was both hilarious and gruesome and I was never bored. Really phenomenal

Bullet Train (Shinkansen) by Kōtarō Isaka is one weird actionfilled ride like nothing else. Although it took me almost two thirds of the book before I felt this is good and hilarious. Never have I ever had so many assassins in one book. Nanao, nicknamed Lady Bird—the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world” has a simple task of retrieving a bag and get off the train. Guess what? Easier said than done. This is one wild way to tell many stories and still get them intertwined. Rumor has it that this will be a movie. It sounds promising. Thanks to #ABRAMS and @netgalley for giving me this review copy.

A comic crime novel set almost entirely on a Japanese bullet train. I enjoyed this caper and can see it made into a movie.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54345841-bullet-train

Bullet Train is the lovechild of Guy Ritchie’s multiple simultaneous character driven plotlines and Quentin Tarantino’s dark situational humor and gruesome violence. The entire narrative takes place onboard a Japanese bullet train, packing the story and action in one setting for a riveting experience. An ex-assassin boards the train to find a teenager who pushed his son off a roof. An unlucky assassin codenamed Ladybug has to steal a briefcase from a pair of assassins, Tangerine and Lemon, who are transporting the son of a known kingpin. What starts as a seemingly disconnected narrative starts to manifest into a brilliantly woven web of connected characters and motivations as the story progresses, mirroring the best of Guy Ritchie crime thrillers like Snatch, and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
The action is fast and dirty, with the assassins throwing quick jabs, elbows, and kicks at each other without drawing too much attention. This predicament creates hilarious situational humor where the assassins act more hastily and violent than suave and smooth, reminiscent of when things go south in Quentin Tarantino’s movies. One such instance is a fun hand-to-hand combat sequence where the assassins are seated in adjacent seats to attract less attention from the passengers. However, the book is more accurately geared towards mystery fans who appreciate jolting twists and turns that indeed hit like a bullet train.
The essence of the book are the characters. Each of the assassins are fleshed out thoughtfully with multiple layers of character building. The standout character is the villain, a grim psychopathic teenager who tends to outwit the adults around him and force them to do his bidding. What could have been a laughable aspect of the story turned out to be quite dark as the narrative takes a deep dive into the mind of such a despicable and unsettling character and gives a contemplative insight into his motivations.
Bullet Train is a clever action/mystery thriller that is proof of the vast talent pool of thriller authors on an international scale.

Not a typical mystery/thriller. This novel takes place over a half day bullet train ride during which several bad actors must outwit one another. The plot gave me some of the same vibes as the movie The Usual Suspects. Particularly the scene where they are all sharing a cell and discussing crime.

Bullet Train is not the guns blazing action packed adventure that I expected (and I expect the movie to be, with David Leitch at the helm), but the book I read was even better. While this book does have a good number of murders and action scenes, it is mostly a bunch of assassins sitting on a train having conversations about the ethics of murder, about bad luck, or about Thomas the Tank Engine.

The five main characters are all explored well, though some are given more to do than others. There is Kimura, an alcoholic father who is on the train to get revenge for his injured son, only to find himself drawn into a much larger game. Nanao is on the train to steal a suitcase, but his bad luck keeps him trapped on the train and moves the story along (and also provides more than a few moments of well done humor). There is Tangerine and Lemon, two hitmen who work together tasked with rescuing the son of a powerful man only to have their plan completely fall apart. Tangerine is the more literate of the two, as Lemon always wants to talk about Thomas the Tank Engine to every character in the book he encounters (as someone familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine, this was enjoyable, but I can see it being annoying to some). Finally there is a 14 year old known as the Prince, who is on the train to set a trap for others and loves to explore how he can use his youth to inflict pain and misery on others.

The plot of the book takes place within a two and a half hour train ride from Tokyo to Morioka on board the Japanese bullet train. Along the way the five characters have to outwit other passengers and each other to achieve their missions and survive the ride. Each chapter has a graphic showing where on the train the action takes place, which was extremely helpful in knowing where the characters were in relation to each other. There were multiple flashbacks exploring why the characters ended up on the train (mostly in the Kimura and Prince chapters) that were a well told story on their own. Until the book gets into the final act, there are many scenes that are just philosophical discussions about murder and what it means to have power or be an assassin. The writing was fantastic, but if you are just here for guns on a train, then you may end up being disappointed.

I am looking forward to the adaptation of this book because Isaka laid the foundation for a large number of strong characters and a few twists I did not expect. [I also disagree with the comparisons to Tarantino that others mentioned. This book has more of a Coen brothers vibe with its oddball characters] This was a wild ride that I can't wait to see on the big screen. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for a honest review.

Boy oh boy, of there's an action book which seizes you from the start and keeps you on the edge then Bullet Train
by Kotaro Isaka ranks among the top. The book details an event which concludes within a couple of hours, in a high speed train from Tokyo to Morioka, with each chapter of the book told from a perspective by a different player/killer but whose lives have been touched by one another in some form or the other. Each of the charcter has been given a persona so perfectly apt that you almost start empathizing with them forgetting that they are stone cold killers.
Highly recommended and I thank Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of this book for my unbiased feedback.
PS.. It seems this book is to have a movie version, I hope they keep the plot as is and would definitely love to see this one on the screen too.

Since this has been out since 2010, there are lots of helpful reviews. I'll just recommend this to thriller fans.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

4.5 stars - a fun, absurd ride

Let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Japanese culture, and speak some Japanese. And within that context I had a great lot of fun with this absurd, dark and funny gangster story.

The plot takes place during a Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Morioka and is told from the perspective of 5 gangsters or otherwise questionable characters: Nanao, the (truly) incredibly unlucky assasin, Lemon and Tangerine, a rather excentric duo of hitmen, Kimura, who is not in the business any longer but has a score to settle, and the Prince, a 14-year old psychopath right out of the textbook. There is also a suitcase full of money, hornets, snakes and a whole lot of twists and turns.

If you are familiar with modern Japanese dorama, this cast will feel pretty familiar. It is just that typical mix of absurd characters: from the two citus fruits, to the innocent looking schoolboy who is evil to the core, to Nanao, whose bad luck is actually a bit over the top (but very convenient for developing the plot). At the same time, this is balanced out with realistic people, like Kimura - and also Nanao, who may be a killer, but is otherwise a rather decent guy.
The same goes for the plot - it is for me what I would consider a very typical mix of darkly funny, absurd, serious and truthful. Japanese writers seem to have a knack for touching moments and well-observed musings about the nature of humans in the middle of even the most ridiculous story.

Really, you could make this novel into a script for a dorama with very little work - it is basically a dorama in book form. However, it is one I would love to watch!

You should not go into this expecting a very realistic story or a plausible murder mystery - it's a farce, and one that will keep you well entertained at that!

5 assassins, 1 train, may luck be in your favor (unfortunately Nanao cannot say the same)

With an engaging narrative, funny dialogues, and great character development (I couldn't tell exactly who the protagonist was among the 5), this story that I didn't give much at first impressed me, making me laugh a lot (and also cry: / ), I like the way the story unfolded, connecting some points as a mystery, although my biggest caveat to this book is the end
I'm really excited to find out that there will be a cinematographic adaptation of this story, but upset about being Americanized

Bullet Train started off nicely. I was getting into the book during the first chapter, which set up an interesting scenario between two men. One seeking to kill the other and the other anticipating this. Then I started the second chapter and was bewildered as completely new characters names after citrus fruits were introduced. This chapter really lost me and I didn't enjoy reading it nor get it. I started flipping through the next chapters and finally found a follow up to the first chapter with the same characters. Again this story continued to be intriguing, however, the other two stories that are chapters in between were uninteresting. Overall, I didn't like the way this book was written or care to read anymore at this point. Disappointed by this book that I couldn't bear to finish.

I greatly enjoyed Bullet Train, a thriller that takes place almost entirely aboard the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Morioka. It was certainly violent in parts, but I also found myself laughing out loud, which I was not anticipating at the start of the book. There’s a great cast of characters, none particularly lovable (they are killers after all), but some much more likable than others. The top review on Goodreads likens it to a Tarantino movie, but the comparison I kept coming back to was the Coen brothers. The characters are all pretty quirky, and the duo of Lemon and Tangerine especially would have fit right in in Fargo. There are lots of interweaving plots, but they were easy to keep track of and there are several details included in the first part of the novel that come back towards the climax and contribute to its fantastic conclusion.

I’m glad it comes out in August, because I think it will be the perfect beach read!

"Lemon, you are a useful train."

Such an excellent and hilarious book! It's full of crafty twists and turns and standout characters. My favourites are the Citrus Twins, Tangerine and Lemon.

I loved every scene that Lemon and Tangerine were in; their constant bickering is hilarious. I love how Lemon always categorises people as Thomas the Tank Engine characters, like that's how he compartmentalises people and their oddities. On the other hand, I love how Tangerine always has a book reference ready. "Reading helped him put words to human emotion and abstract concepts, enabled him to think objectively about complex subjects." Such colourful characters, despite being deadly assassins!

Meanwhile, Satoshi Oji, or The Prince, is clearly a psychopath. He wonders why we shouldn't kill a person and he doesn't think adults are able to give him a satisfying answer. The Prince is also very observant and manipulative. "It's the lever principle, I can push just a little and make someone depressed, I can ruin their lives with minimum effort." He's my least favourite character; he's such a massive tosser!

There are a number of other outstanding characters and many situations that made me hold my breath but I think it's better for everyone who enjoys an excellent thriller to get this book ASAP.

Many thanks to the publisher and author for the ARC. I REALLY enjoyed this brilliant book! I look forward to getting my own physical copy!