𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩: Suzuki is on a mission to avenge his wife's death and inadvertently finds himself embroiled in the criminal underworld of Tokyo where he crosses path with three unusual assassins - Cicada, The Pusher and The Whale.

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: After reading and loving the first book Bullet Train, I am so excited to read this sequel and it did not disappoint! I enjoyed it!

This story is narrated through the POVs of the assassins and Suzuki. Compared to the first book which was more action packed, this sequel focuses more on our characters and it worked perfectly!

It was a slow burn story and may seem not a lot going on at first but the twist in the end absolutely was a jaw-dropping one!


𝑃𝑢𝑏. 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒: 𝑂𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤

***𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝐴𝐵𝑅𝐴𝑀𝑆 & 𝑂𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛.***

Thank-you Netgalley and ABRAMS, The Overlook Press for the chance to review this ARC.

I'm a romance reader.
But these are the only books I'm willing to put down a romance book for.

I'm a big fan of Kotaro Isaka, I find his voice as a writer very refreshing.

I had so much fun reading this book.

Revenge novels without any real revenge always frustrate me, and thus this book was a letdown, especially compared to the terrifically fun and pulse-pounding Bullet Train.

This is a slower novel in general, which is absolutely fine in theory, but which becomes more and more disappointing as we close in on the end of the story and realize that it’s going to be…an unsatisfactory one.

I’m not big on moralizing action books (perhaps one of the few situations where it’s appropriate to wish for the proverbial “stay in your lane!”), and this book seems to want to tell us that one must suffer, suffer some more, and then abandon all of ones goals because living well is the best revenge. Which is nebulously true under some circumstances, but here it just felt like kind of a cop-out way to end the story.

All of that is a shame because the set up for this is excellent, and I love the way Isaka handles narrative structure and characterization.

The story is a pretty good ride throughout most of the book, but the ending is too much of a dud for me to be terribly excited about this.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC to review.

Three Assassins is a well-written novel, told through intertwining POV. While everything eventually connects all together, I have to admit there were times I had problems keeping the plot altogether. I give Three Assasins 3/5 stars. The deduction was because this wasn't really my preferred style of story. So I recommend everyone try it for themselves rather than deciding based on my review.

Suzuki is in way over his head in Three Assassins, by Kōtarō Isaka. But then, it’s true that revenge never goes according to plan…and especially not in an Isaka novel. When we meet him, Suzuki is in a very awkward position. He’s managed to infiltrate the organization run by the father of the guy who killed his wife. Suzuki hopes his plan will get him closer to his wife’s killer. It’s not a bad plan, except that Suzuki is not nearly as good an actor as he thinks he is. His “supervisor” devises an awful test for him and, just when Suzuki has to make a decision, the plot erupts to life. Isaka takes us on a wild ride across Tokyo as plans collide with schemes and get tangled up in last-ditch efforts. It’s an intricately plotted mess involving a lot of very dangerous people.

While Three Assassins begins with a revenge plot stopped in its tracks, it quickly turns into a bunch of narratives bouncing off one another. Suzuki’s bumbling intersects with the efforts of the Cicada (a master with knives who specializes in eliminating entire families) to make his name in the “industry” of killers for hire and with the Whale’s (who specializes in forcing people to commit suicide) attempts to settle scores that have been racking up over the course of his shadowy career. And then there’s the Pusher, who kills people with a timely push in front of a car or train. All three of these assassins are people you never want to meet. Unfortunately for Suzuki, he’s on a collision course with all of them.

I can’t say too much more about Three Assassins without giving things away. Suffice to say, this book is an excellent thriller. Isaka’s intersecting plots and mordant humor are a delight to read. The hints of the supernatural make things even better. Readers who want a fast, fierce read should pick this one up.

Suzuki just began working for a criminal enterprise. He quit his middle school mathematics teaching job to try and enact revenge for his wife’s death. The son of the enterprise’s owner killed Suzuki’s wife in a hit-and-run accident. However, the son is soon murdered by a private assassin, The Pusher, who pushes the son in front of busy traffic. Suzuki is tasked by his new boss to find The Pusher. The Pusher isn’t the only psychopath killer within Three Assassins. The Whale uses persuasion to convince his victims to kill themselves. The Cicada kills his victims with a knife. It’s an all-out melee!

Three Assassins is a combination of every recent Liam Nielson movie with an all-male psychotic Charlie’s Angels—but funny! It may be hard to imagine, and that is why this book is such an enjoyably different experience compared to most thrillers. I loved it and I think most thriller fans will too! It is by the author of Bullet Train so expect to see a movie later too. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to The Overlook Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Three Assassins, by Kotaro Isaka, is one of the most unusual, imaginative, wacky, and endearing novels featuring assassins I have read. Three Assassins was published in 2004 and is being translated into English for the first time. Suzuki is a teacher and regular dude until his wife is killed. A violent criminal organization, Fraulein, is responsible for her death. Seeking revenge, he leaves his morals at the door and starts working with said violent criminal organization. Moving through the Tokyo underworld he crosses paths with all kinds of hitmen, torture specialists, a group of actors that can play any role and other miscreants to avenge his wife.

This book has everything! Assassins? At least three. Torture? You betcha. Ghosts? Yup. If Tokyo was really like this would I visit? Nope. How anyone survives in this Tokyo is anyone's guess. There is an entire industry devoted to killing people. Its like there is a Yellow Pages for the evil.

Told from the perspective of Suzuki and the Three Assassins, the changing POVs allow you to get to know each in a way that is unusual but extremely effective. Especially, the assassins and the emotions coursing through them. Hitmen have feelings too.

Three Assassins is hectic, weird, and oddly engrossing but its the characters that steal the show. The Whale is an assassin who gets people to commit suicide through suggestion. The Cicada uses knives and does the jobs others turndown; mainly families. The Pusher. He pushes his victims in front of cars, trains, that sort of thing. No one knows the identity of The Pusher and many believe he's an urban legend.

I loved everything about Three Assassins. Its violent and crazy but also contains truckloads of heart. I cannot recommend it enough!

My sincere thanks to Kotaro Isaka, ABRAMS, and NetGalley for pleasure of reading an advance copy of Three Assassins.

This is actually a a prequel to Bullet Train, not a followup to it but it's equally fast paced. Suzuki's wife has been murdered, a crime that unhinges him. He sets out to avenge it by working inside the company responsible for her death. But then he finds himself wrapped up with three assassins (duh)= the Cicada, the Pusher, and the Whale. Each has a unique way of killing, each has his own story, all of which are entwined. It's atmospheric and will make you think twice as you walk down the street or stand on a train platform. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Can't wait to see more from Isaka.

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

When I saw the author of Bullet Train (my favorite NetGalley read of last year) had a new book out, I knew I had to read it right away! Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka is an unputdownable blend of thriller and comedy. The story revolves around Suzuki, whose wife was recently murdered. To avenge her death, he goes undercover in the company responsible for her death. He decides to become an assassin. But the job is not a piece of cake. Assassins of all types are in his way. The Whale. The Cicada. The Pusher. These are the name of assassins - each with their own quirks - who also seem to be after the crime boss who murdered Suzuki's wife.

Here is a thrilling excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Suzuki's perspective:

"'Wasn’t that easy?’ Hiyoko sounds totally relaxed. Her white skin has a luster like porcelain, seeming to float in the dark car interior. Her chestnut hair is cut short, coming just to the top of her ears. Something about her expression is cold, maybe because of her single eyelids. The red of her lipstick shines brightly...
‘It wasn’t easy or hard, I mean, all I did was get them in the car.’ Suzuki frowns. ‘I just carried these two unconscious people and put them in the back seat.’ I take no further responsibility, he wanted to say.
‘If this sort of thing rattles you, you won’t get very far. Your trial period is almost over, so you better get used to jobs like this. Although I bet you never imagined you’d be kidnapping people, huh?’"

Overall, Three Assassins is an action-packed thriller with plenty of humor. One highlight of this book is how funny it is. You wouldn't really expect a book about assassins, and especially one that has been translated into English, to be so full of humor, but you would be wrong. There are many laugh-out-loud moments in this book. This book is not quiet as action-packed as Bullet Train, but I think it's twice as funny. This book is definitely a good read. Also, I'll be first in line at the movie theater to see Bullet Train next month. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

I had a great time reading this, it was what I wanted from the description. It had everything that I was looking for in a action-packed thrill ride. I could understand the characters motivation and found it to be a fantastic journey. It left me wanting to read Bullet Train, as I really enjoyed reading this book.

"The position of the man’s neck, the reach of his own arm, the length of the blade, the distance to his opponent – he had accounted for all of it. He swings the blade, picturing himself slashing through a sheet hanging down in front of him. It’s a well-practiced movement with his full bodyweight behind it."

DNF at chapter Six.

This book felt like it needed more editing before being published. The basic punctuation errors may be fixed before publication, but there were a lot. Otherwise, the way the author writes just didn't connect with me at all. His descriptions were scant and choppy and his dialogue was strange. Maybe this was just not for me, but it definitely felt like it needed some work.

Three Assassins takes place in Tokyo.
It follows a man whose wife is murdered who is determined to find the killer(s).
He faces three deadly assassins.
This journey through Tokyo's criminal belly and the David and Goliath nature of these men's relationships make for a cutting edge thriller

Absolutely loved this. It's fun, action packed and features a great cast of characters. Need more books like this in my life.

This novel centers on a Japanese man who enters into the Japanese criminal underworld in order to avenge the death of his wife, and his encounters with several unique assassins. This is action-packed and twisty, with plenty of black humor. Very unique and engaging!

This was a fun read. I loved the fast-paced action and the exciting twists. The characters were distinct and sympathetic (despite the fact that they were assassins). Although this didn’t have as much wit as Bullet Train, another book by this author, I really enjoyed it.