I finally got around to reading the second book in Kotaro Isaka’s Assassins series. I stumbled upon this series by accident when browsing the good ol’ Barnes and Noble. When I read the back cover of Three Assassins and I knew I had to read it. After I started, I learned there were more books and looked into it to discover Bullet Train, the new Netflix movie, was based on a book. After finishing Three Assassins I bought this book instantly with the hopes of reading it before I watched the movie. You can find my review for Isaka’s first book here.
Let me just say, Bullet Train kept me on my toes from the start of the track to the end of the line. I never knew what would happen next. Unlike most series, this one does not require you to read the previous one. It is easy to jump into without any prior knowledge. Isaka uses a few characters from the previous book but you do not need to know anything major about them. If you read this one first, the previous book can just be used to add onto backstory for a few characters.
The Summary
Two assassins are hired to rescue the kidnapped son of a crime lord. Lemon and Tangerine have completely different personalities but often partner in the jobs they do. Some people even say they look like one another. During their rescue operation, their boss told them to bring* a suitcase full of ransom money but don’t pay. They must kill all the kidnappers and bring his son along with the ransom money back to the crime lord. Things go poorly for them as soon as they board the bullet train. Someone steals the ransom suitcase, and someone else murders the rescued son. Lemon and Tangerine must find a solution before they reach the crime boss.
Nanao, also known as Ladybug in the criminal underworld, takes on any job. The only downside is he has the worst luck of any criminal. Every job he takes sounds easy at first but always goes sideways. This job would be no different. Someone hires Nanao to steal a suitcase and get off the train at the very next stop. As soon as Nanao reaches the next station he realizes things will once again not be as easy as his boss makes it seem. Another assassin gets on the train and sees Nanao. He stops him from getting off the train because they have fought before. Nanao must stay on the train longer while Lemon and Tangerine look for him.
Kimura is on the train trying to track down the person that pushed his young son off a building. He wants revenge for the injuries of his son. The Prince lies in wait knowing Kimura is tracking him. The Prince is a high school student too smart for his age. He manipulates people to achieve his goals and pushes people to see how far he can get. His classmates fear him, his teachers fear him, even Kimura fears this evil teen. The Prince gets the jump on Kimura and ties him up. He wants to see if he can manipulate Kimura to help him cause chaos and achieve his goal of murdering the crime boss Lemon and Tangerine work for.
All five assassins are on the same train without knowing about each other. They soon come to realize their jobs became a lot harder. Lives will be lost, and the wild shenanigans of the assassins will deepen. Who will come out on top? What happened to the crime boss’s son? Who gets the suitcase with all the money? You will just have to read this fast paced action thriller book to find out.
The Good
This book kept me on my toes at all times. I personally love books full of weird coincidences and chance meetings. The two Isaka books I’ve read so far, thrive off this kind of story telling. I keep asking myself when the characters will meet. Are they going to fight each other or team up? This book kept me turning every page, wanting more of the story. I expected a weird twist at the end and I was not disappointed.
The writing is fast paced and easy to understand. It keeps the audience engaged the entire time. I would be shocked if someone told me they could not get through the book. The creative Tokyo criminal underworld is always fun to return to. Isaka’s creative assassins, along with their unique personalities, really make this book stand out from other stories about crime. What’s the last book you read where a killer loves Thomas the Tank Engine?
The Bad
In Bullet Train I wish the Prince’s motivations made more sense. He just wanted to see what he could get away with or how far his luck would last. His goals felt ambiguous and undefined. It’s rare for a teenager to inflict pain on others for absolutely no reason at all, considering the Prince did not have bad influences on his life or a bad family. He just was that way.
Secondly, The story could have connected more. We don’t see why the crime boss hired Nanao to steal from Lemon and Tangerine. We also learned nothing about the mysterious Hornet. How did the Hornet know things would line up for her to finish off her contract? The jobs the assassins were hired for all felt incomplete by the end of the story.
The Rating
If you are looking for a fast paced tale about assassins look no further. I read this book quickly and I know you can too. The hilarious antics of the assassins outweighed the incomplete feeling ending. Isaka’s quirky characters paired with his imaginative Tokyo underworld leave you feeling highly entertained and laughing throughout the tale. I would recommend this book to high school aged kids and above for some mature language along with borderline torture from the Prince. If you like funny thrillers, this book would be right up your alley.
8.5/10 Exciting
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As always, happy reading!