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Three Assassins By Kotoro Isaka

Three Assassins

By Kotoro Isaka

Translated by Sam Malissa

Harvell Secker

Publication Date 14 April 2022

One of the most compelling and hard hitting but also most usual books to fall into my hands in 2021 was Bullet Train by Kotoro Isaka. While it won’t be long until we see the Hollywood interpretation of the story – set in Japan but with American actors -  in late July UK readers don’t have to wait as long to get some more of Kotoro Isaka’s craft with the publication of Three Assassins.

Like Bullet Train, Three Assassins is a standalone novel, unlike the former, is clearly not set on a train. Yet there are some notable similarities. Isaka actually illustrates a lot of psychology in his novels, and both stories follow the reactions of different some decent, some sinister who have to adapt to different and unexpected situations. Throughout Three Assassins there  is a regular returning theme of comparing humans to insects epitomised by the distasteful Cicada.  Translated again by Sam Malissa, the dialogue in the story is very direct and blunt with very little hesitancy from all but the main character.  

The story features a hapless main narrator called Suzuki who is by far the most likeable and dependable character in the story. For reasons that I won’t reveal Suzuki purposely involves himself with a criminal gang called Fraulein led by the powerful Terahara. Yet our new hero quickly finds himself the hunter of one professional killer with two others on his trail.  A slight overlap between this book and Bullet Train occurs with mention of a mysterious and anonymous executioner known as The Pusher. He is discussed briefly by characters Lemon and Tangerine in the earlier novel before a quick cameo doing what he does best. The Pusher is known to pick off the victims he is contracted to kill by pushing them in front of oncoming traffic.  When Suzuki is suddenly compelled by his insistent boss Hiyoko to follow and discover the identity and location of The Pusher, he is completely oblivious to the interest this has generated on  the Tokyo criminal grapevine.

We encounter two other dangerous individuals in the course of their jobs who are also narrators to this story.  A giant of a man, known only as The Whale is able to convince his victims to take their own lives using just his words. He’s the perfect hitman for anyone who wants to get rid of a partner or associate that they no longer need.  While you would hate to meet him, you would perhaps dread even more to meet young and restless Cicada. He is a knife expert who never stops talking. Through the contracts arranged through his associate Iwanishi has no scruples about taking the lives of victims of any age – why have an arbitrary limit he insists. When they hear that that a man called Suzuki is on the trail of The Pusher on behalf of Fraulein, they are separately compelled to get to him first and eliminate their rival.  

Suzuki does not share the same ruthlessness as the other characters in the story and even when he is sure he has discovered The Pusher, he is reluctant to reveal his location to Hiyoko. Yet when he agrees to meet her in safe location, the pace of the book develops significantly leading to a dramatic conclusion. There is an extensive history of crime fiction in Japan and while Isaka’s stories vary significantly from the locked door mysteries of his predecessors, cunning and craft of the key protagonists still remain as two of the significant characteristics.  Three Assassins is a roller coaster of a read that you will not wish to miss.