Publishers Weekly
★ 06/28/2021
Set on a bullet train traveling from Tokyo to Morioka (and soon to be a movie starring Brad Pitt), this impressive thriller from Japanese author Isaka (Remote Control) races along, like the eponymous train, at a frenetic pace. In the first of multiple story lines, Yuichi Kimura boards the train, armed with a revolver, in search of the person who pushed his six-year-old son, Wataru, off a roof, leaving the child comatose. When Kimura finds his quarry, the sadistic teen Satoshi Oji, Oji manages to incapacitate the grieving parent with a taser. Oji, who makes it clear he planted clues to lead Kimura to his location, ties his victim up and threatens to have Wataru killed if Kimura doesn’t follow his instructions. Kimura’s desperate attempts to save himself and his son alternate with other violent plots, one involving the kidnapping of a crime lord’s son, another a missing suitcase stuffed with cash, and a third a snake. Isaka keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of intricate action fiction will be enthralled. Agent: Yuma Terada, CTB. (Aug.)
Your Money Geek
Isaka has created an off-beat, fast-paced, and humorous thriller, unlike any other thriller you’ll find on the bookshelves.”
Collider
A great end-of-summer beach read, as the action moves fast — just like the bullet train of the title. Isaka will definitely keep you guessing to the end…”
NPR's Fresh Air
Zippily translated by Sam Malissa for The Overlook Press, this is one novel that lives up to its title. Fueled by a seductively explosive premise, it's fast, deadly and loads of fun… At once outlandish and virtuoso, Bullet Train is like one of those dazzling balance beam routines that keep you hoping the gymnast will stick the landing.”
From the Publisher
Zippily translated by Sam Malissa for The Overlook Press, this is one novel that lives up to its title. Fueled by a seductively explosive premise, it's fast, deadly and loads of fun… At once outlandish and virtuoso, Bullet Train is like one of those dazzling balance beam routines that keep you hoping the gymnast will stick the landing.”—NPR's Fresh Air
“A great end-of-summer beach read, as the action moves fast — just like the bullet train of the title. Isaka will definitely keep you guessing to the end…”—Collider
“Breakneck pacing, masterful character development, and well-timed comic relief set Isaka's pitch-perfect (and seamlessly translated) thriller up for blockbuster status."—Kirkus (starred review)
“Isaka keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of intricate action fiction will be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Isaka has created an off-beat, fast-paced, and humorous thriller, unlike any other thriller you’ll find on the bookshelves.”—Your Money Geek
MARCH 2022 - AudioFile
There is a graceful elegance to Pun Bandhu’s narration of this engaging audiobook, which allows listeners to reach a comfort zone, only to be repeatedly shaken from it by the dark nature of the story. At its heart, the novel focuses upon five killers on a Japanese bullet train, each of whom is seeking a suitcase filled with money. But the story is far more complex and includes a cast ranging from an assassin to a psychopath, and others with equally intriguing desires and motives. Bandhu’s performance complements author Kotaro Isaka’s taut dialogue and superb plot. Throughout, Bandhu’s unique personas and subtly defined voices deftly capture the listener’s imagination. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
