Bullet Train is one of these books people who know and understand Japanese culture will love, and those who love complicated, twisty suspense will also appreciate for its intricate plot lines. The premise: murder on a train, would seem to harken back to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, but Isaka surprises us with something much more noir and unexpected, since all the main characters are killers for hire.

Nanao, nicknamed “Lady Bird,” has been hired to do a simple job. Get on the Tokyo to Morioka bullet train, find and steal a specific suitcase and then get off at the first stop. Simple, easy and fast, his booking agent insists, but Nanao is not so sure, because for the self proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world,” things always get more complicated than they should. And that is exactly what happens. No sooner has he boarded but he realizes that the suitcase is also being sought by deadly killer duo named Tangerine and Lemon. Not only that, there seems to be other strange and potentially dangerous passengers on board, like the young teenager called “the Prince,”whose youthful, innocent demeanor hides psychopathic tendencies. Then there is the recovering drunk who is intent on confronting “the Prince.”  In fact, most of the passengers on the eerily empty train seem suspicious.

Just as he suspected, circumstances prevent Nanao from removing the suitcase and getting off at the first stop. Now he has failed to fulfill his contract, something his client, one of the most vicious Yakuza leaders in Japan, is unlikely to forgive. Not only that, he and the others assassins on the train have begun to realize that each of them have conflicting missions to fulfill on the train. Nanao is now worried that not only may he not make it off the train alive, but that if he does, his client may try to kill him for failing to fulfill his contract. With death facing him at every door, this unluckiest assassin must now figure out how to make it off the bullet train alive.

This was a very evocative read for me, reminding me of the many trips I made on the bullet train, however, unlike those trips, this trip contains both suspense and some pretty violent and graphic scenes before you reach the unexpected, but oddly satisfying conclusion.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!i

Brenda’s Rating:***1/2(3 1/2 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian, Ken and Keith

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in e-library format.