Three Assassins: A propulsive new thriller from the bestselling author of BULLET TRAIN | 
pickTook my time with this one because I was having so much fun I didn‘t want finish it. I don‘t know what it says about me that I was rooting for each of the assassins—as they take on their jobs (which soon intersect)—to the very end. 😬 As you can imagine, however, with so many assassins populating this thriller, there‘s a lot of murder & mayhem. Love the dialog, love how clearly/distinctly each character is written. A fast, very entertaining read.
pickThree Assassins is the prequel to Bullet Train, told in three perspectives. Cicada is a knife expert, but he wants to escape his controlling handler. The Whale convinces his victims to commit suicide, but lately all 33 have been haunting him. Asagao pushes people into traffic, more phantom than real. Poor Suzuki just wants to avenge his wife who was murdered. Action packed, funny, with an ending leaving you reeling. I LOVED this installment.
My cousin (aka my book bestie) and I like to sit down and make our own book brackets each year with a theme. We send each other monthly updates as we add books, it‘s one of my favorite bookish traditions. My bracket for 2024 was a witchy theme and I‘m happy to say I LOVED Isaka‘s Assassins series and Three Assassins is my book of the year 🥂✨ I went with a pond theme for 2025! 🦢🐸 Excited for another year of books!
pickThis is the first part of the trilogy, but I read the second one (Bullet Train) first, and as far as I can judge it doesn't matter. It was fun to discover all the little hints and tips Isaka hides in this story. Also, you actually start liking murderers while reading this. At least I did. How twisted! Of course Isaka manages to do this. It's a bit slower than BT, but this story slowly crept into my heart and I got invested more and more.
pickSuzuki lived a regular life as a math teacher, until his wife was killed. Now seeking vengeance, Suzuki joins the gang responsible for his wife's death. Suzuki pursues the Pusher, who he believes killed his wife's murderer. However, 2 other deadly assassins are on the hunt for the Pusher as well. As their paths cross, Suzuki fights to seek his revenge. If you like thriller books with high stakes, you'll enjoy this one.
