Bullet Train

Isaka, Kotaro. Bullet Train. New York: Overlook Press 2021. Print

First Sentences:

Tokyo station is packed. 

It's been a while since Yuichi Kimura was here last, so he isn't sure if it's always this crowded. He'd believe it if someone told him there was a special event going on. The throngs of people coming and going press in on him, reminding him of the TV show he and Wataru had watched together, the one about the penguins, all jammed in tight together. 

At least the penguins have an excuse, thinks Kimura. It's freezing where they live.

Description:

So sorry I have not written a book recommendation to you, my handful of faithful readers. The last First Sentence Reader post was in August 2021, almost a full year ago. I'd like to blame Covid, supply side delays, or simple laziness (well, maybe a bit of this one), but I can't. 

There was only one true reason for lack of book recommendations: I just wasn't reading much at all, not anything worth finishing, let alone recommend to you. It was a very long dry spell when nothing caught my interest. Humor seemed too silly during this time, non-fiction too weighty, and fiction too dull. Read a few good autobiographies (I Was Better Last Night by Harvey Fierstein) and mysteries (The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dove) that I enjoyed (and tell others about), but not enough to rouse me to write about them. But here they are in case you want a quality read without my quirky insight into them.

What got me off my doldrums was Kotaro Isaka's Bullet Train. It had everything I wanted: first rate writing; fascinating, can't-put-it-down story; unusual, unpredictable characters; and a setting like no other. It grabbed me, shook me, and held me until I finished it, forcing me to recommend it to friends immediately. Hence my writing to you today, offering you this unique thriller in hopes that you might pick it up for a look-see.

The only tidbits I will reveal (to prevent any revelation of the plot twists and turns) are that the setting is a Japanese high-speed bullet train carrying five assassins or would-be killers. They include:

• Lemon and Tangerine, two deadly figures, one of them a Thomas the Tank Engine aficionado who compares every person and happening to an episode of the children's television show;
• The Prince, a teenage bully who rules over his schoolmates with an iron hand;
• The Wolf, who carries around photos of his victims;
• Nanao (Ladybug), the self-described "world's unluckiest assassin";
• Kimura, an ordinary guy out for revenge;

None knows any other killer is on board the train. Each has his own agenda, some of which unknowingly relate to another fellow criminal pasenger and some which are completely independent. One man wants revenge on a teen who caused severe injury to his son; one is looking to deliver a suitcase full of money; two others are looking to steal that same suitcase; others are ... who knows, but they are up to no good. 

Over the trip, these people develop schemes to carry out their goals. Each plans to carry out his mission, then get off at the next station. Unfortunately, sometimes humorously and sometimes tragically, at each station they are thwarted by bad luck, circumstances, or their fellow passengers. Of course, that means they each have to wait until the next station hours awa to complete their mission and avoid being discovered or killed by their fellow travellers.

It's a locked room mystery where there is no escape from one's environment, no hiding from one's enemies, no calling for reinforcements. How these characters deal with the confining circumstances and threatening passengers is unpredictable. Who the good guys and bad guys are seems a fluid interpretation on each page. 

Yes, there is violence. Yes, people die. And yes, these are generally not nice men. But the ride they take us on, the schemes, the close quarters, the tension make for a great read Plus, it has a completely unexpected ending that wraps up all the cross-stories in a highly satisfactory manner.

So this book brought me back to the excitement of reading gripping, well-told stories again. I have since read a few more books to recommend to you, so keep reading this blog over the coming weeks. And send me any titles that you have enjoyed during these trying years of pandemic and lethargy.

Happy reading. 

Fred

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Isaka, Kotaro. Three Assassins.   

A second book by Isaka includes several characters from Bullet Train, including The Whale (who can make people kill themselves just by talking with them), The Pusher (who murders his victims by "accidentally" bumping them off train platforms onto the tracks, and Suzuki, a newcomer to the assassin profession who seeks revenge. When his target accidentally dies and another man is accused of the deed, Suzuki must determine whether to let this innocent man be accused of the crime and dealt with, or come forward with the truth.