A dark, satirical thriller by the bestselling Japanese author, following the perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassins—now a major film starring Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga, Joey King, and Sandra Bullock
Nanao, nicknamed Ladybug—the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world”—boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, the deadly duo Tangerine and Lemon are also after the very same suitcase—and they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard.
Satoshi, “the Prince,” with the looks of an innocent schoolboy and the mind of a viciously cunning psychopath, is also in the mix and has history with some of the others. Risk fuels him as does a good philosophical debate—like, is killing really wrong?
Chasing the Prince is another assassin with a score to settle for the time the Prince casually pushed a young boy off of a roof, leaving him comatose. When the five assassins discover they are all on the same train, they realize their missions are not as unrelated as they first appear.
A massive bestseller in Japan, Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller that fizzes with an incredible energy and surprising humor as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwind.
Award-winning author Kotaro Isaka takes listeners on a tension-packed journey as the bullet train hurtles toward its final destination. Who will make it off the train alive—and what awaits them at the last stop?
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“Breakneck pacing, masterful character development, and well-timed comic relief set Isaka’s pitch-perfect (and seamlessly translated) thriller up for blockbuster status.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“High-speed…with lots of twists and turns…It has a Tarantino-meets-the-Coen-Brothers feel to it.”
— The Times (London)“An impossible-to-put-down thrill ride.”
— A. V. Club“It’s fast, deadly, and loads of fun…at once outlandish and virtuoso.”
— NPR“The setting of a train keeps all the action cooped up. That, in turn, ramps the suspense up tenfold.”
— Barnes&Noble.com“Isaka keeps the suspense high throughout. Fans of intricate action fiction will be enthralled.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Bandhu’s narration…complements author Kotaro Isaka’s taut dialogue and superb plot.”
— AudioFile“Off-beat, fast-paced, and humorous…unlike any other thriller you’ll find on the bookshelves.”
— Your Money Geek“Fueled by a seductively explosive premise, it’s fast, deadly, and loads of fun.”
— NPRBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Kotaro Isaka is a bestselling and award-winning writer whose books have sold millions of copies around the world. He has won the Shincho Mystery Club Award, Mystery Writers of Japan Award, Japan Booksellers’ Award, and the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize. His novel Bullet Train is the basis for the 2022 major motion picture starring Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock.
Pun Bandhu is an award-winning actor who has worked on Broadway, off Broadway, in TV, and in film. He is the recipient of the Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Award for Best Supporting Actor and New Dramatists’ Bowden Award for his distinguished collaboration on new works.