Bullet Train
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- Create Date：2021-06-18 10:16:15
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Kōtarō Isaka
- ISBN：178730258X
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Summary
Five killers find themselves on a bullet train from Tokyo competing for a suitcase full of money。 Who will make it to the last station？ An original and propulsive thriller from a Japanese bestseller。
Satoshi looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a viciously cunning psychopath。 Kimura's young son is in a coma thanks to him， and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train headed from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge。 But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard。
Nanao， the self-proclaimed 'unluckiest assassin in the world'， and the deadly partnership of Tangerine and Lemon are also travelling to Morioka。 A suitcase full of money leads others to show their hands。 Why are they all on the same train， and who will get off alive at the last station？
A bestseller in Japan， Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller which fizzes with an incredible energy as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwinds to the last station。
Satoshi looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a viciously cunning psychopath。 Kimura's young son is in a coma thanks to him， and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train headed from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge。 But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard。
Nanao， the self-proclaimed 'unluckiest assassin in the world'， and the deadly partnership of Tangerine and Lemon are also travelling to Morioka。 A suitcase full of money leads others to show their hands。 Why are they all on the same train， and who will get off alive at the last station？
A bestseller in Japan， Bullet Train is an original and propulsive thriller which fizzes with an incredible energy as its complex net of double-crosses and twists unwinds to the last station。
Reviews
Caroline
，
A comic crime novel set almost entirely on a Japanese bullet train。 I enjoyed this caper and can see it made into a movie。
Alex Taylor
，
Comic book silliness。
Apollos
，
Bullet Train is a propulsive popcorn thriller that is largely set in a Shinkansen hurtling from Tokyo to Morioka。 With five killers stuck in the same train at the same time， you can easily imagine the kind of chaos that’ll ensue， and the adrenaline-pumping ride it promises。Reading the book is like watching an action flick。 The stakes are high。 Things happen fast。 Your heart thumps for the characters。 It reminds me of movies like The Commuter （2018） and Train to Busan （2016）。 Even if the story is Bullet Train is a propulsive popcorn thriller that is largely set in a Shinkansen hurtling from Tokyo to Morioka。 With five killers stuck in the same train at the same time， you can easily imagine the kind of chaos that’ll ensue， and the adrenaline-pumping ride it promises。Reading the book is like watching an action flick。 The stakes are high。 Things happen fast。 Your heart thumps for the characters。 It reminds me of movies like The Commuter （2018） and Train to Busan （2016）。 Even if the story is just pure fictional entertainment， it is quite an exciting one。I’m looking forward to the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt， Sandra Bullock， Lady Gaga etc that is set to be released next year！ （Although I think it’ll be overly adapted to suit Western audiences given how it’s a Hollywood production。）4/5 。。。more
Mona
，
I was excited to read Bullet Train， the plot was really interesting but I ended up being disappointed。 Multiple factors were involved including the slow paced story， the fact that I didn't liked 2 ot ouf the 5 main characters （Nanao and Kimura） and would have liked less flashbacks。 Plus I wasn't in the best headspace ever the last week。 I did however really liked the sense of humour。 I was excited to read Bullet Train， the plot was really interesting but I ended up being disappointed。 Multiple factors were involved including the slow paced story， the fact that I didn't liked 2 ot ouf the 5 main characters （Nanao and Kimura） and would have liked less flashbacks。 Plus I wasn't in the best headspace ever the last week。 I did however really liked the sense of humour。 。。。more
Marina Sofia
，
A very unexpected， slightly bonkers and quite un-Japanese type of thriller。 Great fun to read。
Claire
，
This is enjoyable。 Not quite the action packed novel I was expecting but it still a good read。 The Prince is an absolute little shit and I was really hoping he would be killed （and maybe he was）。 I liked Nanao and he's not as unlucky as he thinks。 He still took out the most people！ I was really disappointed that the teacher wasn't an assassin。 There was just something about him。 Lemon and his Thomas the Tank Engine was really grating but if you can put up with it， it does pay off。 I would defini This is enjoyable。 Not quite the action packed novel I was expecting but it still a good read。 The Prince is an absolute little shit and I was really hoping he would be killed （and maybe he was）。 I liked Nanao and he's not as unlucky as he thinks。 He still took out the most people！ I was really disappointed that the teacher wasn't an assassin。 There was just something about him。 Lemon and his Thomas the Tank Engine was really grating but if you can put up with it， it does pay off。 I would definitely read another of his books。 。。。more
Lindsay
，
This book is filled with TERRIBLE people， truly some of the worst people ever written about。And yet I couldn't look away！？ I kept telling myself I was going to quit but always "in a minute"！ The story is extremely compelling， if hard to categorise。 It's kind of a thriller but also a very dark farce， and extremely addictive！I did find myself rooting for Nanao though。 （view spoiler）[I would have been tempted to go full Prince if he hadn't made it out in one piece！ （hide spoiler）]["br"]>["br"]>["br This book is filled with TERRIBLE people， truly some of the worst people ever written about。And yet I couldn't look away！？ I kept telling myself I was going to quit but always "in a minute"！ The story is extremely compelling， if hard to categorise。 It's kind of a thriller but also a very dark farce， and extremely addictive！I did find myself rooting for Nanao though。 （view spoiler）[I would have been tempted to go full Prince if he hadn't made it out in one piece！ （hide spoiler）]["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Gary
，
4+ pushing 5 stars。 Highly original thriller translated from Japanese and concerning seven assassins on a Japanese Shinkansen （"bullet train" in the West） each with a separate mission。。。 or are they？ Thrilling， inventive and full of surprises to the very end。 Highly recommended。 4+ pushing 5 stars。 Highly original thriller translated from Japanese and concerning seven assassins on a Japanese Shinkansen （"bullet train" in the West） each with a separate mission。。。 or are they？ Thrilling， inventive and full of surprises to the very end。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Leah
，
I have a feeling this is one of those love it or hate it books。 Unfortunately I hate it， so am abandoning it at 10%。 Silly names， ludicrous plot， unbelievable characterisations - I suspect it's supposed to be funny， but throwing young kids off buildings and descriptions of pimping schoolgirls isn't my kind of humour。 I have a feeling this is one of those love it or hate it books。 Unfortunately I hate it， so am abandoning it at 10%。 Silly names， ludicrous plot， unbelievable characterisations - I suspect it's supposed to be funny， but throwing young kids off buildings and descriptions of pimping schoolgirls isn't my kind of humour。 。。。more
Gavin McHugh
，
Such an interesting concept and it is handled quite well。 Multiple viewpoints provide fresh perspective on events and motivations and it remains engaging throughout。Doesn't quite manage to have an ending equivalent to the great work put in beforehand but this is a very enjoyable and well paced crime thriller。 Such an interesting concept and it is handled quite well。 Multiple viewpoints provide fresh perspective on events and motivations and it remains engaging throughout。Doesn't quite manage to have an ending equivalent to the great work put in beforehand but this is a very enjoyable and well paced crime thriller。 。。。more
ClareT
，
I saw a review of this on Crime Fiction Lover and it immediately appealed。 A Japanese thriller mostly set over about 3 hours on a Bullet train from Tokyo - with five murderers on board。 I wasn't disappointed and I loved this book。 Lemon and Tangerine are hired by the big crime boss to a） rescue his son from kidnappers and bring him back on the train， b） bring the ransom money back， c） kill all the kidnappers。 They have completed c and are bringing back the boy and the money。 Nanao， who thinks he I saw a review of this on Crime Fiction Lover and it immediately appealed。 A Japanese thriller mostly set over about 3 hours on a Bullet train from Tokyo - with five murderers on board。 I wasn't disappointed and I loved this book。 Lemon and Tangerine are hired by the big crime boss to a） rescue his son from kidnappers and bring him back on the train， b） bring the ransom money back， c） kill all the kidnappers。 They have completed c and are bringing back the boy and the money。 Nanao， who thinks he is the unluckiest criminal in the world， is hired to get the money and get off at the next station。Kimura， ex criminal， single dad and alcoholic turned security guard， is on a revenge mission to kill the 14 year old schoolboy， 'The Prince' who has pushed his six year old son off the top of a building。 The son is in coma in hospital。In addition there is the mysterious hornet， Kimura's disappointed parents， and 'the Pusher' who kills people by pushing them under traffic to make it look like an accident。Obviously nothing goes to the original plan， The Prince captures Kimura， and the bodies keep piling up， especially where Nanao happens to be。The story works really well as the action moves between the main characters all stationed in different parts of the train and slowly coming together。 The bodies pile up， the reader is made to really want Nanao to complete his mission and get off the train， and， as one reviewer on another website commented， never have I wanted a 14 year old in a novel， to die so much。 Yes， it is a completely unrealistic plot， no it isn't a sophisticated narrative， but yes， it is a fun thriller with a great ending。 I would highly recommend anyone looking to just sit and get absorbed in a book for an evening or two。 And， yes I can see why they are making it into a film。 。。。more
Robert Craven
，
Superb， break neck noir。 Full of dark humour and twists and turns。 Reading it again
Keith Chawgo
，
Isaka’s new exciting novel is a thrill ride with its unique characters and situation giving a reader a thrill ride that is both exciting and intriguing。The plot deals with a series of diabolical characters that at first seem to be very separated by their ambitions and drive but eventually their paths cross with the realisation that like the train they are on the same track。 The story is well managed and it leaves the reader intrigued to race to the end as intricate storylines and plot devices ar Isaka’s new exciting novel is a thrill ride with its unique characters and situation giving a reader a thrill ride that is both exciting and intriguing。The plot deals with a series of diabolical characters that at first seem to be very separated by their ambitions and drive but eventually their paths cross with the realisation that like the train they are on the same track。 The story is well managed and it leaves the reader intrigued to race to the end as intricate storylines and plot devices are masterfully handled to its exciting conclusion。The characters are very well developed and although they are despicable characters in their own right， Isaka has given them individual personalities and juggles these brilliantly。 The reader is engaged with each and every character and makes you care for them as they carry out their dastardly deeds and murderous intent。 You find yourself routing for each and everyone except for one teenager which you really want to bring back corporal punishment。 This one character is so annoying that you hope he gets what is coming to him which makes this joyride even more engaging。 Overall， Bullet Train is a Tarrantino-esque joy ride with each character having their own unique style in language and personality。 A plot that twists faster than a knife， criminal characters with flair and style that makes them likeable。 A thrill ride that once you board， you can’t stop until the exciting conclusion。 The only thing that I hope I don’t regret is the film version and I pray that this will do this excellent thriller justice。 。。。more
Richardsonb94
，
Took me awhile to get into it， but then couldn’t put it down。 Ridiculous plot， but it works。 Loved the references to Thomas and his friends。 Kept wondering what would happen next to Nanao。 Was positive the exam-prep instructor would end up involved…Just hope an American film version can pull it off。 Starring Brad Pitt？？
Khai Jian （KJ）
，
"Human beings are creatures of conformity"5 assassins （or even more）， all boarded the same bullet train （the Shinkansen） traveling from Tokyo to Morioka。 A search on a suitcase full of money， as well as certain assassination missions， were involved。 Bullet Train is a heavily plot-driven thriller， with a lot of humor elements being incorporated throughout the story。 The twists， double-crossing， and manipulation between the assassins made the story entertaining and intriguing。 In fact， the author "Human beings are creatures of conformity"5 assassins （or even more）， all boarded the same bullet train （the Shinkansen） traveling from Tokyo to Morioka。 A search on a suitcase full of money， as well as certain assassination missions， were involved。 Bullet Train is a heavily plot-driven thriller， with a lot of humor elements being incorporated throughout the story。 The twists， double-crossing， and manipulation between the assassins made the story entertaining and intriguing。 In fact， the author managed to inculcate certain interesting political and philosophical observations into the story。 The manner in which the author links up the fate of all the assassins is quite brilliant。 That being said， the abovementioned plus points of the story are diluted by the lengthy/dull conversation between the characters as well as certain dry jokes made by the author。 The characterizations for the different assassins were supposed to be interesting: a psychotic 14-year-old school kid （the Prince）， the hitman duo （Tangerine and Lemon）， an assassin who struggles with his luck （Nanao aka Ladybird）， the Hornet （an assassin who kills with poison needles）， the Wolf and the Pusher。 But they were once again were let down by the unnecessary lengthy conversation and info-dumpy introduction on their specialties or past missions。 I seriously wish the movie adaptation （starring among others Brad Pitt， Lady Gaga， and Sandra Bullock） would be better than the book， which is only a 2。8/5 star rating to me。 Thanks to Definitely Books and Pansing Distribution for sending this review copy to me！ 。。。more
Carolyn Drake
，
The elevator pitch for this is essentially: 'a bunch of manipulating and manipulated hired killers battle eachother on a speeding bullet train'。 In other words， the 'leave-your-credulity-in-the-luggage rack-along-with-a-McGuffin-of-a-suitcase' plot is ridiculous， but fun。 This Japanese bestseller features inscrutable， sociapathic， empathatic， and unlikely assassins， some in great 'odd couple' pairings; revengeful Yakuza bosses; brutal bursts of mayhem and murder; and some droll philosophical mus The elevator pitch for this is essentially: 'a bunch of manipulating and manipulated hired killers battle eachother on a speeding bullet train'。 In other words， the 'leave-your-credulity-in-the-luggage rack-along-with-a-McGuffin-of-a-suitcase' plot is ridiculous， but fun。 This Japanese bestseller features inscrutable， sociapathic， empathatic， and unlikely assassins， some in great 'odd couple' pairings; revengeful Yakuza bosses; brutal bursts of mayhem and murder; and some droll philosophical musings on life， ethics， and Thomas The Tank Engine。 Apparently， there's a film in the offing starring Brad Pitt。 The only surprise there is that it's not being directed by Quentin Tarantino。 All aboard！ 。。。more
Ambia
，
3。5/5 This book was fun and introduced me to two iconic duos。 Was the plot a bit convenient？ Yes， but did I enjoy the ride regardless？ Yes。 The thing that makes this book enjoyable is definitely the characters。 The plot is pretty simple: two guys are transporting a Mafia boss's son and his ransom money on the Bullet Train where another guy is trying to steal the suitcase and a little boy is messing everything up for everyone。 There's also some other shady characters on this trip because one of o 3。5/5 This book was fun and introduced me to two iconic duos。 Was the plot a bit convenient？ Yes， but did I enjoy the ride regardless？ Yes。 The thing that makes this book enjoyable is definitely the characters。 The plot is pretty simple: two guys are transporting a Mafia boss's son and his ransom money on the Bullet Train where another guy is trying to steal the suitcase and a little boy is messing everything up for everyone。 There's also some other shady characters on this trip because one of our protagonists， Nanao， has such unbelievable luck。 I say unbelievable excuse sometimes its absolutely ridiculous。 Tangerine and Lemon are a pair of odd-job guys who do random dirty work。 They were the best part of this book。 Lemon is dangerous and really cute。 I know so much about Thomas and Friends now。 Tangerine is a hot， mysterious guy who likes reading。 They're a perfect duo。 Nanao （Ladybeetle） is another shady odd-jobs guy whose bad luck has not stopped him from giving up this dangerous career path。 I really liked Nanao in the beginning with his uncertainty and his quiet strength。 I'm also very unlucky and his resignation to this fate was pretty real。 Kimura is an alcoholic security guard who fails to kill the kid who pushed his son off a building。 He basically gets dragged along and does absolutely nothing。 A real loser。 The Prince is terrible。 I hate this kid。 He's like Holden Caulfield taken to the extreme。 Holden just wanted to know where the damn ducks were， this kid thinks he knows everything about life and death。 They discuss a lot of other cool code-name people who are also in the bizz and some of them even make an appearance。In the beginning we're sitting on this train learning about these characters and their raison d'être until their worlds collide。 Once the story and the suitcase gets moving， it takes on a much faster pace and you will have to suspend your disbelief at some point to continue。 The most questionable aspect of this book is that none these hardened criminals questions the 14 year old boy following them around。 I know a snotty brat when I see one and I'm an ordinary person， so these private individuals should have been at least a bit more weary。 Every moment when I thought someone was going to sus this kid， something happens to them。 Lemon's death killed me too。 I loved him。 And Tangerine figuring it out because of the bad train sticker。 I thought the kid was finally getting what was coming for him until Nanao turns into freaking One Punch Man。 He really had to fight off the Hornet and Wolf but Tangerine was a one-punch kill？ Really？ And then a snake appears when he's going to make a move later。 It was a bit too convenient， but I enjoyed it anyway。Thankfully the next iconic duo appears。 The elder Kimura's who are way more interesting than their useless son and don't fall for this kid's schtick。 They both read this kid to high heaven。 I really thought Satoshi might just blow them both up with the explosion gun， but apparently his apathy doesn't extend to himself。 Morning Glory， another criminal， and tge elderly Kimura's friend helps save their grandson and they torture the Prince。 Crime is bad， but this kid is fictional and he deserved it。 I really want a spin-off about Lemon and Tangerine and The Kimura couple。 A buddy drama and a romance。 。。。more
Rob
，
Enjoyed the plot and the setting but found the style or the writing a bit unpolished。 Wonder if it has suffered in translation。
Joe M
，
A talky， darkly humorous， sadistic thriller that follows multiple assassins with overlapping missions aboard the Shinkansen。 I was excited to read this as the cast for the upcoming film adaptation looks fantastic。 There are some suspenseful moments and a few inventive scenes， but surprisingly for a novel set on a high-speed bullet train， this sure takes its sweet time going anywhere。 I was sufficiently entertained， but truly for once， I hope the movie is better。 A talky， darkly humorous， sadistic thriller that follows multiple assassins with overlapping missions aboard the Shinkansen。 I was excited to read this as the cast for the upcoming film adaptation looks fantastic。 There are some suspenseful moments and a few inventive scenes， but surprisingly for a novel set on a high-speed bullet train， this sure takes its sweet time going anywhere。 I was sufficiently entertained， but truly for once， I hope the movie is better。 。。。more
Thomas Kiley
，
Bullet Train is not the guns blazing action packed adventure that I expected （and I expect the movie to be， with David Leitch at the helm）， but the book I read was even better。 While this book does have a good number of murders and action scenes， it is mostly a bunch of assassins sitting on a train having conversations about the ethics of murder， about bad luck， or about Thomas the Tank Engine。 The five main characters are all explored well， though some are given more to do than others。 There is Bullet Train is not the guns blazing action packed adventure that I expected （and I expect the movie to be， with David Leitch at the helm）， but the book I read was even better。 While this book does have a good number of murders and action scenes， it is mostly a bunch of assassins sitting on a train having conversations about the ethics of murder， about bad luck， or about Thomas the Tank Engine。 The five main characters are all explored well， though some are given more to do than others。 There is Kimura， an alcoholic father who is on the train to get revenge for his injured son， only to find himself drawn into a much larger game。 Nanao is on the train to steal a suitcase， but his bad luck keeps him trapped on the train and moves the story along （and also provides more than a few moments of well done humor）。 There is Tangerine and Lemon， two hitmen who work together tasked with rescuing the son of a powerful man only to have their plan completely fall apart。 Tangerine is the more literate of the two， as Lemon always wants to talk about Thomas the Tank Engine to every character in the book he encounters （as someone familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine， this was enjoyable， but I can see it being annoying to some）。 Finally there is a 14 year old known as the Prince， who is on the train to set a trap for others and loves to explore how he can use his youth to inflict pain and misery on others。The plot of the book takes place within a two and a half hour train ride from Tokyo to Morioka on board the Japanese bullet train。 Along the way the five characters have to outwit other passengers and each other to achieve their missions and survive the ride。 Each chapter has a graphic showing where on the train the action takes place， which was extremely helpful in knowing where the characters were in relation to each other。 There were multiple flashbacks exploring why the characters ended up on the train （mostly in the Kimura and Prince chapters） that were a well told story on their own。 Until the book gets into the final act， there are many scenes that are just philosophical discussions about murder and what it means to have power or be an assassin。 The writing was fantastic， but if you are just here for guns on a train， then you may end up being disappointed。 I am looking forward to the adaptation of this book because Isaka laid the foundation for a large number of strong characters and a few twists I did not expect。 [I also disagree with the comparisons to Tarantino that others mentioned。 This book has more of a Coen brothers vibe with its oddball characters] This was a wild ride that I can't wait to see on the big screen。 Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for a honest review。 。。。more
James
，
Korean movie-makers have a long history of producing wacky， violent thrillers - Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance being the most obvious examples; their horror movies， too， are renowned， such as the zombies-on-a-train fest which is Train to Busan。 But in narrative fiction， too， Korean writers often produce works which are similar; The Plotters by Un-Su Kim， is a notable example。 Japanese cinema and narrative fiction has its own tradition of such off-beat mayhem， albeit not as well known as Korean movie-makers have a long history of producing wacky， violent thrillers - Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance being the most obvious examples; their horror movies， too， are renowned， such as the zombies-on-a-train fest which is Train to Busan。 But in narrative fiction， too， Korean writers often produce works which are similar; The Plotters by Un-Su Kim， is a notable example。 Japanese cinema and narrative fiction has its own tradition of such off-beat mayhem， albeit not as well known as Korea’s。 But Kotaro Isaka’s barmy novel， Bullet Train， which is being made into a movie， might well bring the country out of its neighbour’s shadow。The description on the dust jacket reads: “Satoshi looks like an innocent schoolboy but he is really a viciously cunning psychopath。 Kimura's young son is in a coma thanks to him， and Kimura has tracked him onto the bullet train heading from Tokyo to Morioka to exact his revenge。 But Kimura soon discovers that they are not the only dangerous passengers onboard。 Nanao， the self-proclaimed 'unluckiest assassin in the world'， and the deadly partnership of Tangerine and Lemon are also travelling to Morioka。 A suitcase full of money leads others to show their hands。 Why are they all on the same train， and who will get off alive at the last station？”But this gives only a taste of the mayhem that is to follow。 Bullet Train builds the tension slowly but surely from the first page。 It isn’t non-stop action， and neither are the gangsters and assassins mentioned on the dust jacket the only ones on the train， or the only ones to feature in the narrative; soon it feels like every passenger and member of the crew is out to kill someone else。 That said， the characters mentioned are the main protagonists， and the author takes the time to flesh them out。 My favourites are Tangerine and Lemon， a duo who bicker amongst themselves like an old married couple。 But it’s Satoshi who steals the show。 Frankly， I haven’t read a more chilling character since Hannibal Lecter in Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs。 In this schoolboy， the author constructs a true psychopath， far worse than many of the schlock versions in your average slasher movie， and I imagine far more realistic too。Bullet Train is a brilliant novel and is wonderfully cinematic。 It reads like a story set for the big screen， so I wasn't surprised to learn an adaptation was in the works。 I’ll definitely keep an eye out for anything else written by this author。 。。。more
K Saju
，
Boy oh boy， of there's an action book which seizes you from the start and keeps you on the edge then Bullet Trainby Kotaro Isaka ranks among the top。 The book details an event which concludes within a couple of hours， in a high speed train from Tokyo to Morioka， with each chapter of the book told from a perspective by a different player/killer but whose lives have been touched by one another in some form or the other。 Each of the charcter has been given a persona so perfectly apt that you almost Boy oh boy， of there's an action book which seizes you from the start and keeps you on the edge then Bullet Trainby Kotaro Isaka ranks among the top。 The book details an event which concludes within a couple of hours， in a high speed train from Tokyo to Morioka， with each chapter of the book told from a perspective by a different player/killer but whose lives have been touched by one another in some form or the other。 Each of the charcter has been given a persona so perfectly apt that you almost start empathizing with them forgetting that they are stone cold killers。Highly recommended and I thank Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of this book for my unbiased feedback。PS。。 It seems this book is to have a movie version， I hope they keep the plot as is and would definitely love to see this one on the screen too。 。。。more
Malcolm Schaffer
，
Quentin Tarrantino where are youThis is one of the craziest books I have read。It all takes place on a train in which there are two corpses nearly from the start - can't imagine that happening on Glasgow _ Edinburgh train。The body co in nuts grows as does the cast of strange mainly homicidal characters。There is a bag of money that keeps changing h as ends and a snake and the pace is as quick as the train。Seems ideal for a Tarrantino movie _ For instance to have as one of the main assassins someon Quentin Tarrantino where are youThis is one of the craziest books I have read。It all takes place on a train in which there are two corpses nearly from the start - can't imagine that happening on Glasgow _ Edinburgh train。The body co in nuts grows as does the cast of strange mainly homicidal characters。There is a bag of money that keeps changing h as ends and a snake and the pace is as quick as the train。Seems ideal for a Tarrantino movie _ For instance to have as one of the main assassins someone with a deceptive for Thomas the Tank。Engine books shows this to be no。ordinary tale 。。。more
Rohan
，
Bunch of assassins on a train seemed such a stupid fun thriller premise to break my long running reading drought and it really was fun until it wasn't。Starts on a cool note setting up different underworld characters （ The Professionals ） with quirky names， a task on hand and located on each separate box of a bullet train bound to a typical gangster showdown and the progression was smooth until the characters started crossing paths。 The moments thereafter felt barely ingenious and came off as str Bunch of assassins on a train seemed such a stupid fun thriller premise to break my long running reading drought and it really was fun until it wasn't。Starts on a cool note setting up different underworld characters （ The Professionals ） with quirky names， a task on hand and located on each separate box of a bullet train bound to a typical gangster showdown and the progression was smooth until the characters started crossing paths。 The moments thereafter felt barely ingenious and came off as strained， stretched and repetitive at some point but moments with Lemon has all my heart。。and I seriously hate The Prince and Kimura as characters on two different spectrum; especially Kimura on how he remains so inconsequential to the story throughout and is caught up in this myriad of assassin's world from the very first chapter。。。I had high expectations but the way it just fizzles out towards the end is such a letdown。Looking forward to the movie adaptation。 Brad pitt as Ladybird got me picking up this book in the first place anyway。 。。。more
Christian
，
This took longer to read than I anticipated， and there were some infuriating things about the plot， but overall this was a fun， crazy thriller filled with twists and turns as several assassins are unwittingly and unknowingly plotted against each other on a ride on the bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka。 Like other Japanese crime and thrillers I have read before， the story is tightly plotted and shows an extremely high level of intelligence to it。 There was also so much action to keep you on the This took longer to read than I anticipated， and there were some infuriating things about the plot， but overall this was a fun， crazy thriller filled with twists and turns as several assassins are unwittingly and unknowingly plotted against each other on a ride on the bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka。 Like other Japanese crime and thrillers I have read before， the story is tightly plotted and shows an extremely high level of intelligence to it。 There was also so much action to keep you on the edge of your seat。 What I didn’t like was a lot of backstory at times， and that pulled me out of the story and slowed down my reading pace， however overall I really enjoyed this and it was deserving of five stars。 。。。more
RG
，
Ridiculous premise and over the top but so much fun。 The action， the characters the plotting。 All amazing。 Can't wait for the film Ridiculous premise and over the top but so much fun。 The action， the characters the plotting。 All amazing。 Can't wait for the film 。。。more
Hastings75
，
A different reading experience for me as didn’t really know where this one was heading but in the end enjoyed it。The underlying theme of loyalty and honour resonated with me。
Anschen Conradie
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#bullettrain - Kotaro Isaka#harvillsecker#penguinrandomhouseThe Shinkansen is a high-speed bullet train traveling at 200km/h。 On this day， departing from Tokyo， the majority of passengers have no idea that this trip to Morioka will bring death and disaster。 5 ruthless killers are on the train: Kimura has retired from his violent criminal career， but a personal tragedy convinced him to get on the train to execute his planned revenge; Nanao is， in his own words， the unluckiest assassin in the worl #bullettrain - Kotaro Isaka#harvillsecker#penguinrandomhouseThe Shinkansen is a high-speed bullet train traveling at 200km/h。 On this day， departing from Tokyo， the majority of passengers have no idea that this trip to Morioka will bring death and disaster。 5 ruthless killers are on the train: Kimura has retired from his violent criminal career， but a personal tragedy convinced him to get on the train to execute his planned revenge; Nanao is， in his own words， the unluckiest assassin in the world - bad luck seems to follow him wherever he goes - so he sort of expected that this simple task would become riddled with complications; Lemon is a simple， but deadly hired gun， obsessed with Thomas the Train and in a very unlikely partnership with Tangerine; a brilliant mind that constantly quotes from literature and movies。 But the most dangerous of them all is Satoshi， an innocent looking 14-year old， who is actually a manipulative psychopath experimenting with mind control。 Throw in a suitcase filled with money; explosives and an escaped snake and there goes the bullet train。 Board if you dare。I was surprised to see that the novel was originally published （in Japanese） as far back as 2010， since I have never heard of the author before， but it does seem that this 2021 publication is the first of his novels to be translated into English and is soon to be a major motion picture。 Very few authors succeed in combining chilly terror; anticipation and fast-paced action with truly witty dark humor and irony - but this author does so brilliantly。 The cold psychopath is as convincing a character as （a young） Hannibal Lector and the clumsy Namao reminds of the desperation of the main characters in ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’。 The fruit combo’s （Lemon and Tangerine） dialogue was convincing and very unique; adding to the originality of the novel and the plot twists。 This is a 5 star read for lovers of thrillers fizzling with double crossing and red herrings。 #Uitdieperdsebek 。。。more
Pip
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Recommend by fellow Goodreader - Hannah Cooper - thanks！ It’s a thriller with philosophical intent。 Fast paced， funny （Thomas the Tank Engine & friends feature heavily） and hits all the right emotional buttons for a page turner。 The fates of various gangsters （ranging from elite to unwitting and everything in between） are jostled among the carriages of a high speed train。 It reminded me in places of the film Dogma。 Lots of pop psychology and reflections on the nature of luck and the meaning of l Recommend by fellow Goodreader - Hannah Cooper - thanks！ It’s a thriller with philosophical intent。 Fast paced， funny （Thomas the Tank Engine & friends feature heavily） and hits all the right emotional buttons for a page turner。 The fates of various gangsters （ranging from elite to unwitting and everything in between） are jostled among the carriages of a high speed train。 It reminded me in places of the film Dogma。 Lots of pop psychology and reflections on the nature of luck and the meaning of life。 Really enjoyed this and looking forward to the film。 。。。more
Tiah
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My thoughts via the Sunday Times: https://www。timeslive。co。za/sunday-ti。。。~Probably nothing going on inside， thinks Tangerine。 Often the case with people who don't read fiction。~~It wasn't just the Rwandans who expected the Americans to act a certain way。 Most Japanese people think that if there's ever a major problem， America or the UN will deal with it。 A feeling like the police are on the job and will take care of everything。 When in reality， the US and the UN determine their course of action My thoughts via the Sunday Times: https://www。timeslive。co。za/sunday-ti。。。~Probably nothing going on inside， thinks Tangerine。 Often the case with people who don't read fiction。~~It wasn't just the Rwandans who expected the Americans to act a certain way。 Most Japanese people think that if there's ever a major problem， America or the UN will deal with it。 A feeling like the police are on the job and will take care of everything。 When in reality， the US and the UN determine their course of action based not on any sense of mission or moral obligation， but on a calculation of profit and loss。~~When you lead a group by fear the rank and file lose trust in one another。 The stronger the fear， the weaker the trust。 The anger and resentment at the despot is turned on people who should be allies， making the spark of rebellion less likely。 Everyone just wants to keep themselves safe， their only goal is to avoid being punished， and they start watching one another。~~My father told me something before he died。。。He said never trust authors who overuse sentence fragments or conversationalists who use the word irregardless。~~People act like the common dandelion is the culprit in the drop-off of the Kanto dandelion， and that humans are merely the witnesses， but the truth is it's the humans who are to blame。 Common dandelions just happen to be tough enough to live with humans。 Even if the common dandelion hadn't appeared， the Kanto dandelion would still be dying off。~~[F]or economic activity to function properly there would have to be protection for people's lives， or at least a pretence of protection。 Which is why the state puts into place rules and prohibitions， one of which is the prohibition on murder。。。With that in mind， it makes perfect sense why wars and the death penalty are allowed。 Because they serve the needs of the state。 The only things that are allowed are the things the state sanctions。 Which has nothing to do with ethics。~~I don't like children who brag about not crying at movies， because no one cries at movies when they're young。 People don't start getting weepy over nothing until they're older。。。If someone wants to brag about not crying， they should do it when they're old。~ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bullet Train
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bullet Train&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bullet Train&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0