The Plotters

A Novel

By: Un-su Kim

Narrated by: Arthur Lee

“[A] powerhouse of a novel....It reads as if Haruki Murakami rewrote The Day of the Jackal.” - Locus Magazine

"Editor's Choice" New York Times Book Review
"The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2019" CrimeReads
“Most Anticipated Books of 2019” Lit Hub
"This Winter's Best Thrillers" Chicago Review of Books
"Best Books of the Year" Apple

A fantastical crime novel set in an alternate Seoul where assassination guilds compete for market dominance.

Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind--a plotter--working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want?
Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women--a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian--Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.
Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, The Plotters is a deeply entertaining thriller that soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft.

Not your typical thrillers

Once you get used to the beginning part of narratives, you will find an interesting choice of narration to reflect the undertones of the character. A slow burn.

Intriguing, well done

Very Intriguing, makes you think on different levels. Well narrated, sparse clean elegant prose. Haunts you and makes you think about it long after it ends. One of my favorite surprising reads.

Great character study, uneven narration and pacing

A meat market and an old library called The Doghouse are an interesting setting for an underground society of assassins in Seoul. They give off similar vibes to the Hotel in John Wick, though the book doesn't explore them as much as I would have liked.

The dialogue and characters are all very interesting, though I wish some relationships were explored more deeply in the book. It felt like I didn't have enough time to get attached to some characters or relationships before it was over.

The narration was good at times, but very uneven for most of the book. The delivery for Ressing didn't seem to match the writing.

Overall I enjoyed this book! It just could have used a little more character development, and better pacing.

Good

Like characters, plot twists, dialogue and descriptive passages. Good political commentary. Good for mystery lovers

Very thoughtful book

Although an exceptionally dark topic, the author gave it a grace rarely seen in this genre.