Three assassins dedicated to their calling: the Whale, whose talent is persuading his victims to kill themselves by words alone: the Cicada, a superbly talented knifeman: and the Pusher, whose forte is causing victims to fall to their deaths in front of moving vehicles without a hint of his presence at the scene. Add to the mix an innocent teacher, Suzuki, determined to avenge his wife`s death at the hands of the son of a terrifying underworld tzar – Terahara.
Suzuki must infiltrate the underworld of crime in order to reach his goal. He begins by signing up to an organisation called Fraulein who are in the business of encouraging young people to become hooked on drugs. Suzuki is in the process of completing his apprenticeship to this group when he and his “mentor”, Hiyoko, chance upon Terahara`s “idiot son” (as he is called by all) who they see being mown down and killed by a minivan in dense traffic. Was it an accident? Suzuki and Hiyoko think not. Suzuki pursues the perceived perpetrator – thus beings his entanglement with first of all the Pusher, then Cicada, and finally the Whale.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns and near-misses in the story. Cicada`s incessant grumbilngs against his lazy boss, the intricate philosophies of several of the characters and the Whale`s spiritual visitations from his many victims all add to the action. Who will die next and will Suzuki have closure at the end? Kotaro Isaka vividly brings his characters to life and even though they are all evil (except one) the reader cannot help but feel empathy for them.
A wonderfully entertaining read: both funny and violent by turns, almost Gothic in its atmosphere. I would highly recommend this for a rainy afternoon.
5 Stars!
Reviewed by Liz.
