The Mantis

A Novel

By: Kotaro Isaka

Narrated by: Brian Nishii, Pun Bandhu

From the bestselling author of Bullet Train and Three Assassins, a propulsive Thriller about a family man with a deadly secret life

Kabuto is a highly skilled assassin eager to escape his dangerous profession and the hold his handler, the sinister Doctor, has over him. The Doctor, a real physician who hands over Kabuto’s targets as “prescriptions” in his regular appointments with him, doesn’t want to lose Kabuto as a profitable asset, but he agrees to let him pay his way out of his employment with a few last jobs. Only the most lucrative jobs involve taking out other professional assassins, and Kabuto’s final assignment puts him and his family—who have no idea about his double life—in danger.

The third book in a loose trilogy set in Kotaro Isaka’s imagined Tokyo criminal underworld, The Mantis features all the hallmarks of his work that listeners have come to crave—assassins with quirky codenames and modi operandi, action sequences, madcap energy, and razor-sharp humor—making the novel a frenetic audio experience that hurtles listeners toward a thrilling climax.

©2023 Kotaro Isaka / CTB Inc. Translation rights arranged through CTB Inc. English translation by Sam Malissa © CTB Inc. 2023. (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Entertaining continuation to the series.

A lower intensity continuation but still had the insights of the others but from an older assassin's perspective which I enjoyed the change of pace.

Talk about supense

Great story start to finish. Definitely lives up to the others in the series. Just wow

Phenomenal

This title was amazing. More than what you're looking for if you liked bullet train.

Kōtarō Isaka does it again!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book along with Bullet Train and Three Assassins, but this one felt more emotional. The narrators are excellent - can’t wait for the next one :)