Bullet Train Audiobook By Kotaro Isaka, Sam Malissa - translator cover art

Bullet Train

A Novel

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Bullet Train

By: Kotaro Isaka, Sam Malissa - translator
Narrated by: Pun Bandhu
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About this listen

A dark, satirical thriller by the best-selling Japanese author, following the perilous train ride of five highly motivated assassins - a major film from Sony

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 best seller 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?

©2021 Kotaro Isaka/CTB Inc. English translation rights arranged through CTB Inc. Translation from the Japanese language by Sam Malissa. Published in 2021 by the Overlook Press, an imprint of ABRAMS, New York. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing
Crime Thrillers Fiction Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller Crime Assassin Exciting Witty

Featured Article: Worldwide Thrills—The Best International Thriller Audiobooks


Thriller audiobooks are a great escape. They can whisk you around the world and beyond without ever having to leave your home. They can take you to places near and far without having to pack a suitcase. (Oh, and if you are taking a trip, you can bring a book with you—that's two trips in one!) From Havana to Nigeria to Tokyo, these suspense-packed listens will take you on a heart-pounding, journey from the first shocking twist to the final gasp.

Unexpected Twists • Colorful Characters • Clever Storytelling • Engaging Action • Dark Humor • Soothing Voice Quality
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Loved this thriller! Every aspect of the story was interesting and it moved at an excellent pace just like the Shinkansen! The narration was really good too. That’s key when it comes to audible listens. Wish there was another title of his to listen to.

Fun and engaging

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I’m so excited to see Brad Pitt play the Ladybug. This was wild, although I was expecting it be a lot more bloody. The Author instead gave us a great story and background on the players. The Prince made my skin crawl, whoa! Awesome book!

AWESOME !

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SO many twists. I love how all the characters end up being intertwined. You will not want to stop listening!

Exceptional

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Twists, colorful characters, genuine moments of hope that are dashed, one of the most evil antagonists I've come across in literature, and an ending that made audibly yell "**** yes!" alone in my empty apartment

Outstanding!

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Really enjoyed the story…. Few predictable things but some not so. Definitely recommend. Performance was ok.. it has the feel of another culture and I enjoyed that.

FUN READ! Unique turns and refreshing

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The characters are interesting. The end is worth the 13 hours of listening and is amazingly satisfying.

Loved it.

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This book was very entertaining and also read like a love letter to locomotive. Great pulpy fun. The multiple storylines gave me a little fatigue after a while but fun nonetheless. Don’t be a Diesel.

Love for trains…

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Couldn’t stop listening! So good! Great characters. Awesome parallel plot lines. Now I want to see the movie!

Page-Turner!

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a complex thriller with twist and turns even at the end. I wish they would have added more of the book to the movie and the narration was good felt like there was some clicking at the end of some words but that might have just bin my headphones


straight out thriller

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This is something else entirely. Fresh, unusual, addictive, unpredictable, "Reservoir dogs", but with clueless dogs. Splendid!

Think Quentin Tarantino at sotto voce

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