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  • The Plotters

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Un-su Kim
  • Narrated by: Arthur Lee
  • Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (8 ratings)

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The Plotters

Written by: Un-su Kim
Narrated by: Arthur Lee
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Publisher's Summary

"[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.

©2019 Un-su Kim (P)2019 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"The winner of prestigious prizes in Korea, Kim makes his anglophone debut, thanks to Kim-Russell, who captures his dark, dark wit and searing sarcasm in an irresistible sociopolitical parable designed to delight and dismay." (Booklist, starred review)

“Korean author Kim makes his US debut with a powerful, surreal political thriller.... The complex plot, in which Reseng becomes involved with a more polished, CEO-like hit man named Hanja, builds to a highly cinematic and violent denouement. Most memorable, though, is the novel’s message about the insidiousness of unaccountable institutions, from those under the military junta to those that thrive in today’s economy. The consequence of the pervasive corruption is an air of existential despair. This strange, ambitious book will appeal equally to literary fiction readers.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"The Plotters is no primer for a visit to Korea. What it does offer is a vivid portrait of a mesmerizing central character - the stoic Reseng. It will also keep readers delightfully off-balance. In The Plotters Kim has mixed bookishness, crackpots, and commissioned murder into a rich and unsettling blend." (The Washington Post)

What listeners say about The Plotters

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