The Plotters

Starred review from October 29, 2018
Korean author Kim makes his U.S. debut with a powerful, surreal political thriller, in which assassination is a business “driven by market forces.” The faceless plotters of the title employ hit men such as Reseng, an orphan found in a garbage can who was adopted by a man called Old Raccoon. The bookish Reseng grows up in Old Raccoon’s library—a place “crawling with assassins, hired guns and bounty hunters.” In the first chapter, Reseng kills a retired general from the days of South Korea’s military junta after spending a sociable evening at the old man’s house. 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.

From start to finish, narrator Arthur Lee infuses this unusual thriller with a somber, smoldering suspense. He depicts the inner workings of professional assassin Reseng in a low voice that thrums with danger. We are taken into a world of violence, murder, and ethical dilemmas. Should Reseng take his next assignment? Or should he question the people who give him orders? If he begins to think for himself, everything will change. Lee keeps us guessing until the final minutes. His steady pacing and understated delivery pull listeners deeper into the dark world of hired killers. Fans of the genre will hang on to every dramatic minute, not wanting the experience to end. M.R. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine