The Plotters

The important thing is not who pulls the trigger but who’s behind the person who pulls the trigger—the plotters, the masterminds working in the shadows. Raised by Old Raccoon in The Library of Dogs, Reseng has always been surrounded by plots to kill—and by books that no one ever reads. In Seoul’s corrupt underworld, he was destined to be an assassin. Until he breaks the rules. That’s when he meets a trio of young women—a convenience store worker, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed obsessive knitter—with an extraordinary plot of their own. Will the women save the day? Or will Reseng be next on the kill list? Who will look after his cats, Reading Lamp and Book Stand? Who planted the bomb in his toilet? How much beer can he drink before he forgets it all? The Plotters is a cracking noir thriller combined with the soul, wit and lyricism of a highly original literary voice. Un-su Kim is the rising star of Korean literature. With shades of Murakami, The Plotters is a complex, fascinating moral tale about the changing of the guard in a corrupt underworld—a page-turner filled with black humour and compassion for a fallen world. Un-su Kim was born in 1972 in Busan and is the author of several highly praised novels. He has won the Munhakdongne Novel Prize, Korea’s most prestigious literary prize, and was nominated for the 2016 Grand Prix de la Littéraire Policière. He lives in Jinhae-gu, South Korea. Sora Kim-Russell is a Korean-American living in Seoul, where she teaches translation. She has translated works by Hwang Sok-yong, Jeon Sungtae, Pyun Hye-young and Shin Kyung-sook, among others. ‘The kind of genre fiction Quentin Tarantino might be inspired by.’ Age ‘The Plotters is no primer for a visit to Korea. What it does offer is a vivid portrait of a mesmerising central character—the stoic Reseng. It will also keep readers delightfully off-balance…Kim has mixed bookishness, crackpots and commissioned murder into a rich and unsettling blend.’ Washington Post ‘The Plotters is a constantly surprising book full [of] fascinating stories and unforgettable characters…A savage, beautifully observed, often poetic novel.’ AustCrime ‘Demands to be read for its incredible cast of characters…a first-rate thriller.’ Le Monde ‘A rich, funny, cynical Korean roman noir…A delicious surprise.’ La Croix ‘Like a veteran killer…quickly, coolly, and without hesitation, Un-su Kim commands sentences and stories that stab the reader between the ribs. We’ve been waiting for this storyteller and his story.’ Park Min-gyu, novelist ‘Awe is my reaction to The Plotters. The novel thrills me like a wolf feels when it has smelled blood.' Kwon Yeo-seon ‘A novel to keep readers on their toes.’ Booklover Book Reviews ‘Laugh-out-loud funny.’ Radio NZ ‘The Plotters is what would happen if you took the best South Korean crime cinema and distilled it into words. A smart but lightning fast thriller that keeps the pressure on to the very last page.’ Brian Evenson, author of Last Days and A Collapse of Horses ‘Imagine a mash-up of Tarantino and Camus set in contemporary Seoul, and you have The Plotters. Filled with unexpected humor and exquisite fight scenes.’ Louisa Luna, author of Two Girls Down ‘More than a crime novel, more than violence and mystery, The Plotters promises both temptation and beauty.’ Eka Kurniawan ‘It is a harder-than-hard-boiled kooky blast of a book. It is wildly funny and surreal.’ NZ Listener

About the Author :
Un-su Kim was born in 1972 in Busan and is the author of several highly praised novels. He has won the Munhakdongne Novel Prize, Korea’s most prestigious literary prize, and was nominated for the 2016 Grand Prix de la Littéraire Policière. He lives in Jinhae-gu, South Korea. Sora Kim-Russell is a Korean-American living in Seoul, where she teaches translation. She has translated works by Hwang Sok-yong, Jeon Sungtae, Pyun Hye-young and Shin Kyung-sook, among others.