The Plotters - Paperback

Award-Winning Korean Crime Thriller

The Plotters by Un-Su Kim is a fantastical crime novel that earned recognition as one of TIME Magazine's 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time. This translated fiction masterpiece delivers a unique blend of action-packed suspense and literary craftsmanship set in an alternate Seoul where assassination guilds compete for market dominance.

Plot and Characters

Behind every assassination lurks an anonymous mastermind—a plotter—working in the shadows. These plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, yet their existence remains little more than legend. The story follows Reseng, an assassin raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters known as "The Library." Reseng never questioned his orders: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read.

When Reseng steps out of line on a job, he topples a set of carefully calibrated plans. 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 must decide whether he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.

Critical Acclaim and Recognition

This paperback edition from Anchor Books showcases why Un-Su Kim won the Munhakdongne Novel Prize, Korea's most prestigious literary prize, and received nomination for the 2016 Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. The Los Angeles Review of Books noted that "The Plotters's first convenient comparison may be to the ever-expanding John Wick movies."

Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, this international thriller soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft. The translation by Sora Kim-Russell, a Korean American living in Seoul where she teaches translation, captures the dark fiction atmosphere and satirical elements that make this novel a standout page turner.