A very short thriller centred around the attempts of an assassin to break free from his handler. As is to be expected of Isaka's world, the characters all move with a strong sense of character and style. I liked the multigenerational aspect of the novel, and found the interactions between father and son quite moving.

Overall, a short snack of a book, and more of the same if you liked what came before.

I initially wasn't sure how to feel about The Mantis, but the ending was so devastating that I had to round this up to 4 stars from 3.5. I was fascinated by the entire family, and especially the relationship between Kabuto and Katsumi. It just kills me when one person cannot fully communicate how much they care about another, and the ways that that disconnect affects both involved. Definitely my favorite of the series so far.

In quest'ultimo capitolo della trilogia dei Killer la narrazione è sempre leggera, ma meno comica e rocambolesca, quasi malinconica.
Kabuto, uno dei migliori killer del Giappone, prova uscire dal giro per amore del figlio e della moglie (di cui è totalmente succube), scoprendo che non è poi così semplice.
Sarà difficile non fare il tifo per questo antieroe in cerca di riscatto.

To begin with, this is a bit ploddy. Isaka’s voice is idiosyncratic enough that it isn’t boring, but it didn’t feel particularly fresh or exciting. And then, just past the halfway mark, the whole book gets upended, everything changes, and it becomes a propulsive race to the end. It’s cleverly constructed and very readable. My only caveat is that the relationship between the main character and his wife feels like something out of a terrible 80s sitcom. It’s not entirely surprising, as Japanese views of gender roles are a lot more conservative than they are in the modern West, but it did stand out to me. If you can put those qualms aside, you’ll enjoy a zippy and arch crime thriller.

I loved Bullet Train but somehow missed Three Assassins (I will be putting that at the top of my list for 2024!). Isaka's books about Tokyo assassins are just so darn entertaining. In this episode, Kabuto is an experienced hit man who is eager to leave the lifestyle but the Doctor, his handler, makes it clear that no one will benefit from Kabuto turning down his "surgeries'. Kabuto is more concerned with his son who is entering college and his wife, whom he loves but...she's a bit difficult to live with. Kabuto is never afraid of the dangers of his job but he's terrified of upsetting his wife. The Mantis is a quirky tale of a murderer for hire who has developed a conscience.

This was a mostly fun book. I really enjoyed the main character and I was laughing quite a bit at how he balanced being an assassin and a family man. I didn’t see some stuff coming and got hit in the feelings more than I expected.

I want to go back and read the other books now too.