The Mantis

Dad by day, murderer-for-hire by night.

Kabuto appears to be an ordinary man: a stressful job, a complicated marriage and an irritable teenage son. It's no wonder he's always seeing his doctor. But the "doctor" is actually his handler, and Kabuto is a killer for hire. He's almost out - one last job before he quits for good. Then the final contract lands too close to home - putting his unsuspecting family in danger.

With Isaka's trademark wit and cinematic pace, this is a Tarantino-tinged tale of double lives and moral knots. Can Kabuto save his family, and quit the killing business for good?

'Showcases Isaka's Tarantinoesque blend of offbeat wit and stylised violence' The Times

'Unusual and thoroughly enjoyable' Guardian

Kotaro Isaka is a bestselling and multi-award-winning writer who is published around the world. He has won the Shincho Mystery Club Award, Mystery Writers of Japan Award, Japan Booksellers' Award and the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize and fourteen of his books have been adapted for film or TV. He is the author of the international bestseller Bullet Train, which was made into a major film starring Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock.