An assassin walks into a library
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Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. This week, we spoke with David Enyeart from Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul.
Looking for a thriller that cuts through the genre? Pick up "The Plotters" by Un-su Kim.
Bookseller David Enyeart recommends the novel "for the adventurous reader who is looking for something a little off the beaten path."
"It's set in a near-future Seoul, and what's happening in the country is that assassination has become institutionalized. It's basically what private investigators are now. It's open, you hire people, you send them out, and they do their business. And it's controlled by these people called the Plotters."
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"The particular story is one guy, an assassin, and he's coming to realize that he's not going to last long in this business," Enyeart said. "He's looking for a way out.
"You can ready the novel on the one hand as a simple noir sort of novel, one man against the system trying to make his way out — and it's great on that level. It's a little violent in a Tarantino-esque way, so it might not be for everyone, but if you're along for the ride, it's really thrilling.
"And if you read it with an eye toward contemporary society, he has a lot to say about corruption, about power and how it corrupts and how systems come together to really bring out the worst in us, as we go on."