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From acclaimed mystery writer Kotaro Isaka comes an exhilarating political thriller that has mesmerized readers internationally with its likable characters, unforgettable dialogue, and riveting plot.
Masaharu Aoyagi, a former delivery truck driver in the city of Sendai, is unemployed. Two years earlier, he had achieved brief notoriety for rescuing a local actress from a robbery attempt while making a delivery to her apartment. Now he is back in the spotlight—this time as the main suspect in the assassination of a newly elected prime minister who had come to Sendai for a hometown victory parade.
Set in a near-future Japan modeled on the United States, "Remote Control" follows Aoyagi on a 48-hour chase, in a dramatic retelling of the Kennedy killing with Aoyagi in the role of a framed Lee Harvey Oswald. A massive manhunt is underway. As Aoyagi runs, he must negotiate trigger-happy law enforcement and Security Pods set up throughout the city to monitor cell phone and email transmissions and keep a photo record of street traffic. Can he discover why he has been set up and who is responsible? Can he find the real assassin and prove to the world his innocence — amid media pronouncements of his guilt — before the conspirators take him out?
Isaka’s style and world view are such that he is often compared to Haruki Murakami; but he defies an easy label as a writer, with a voice, a sense of humor, and an imagination that are truly unique. Now, with this excellent translation by Stephen Snyder, readers everywhere can enjoy one of Japan’s finest literary talents.
© Japan Today
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chuckers
Actually, this has already been made into a film under its original Japanese title "Golden Slumbers"
I saw it on an airplane back in May. While a bit far fetched in some aspects, I quite enjoyed it. Recognising the author's name, I thought he might have a new book out which is why I checked this article out, only to find that it was the same story.
Might try picking up the original if I have time.
MrDog
@goddog
He's so excellent that he translated it into ALL languages.
goddog
Translated into what? I did not know there was a universal language around the world.
nedinjapan
This is a job for one of the SMAP characters, the one(s) who looks like a truck driver. They can make it into a J-film and beg people to go and watch it.
MrDog
er... does "retelling" mean completely different?
Instead of running and hiding in a theater, I'm sure Oswald did all of this too.
Beelzebub
Did he use a Mannlicher-Carcano sniper rifle purchased via mail order from Chicago for 19 dollars and change?
my2sense
looks like a best seller- to the recycling bin.