Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But in this off-kilter thriller by Un-Su Kim, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. When 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 will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the board.

"Pleasingly deadpan, [this novel] manages to be both humorous (Reseng's cats are called, delightfully, Desk and Lampshade) and violent, and sometimes even wise."—Guardian (London)