She never presumed she herself would live out her natural life, so she wouldn’t mind leaving this world through an untimely death.
Hornclaw is a sixty-five-year-old female contract killer who is considering retirement. But while on an assassination job for the ‘disease control’ company she works for, Hornclaw makes an uncharacteristic error, causing a sequence of events that brings her past well and truly into the present.
Threatened with sabotage by a young male upstart and battling new desires and urges when she least expects them, Hornclaw steels her resolve, demonstrating that no matter their age, the female of the species is always more deadly than the male.
Genre: Mystery
Hornclaw is a sixty-five-year-old female contract killer who is considering retirement. But while on an assassination job for the ‘disease control’ company she works for, Hornclaw makes an uncharacteristic error, causing a sequence of events that brings her past well and truly into the present.
Threatened with sabotage by a young male upstart and battling new desires and urges when she least expects them, Hornclaw steels her resolve, demonstrating that no matter their age, the female of the species is always more deadly than the male.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"The Old Woman with the Knife is a wild thrill of a novel. I found myself clutching my chest as I turned each page: from fright, heartbreak, and from the devastating gallows humor. It is about revenge and retribution, aging and death, and the quotidian woes of a bureaucratic job - even if that job is murder-for-hire. Hornclaw, our 65-year-old assassin main character, defies expectations: she is brutal, thoughtful, and almost as tender as her beloved dog, Deadweight, who truly steals the show." - Gabriella Burnham
"A resonant K-noir treat." - Luke Jennings
"The Old Woman with the Knife is unique - a gripping thriller as well as a deeply thoughtful book about out attitudes to ageing and grief. Wonderful stuff." - Doug Johnstone
"The Old Woman with the Knife will sweep you away. This electric novel will have you thinking about its beautiful, melancholy, awe-inspiring force for a long time. I can't remember who I used to be before I read this book." - Yun ko-Eun
"An unforgettable portrait. More than a thriller, The Old Woman with the Knife is also a tale of a profound observation of aging and decline, love and compassion. The story crawled into my soul and never let me go until the last page." - J M Lee
"What a moving, resounding, and beautifully executed novel." - Mi-Ae Seo
"An unparalleled story only Gu Byeong-mo could create, with a groundbreaking female character as captivating as any in literature." - Kyung-Sook Shin
"The Old Woman with the Knife is a deeply compassionate and rebellious novel. Thrilling and richly meditative, the novel excavates memory, modern life on the edge, and the absolute persistence of the self. With poetic grace, Gu Byeong-mo;s assassin transcends age, power, and the expectations of a society bent on erasing her." - Michael Zapata
"A resonant K-noir treat." - Luke Jennings
"The Old Woman with the Knife is unique - a gripping thriller as well as a deeply thoughtful book about out attitudes to ageing and grief. Wonderful stuff." - Doug Johnstone
"The Old Woman with the Knife will sweep you away. This electric novel will have you thinking about its beautiful, melancholy, awe-inspiring force for a long time. I can't remember who I used to be before I read this book." - Yun ko-Eun
"An unforgettable portrait. More than a thriller, The Old Woman with the Knife is also a tale of a profound observation of aging and decline, love and compassion. The story crawled into my soul and never let me go until the last page." - J M Lee
"What a moving, resounding, and beautifully executed novel." - Mi-Ae Seo
"An unparalleled story only Gu Byeong-mo could create, with a groundbreaking female character as captivating as any in literature." - Kyung-Sook Shin
"The Old Woman with the Knife is a deeply compassionate and rebellious novel. Thrilling and richly meditative, the novel excavates memory, modern life on the edge, and the absolute persistence of the self. With poetic grace, Gu Byeong-mo;s assassin transcends age, power, and the expectations of a society bent on erasing her." - Michael Zapata
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Gu Byeong-mo's The Old Woman with the Knife