The Old Woman with the Knife

This incredible, internationally best-selling South Korean thriller (Gu’s first to be translated to English), elicits nearly every human emotion throughout its six-and-a-half-hour run time. Hornclaw is a South Korean assassin who is not ready to retire, but she has noticed that at 65, her aging body is beginning to slow her down. Working for Disease Control, a murder-for-hire business, she finds that knowing nothing about her target works best—until the day she messes up. Bleeding profusely, she finds herself beholden to a doctor outside the organization. As Hornclaw’s past is slowly revealed, her human side is exposed. She’s a ruthless killer, but she also provides an escape route for Deadweight, her lovable rescue dog, should she fail to return from a mission. Poignant and humorous, the story explores aging, relationships, difficult decisions, and vendettas.