A hilariously unsettling tale of love, food and one woman's unconventional quest to support her family by becoming a contract killer. For fans of BUTTER and KILLING EVE
_____________
'A kaleidoscopic novel of murder-for-hire, crisscrossing loyalties, self-determinations, and dark humour, this playfully murderous thriller is not soon forgotten' Shelf Awareness
'Bizarre and fascinating' Guardian
__________
Recently widowed and unemployed, Mrs Shim and her two children face an empty fridge. As her job options run out, she answers an ad for the Smile Detective Agency.
Within weeks, she has turned it around. For Mrs Shim is sharp as a blade, handles business cleanly and is like a padlock when it comes to keeping secrets.
By day, she prepares kimchi for her family and her neighbour with dementia; by night Mrs Shim is out on a contract.
But what starts as a need for survival escalates into a thirst for vengeance. For Mrs. Shim is done with being everyone's doormat.
Diving headfirst into her new career among petty criminals, ghosts and assassins, Mrs Shim's past soon comes hurtling towards her.
Savage and unexpectedly moving, Kang Jiyoung paints a comedic world of twisted love, unhinged loathing and hopeful reinvention. Among the misfits and the meals is a powerful statement about class, capitalism and the role of women.
| ISBN: | 9781529957518 |
| Publication date: | 23rd April 2026 |
| Author: | Jiyoung Kang |
| Publisher: | Doubleday an imprint of Transworld |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 368 pages |
| Genres: |
Thriller: serial killers Fiction in translation Thriller: organised crime |
A hilariously unsettling tale of love, food and one woman's unconventional quest to support her family by becoming a contract killer. For fans of BUTTER and KILLING EVE
_____________
'A kaleidoscopic novel of murder-for-hire, crisscrossing loyalties, self-determinations, and dark humour, this playfully murderous thriller is not soon forgotten' Shelf Awareness
'Bizarre and fascinating' Guardian
__________
Recently widowed and unemployed, Mrs Shim and her two children face an empty fridge. As her job options run out, she answers an ad for the Smile Detective Agency.
Within weeks, she has turned it around. For Mrs Shim is sharp as a blade, handles business cleanly and is like a padlock when it comes to keeping secrets.
By day, she prepares kimchi for her family and her neighbour with dementia; by night Mrs Shim is out on a contract.
But what starts as a need for survival escalates into a thirst for vengeance. For Mrs. Shim is done with being everyone's doormat.
Diving headfirst into her new career among petty criminals, ghosts and assassins, Mrs Shim's past soon comes hurtling towards her.
Savage and unexpectedly moving, Kang Jiyoung paints a comedic world of twisted love, unhinged loathing and hopeful reinvention. Among the misfits and the meals is a powerful statement about class, capitalism and the role of women.
Mrs Shim Is a Killer features in the following genres: Thriller: serial killers, Fiction in translation, Thriller: organised crime
Mrs Shim Is a Killer is available in Paperback
Mrs Shim Is a Killer was written by Jiyoung Kang and published by Doubleday an imprint of Transworld
Mrs Shim Is a Killer has 368 pages
£13.49