Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kotaro Isaka for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Hotel Lucky Seven coming out November 19, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was so excited to receive this audiobook! I absolutely love Japanese novels. Translated works are amazing to me. I also really love books set in hotels. I’ve actually only read Bullet Train, so I need to read the other two books. I think this book was really fun! I didn’t feel like there was as much action as Bullet Train, but I really enjoyed the storyline. There was assassin drama, which I loved. I definitely loved the narrator and it felt like I was in on the story. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Japanese stories!

A frenetic and often confusing novel about assassins and politicians in Tokyo. By the author of Bullet Train. Even though this is #4 in the series, there were quite a few references to the bullet train episode in which many people were killed and the two men who managed to take down the gunman were injured. We are especially interested in the one who subsequently rose to political power by the time of this novel. I cannot tell what the author intends to be serious vs humorous. Some of the characters have funny names, like the two women, Pillow and Mattress, who work in a hotel, or the agents Cola and Soda. I felt like I was inside a Connections puzzle. Lots of poison-tipped blow gun darts, close calls, and a high body count. It seemed almost slapstick. Assuming that is the intent, then 4 stars.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook for review purposes. Happy publication day! #HotelLuckySeven is now available.

I enjoyed the heck out of Bullet Train when I read it a number of years ago, and I absolutely loved the criminally underrated film version that came out a couple of years ago. But I’m thrilled to say Nanao (aka Ladybug) is now back for another adventure. And like last time, he really has the worst luck. Like last time, it was only supposed to be a simple job. All he had to do was deliver a package to a hotel room. But in typical Nanao style, mistakes happen and things go wrong…and fast. And I mean fast. There is very little preamble to the start of this crazy tale. As with Bullet Train, Kotaro Isaka has filled this book with fast-paced, wild situations and some truly over the top characters (think Bullet Train type craziness only happening in a hotel instead of on a train). The book was translated by Brian Bergstrom and I think he’s done an admirable job. As for the audio narration, that was carried out by Pun Bandhu and he did an excellent job. This book is just so much fun, and I would absolutely love to see this one get the feature film treatment as well. I’d like to thank RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Hotel Lucky Seven.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R7DTX2PTTLWLD/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Ladybird from Bullet Train is back in Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka.

"Ladybird has a simple task. Deliver a painting and leave. But his serial unluckiness has him fighting bodyguards and assassins and government officials. All he wants to do is go home."

Isaka uses a hotel instead of a train this time for Ladybird and his unluckiness. You have to suspend belief a little that no one would notice a group of assassins and bodies in several rooms. It seems like there are several storylines going on but Isaka ties them all together at the end - lots of surprises. Isaka has an interesting world of 'professionals'

Pun Bandhu does a nice job with the audio.

Good pick if you're looking for some humor with your crime fiction.

This is the 4th book in the Assassins series. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series and it didn’t hinder my understanding or ability to follow the story. enjoyment of the book.

The entire book takes place in a hotel. There are lots of assassins, murder, random names (blanket, pillow & ladybug) and surprising humor.

I enjoyed Kotaro Isaka story/writing and Brian Bergstroms translations. Pun Bandhu did an excellent job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley & RBmedia for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Being a fan of Bullet Train, I jumped at the advanced audiobook copy of Hotel Lucky Seven. This is a reciew of the audiobook, which did not really work for me. I was just totally lost with the narration. There was not much to distinguish the narrator's rendition of the diffenent characters, all the more difficult as (i have read others say, but i could not really confirm on the audiobook, it was written as a screenplay). Moreover, the narrator was monotonous and droning, flat and emotionless. I will need to get a copy to read. DNF

This is an interesting one.. overall this is a solid thriller. It has a lot of action and violence but also has some cheek to it.

That being said it wasn’t for me personally for several reasons. For one while it’s a very good translated book changing it into another language does interrupt the flow of the writing which takes me out of the story especially when there isn’t a direct translation for a part of the material.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator was fine although since two of the characters that start the story are females named Pillow and Blanket (which was another part I had trouble with hearing) and it is a male narrator which doesn’t mesh in my head well.
But he does a good job with the material. I sped it up to 1.25x to have a more natural pace.

Lastly, I have a fear of elevators and this book didn’t help! As I said all me personal issues! But I’m not going to allow my challenges affect the rating of a good book! I was also happy as one of my challenges is to read a translated book so now I can open my prize!

I am thankful to have gotten an audio ALC for free from Netgalley and Recorded Books to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

What an exciting ultra fast paced novel. So much fun to read. With characters named Pillow, Blanket and Soda, how could you not love it! From the same author as Bullet Train, this was a rip roaring wild ride. Weapons such as blow darts, sheets and explosives. Multiple assassins at the same hotel trying to assassinate each other. Throw in a corrupt politician for good measure. There is lots of gore and violence.

The narrator (Paul Bandhu) was great. Very high production quality.

Thank you to RB media for the advance listener copy.