Hornclaw, at 65 years of age, should be looking forward to retirement and a quiet life of leisure with her aging rescue dog, Deadweight, but she is not your average senior citizen. Hornclaw chafes under the expectation that it is time for her to be put out to pasture, without purpose, and relegated to the invisibility of old age. It's not the invisibility she dreads. Hornclaw has worked all her life to blend in, to BE invisible. Instead, it's the loss of purpose that concerns her.
Still, Hornclaw feels aches and pains after a job that don't go away as quickly as they did in her youth. And the agency she helped form is sending fewer and fewer jobs her way, jobs that seem less and less challenging. On top of that, a younger "disease control specialist," as they are euphemistically known, seems to have targeted her to irritate and deride. Now he's meddling in her latest assignment, which is not a good thing, especially when you're an assassin.
Surprising, exciting, and unique, The Old Woman with the Knife grabbed me from the start and never let me go! The plot was absorbing, and I could easily identify with many of the main character's thoughts, feelings, and challenges (though, of course, I don't kill people for a living.)
Set in Seoul, the country's culture, family dynamics and practices, and social relationships were new (to me) and fascinating, yet there are some similarities to things here. Still, being 65 in the U.S. doesn't seem to carry the same stigma as there. It may just be wishful thinking on my part, but 65 in the U.S. just doesn't seem as old as Hornclaw’s culture’s impression of 65.
I liked how Hornclaw's agency is presented and viewed in such a matter-of-fact manner in the story. It IS clandestine but operated somewhat like the company ("Pest Control") that initially fronted its operations. Clients blithely just buy a hit or extermination. Assassin: it's just a job.
I loved Hornclaw's vibrancy and style. She's still active, in shape, and sharp, yet experiencing some of the things that go with getting older. I felt her concern for her dog, Deadweight, and understood her little accommodations for him, just in case she didn't return home someday. Also, her action sequences were riveting! I was 100% behind her as she went up against younger foes and triumphed.
I also liked how Hornclaw was so quickly drawn into the life of the Kang family though I was surprised by her secret attraction to the much-younger Dr. Kang. I'm not saying it wouldn't happen, just that I didn't relate to her feelings in this situation. But the family was sweet and their backstory compelling. I was thrilled when the young daughter turned out to be so resilient and tough.
With its engaging protagonist and its compelling and unique plot, I highly recommend THE WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE to readers who enjoy mystery, suspense, thrillers, as well as the numerous fans of South Korean films and K-dramas.
At sixty-five, Hornclaw is beginning to slow down. She lives modestly in a small apartment, with only her aging dog, a rescue named Deadweight, to keep her company. There are expectations for people her age—that she'll retire and live out the rest of her days quietly. But Hornclaw is not like other people. She is an assassin.
Double-crossers, corporate enemies, cheating spouses—for the past four decades, Hornclaw has killed them all with ruthless efficiency, and the less she's known about her targets, the better. But now, nearing the end of her career, she has just slipped up. An injury leads her to an unexpected connection with a doctor and his family. But emotions, for an assassin, are a dangerous proposition. As Hornclaw's world closes in, this final chapter in her career may also mark her own bloody end.
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