I am no ordinary ajumma. I am a killer When Mrs Shim – widowed, unemployed, with two children at home and a fridge to fill – answers a job ad at the Smile Detective Agency, she boosts its fortunes forever. 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, crooked cops, ghosts and assassins, Mrs Shim’s past comes hurtling towards her. Savage and unexpectedly moving, Kang Jiyoung presents a kaleidoscopic tale of twisted love, unhinged loathing and hopeful reinvention. Her world of endearing misfits, dead bodies and good food marks the exuberant arrival of a major new international literary voice.
