The Final Six

Name: The Final Six
Price: 59.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781408725078

The runaway Japanese bestseller

Akinari Asakura

$59.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

Sphere
09 June 2026

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Fiction in translation

When the stakes are at their highest, how low would you go?

Shogo Hatano has beaten thousands of applicants to become one of six final candidates in the running for a graduate position at Japan's most exclusive tech company. Only one will be chosen - a decision made by the applicants themselves.

In a glossy high-rise office in Tokyo, the interview begins. All six of them are equally measured and polished, until they discover the envelopes. One for every candidate. Each containing a secret so terrible that they could ruin more than just careers. They could destroy lives.

The evidence was clearly planted by someone in the room. As suspicion coils tighter and alliances fracture, it's clear the question is no longer who deserves the job, but how far are they willing to go to get it.

Because behind the polite mask and slick words is a monster capable of anything in the pursuit of their goal. But are any of them truly who they say they are?

Real reader reviews for THE FINAL SIX

'An utterly compelling psychological masterclass that demands to be read in a single sitting'

'Much like Asako Yuzuki's Butter, this novel possesses that rare, addictive quality of being both sharp social critique and an unputdownable human drama'

'A highly engaging read that explores the darker side of human ambition and the masks people wear to succeed'

'A fast-paced and gripping story that keeps the tension high from beginning to end'

'Lovers of translated fiction, whodunits and psychological thrillers will enjoy this read'

'A cracking debut that carves out a unique space in the corporate thriller genre by blending multiple themes seamlessly with a dark, locked-room structure'

By: Akinari Asakura
Imprint: Sphere
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 162mm, Spine: 32mm
Weight: 480g
ISBN: 9781408725078
ISBN 10: 140872507X
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 09 June 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

AKINARI ASAKURA is a Japanese writer and novelist known for his work as the writer of Show-ha Shoten! Hisaward-winning works have been translated around the world, adapted for stage, screen and into manga comics. This would be his debut novel translated into the English language. HAYDN TROWELL is an Australian translator of Japanese literature whose work has appeared in Granta, Electric Literature, and Words Without Borders. He has translated fiction by major prize-winning authors such as Yasunari Kawabata, Maki Kashimada, and Rie Qudan, and he has worked extensively with publishers in Australia, Japan, the UK, and the US. Haydn holds a PhD in translation studies from Monash University and has a background in both translation and creative writing.