Customer Reviews

Hard Rain (A John Rain Novel)

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rain Fall ended with several loose ends around, "But if X and Y happened, wouldn't Z happen too?" There were several character holes, and a few logical consequences that needed to be followed.

Would the bad guys really believe John Rain's fake death? What would happen to Midori? Wasn't Harry traceable?

The book opens up more of John Rain's character, showing both his strenghts and some more obvious weaknesses. (Why can't spies like him not shag every girl they meet?) It also closes several loose ends hanging over from previous books. We learn more about John Rain's ruthlessness, as well as which rules he's willing to bend, and which not.

The plot gets complex near the end. You're left with enough "But what about this?" items to guarantee another episode. (At least I hope so!) If there's one downside of the book, perhaps a few of the supporting charachters (particularly in the CIA) were not as believable as I'd expect.

The equisite writing of Tokyo life continues to capture the reader. It'll introduce you in a very realistic way to one of the world's great cities. If you've been there, this should bring back some great memories.

Enjoy!

I loved Hard Rain! I'm neither a professional nor an amateur book reviewer, and I do not pretend to be. I agree completely, however, with the glowing reviews this book is receiving. After reading Barry Eisler's first novel, Rain Fall, I was doubtful the sequal would hold up, especially since I expected the novelty to have worn off. Boy, was I wrong. Tokyo's nightlife, with its driving rythem and flavor, comes to life. For those, like me, who have never been there, we finish the book feeling as if we had. It is a real talent to make the average person piture themselves as Rain -- a killer afterall -- while reading this story. This book is exciting and great fun. Although I've never surfed, reading this book is like what I imagine the feeling is when a surfer catches that wave and rides it all the way into shore. It doesn't get any better than that.

"Unpredictability is the key to being a hard target, but the concept applies to both time and place... Seriously protecting yourself calls for the annihilation of ties with society, ties that most people need the way they need oxygen. You give up friends, family, romance. You walk through the world like a ghost, detached from the living around you."

"I made a point of visiting some of the places near Osaka that I knew I would never see again... I supposed it was strange to feel the urge to say goodbye to any of this. After all, none of it had ever been mine. I had understood even as a child that to be half Japanese is to be half something else, and to be half something else is to be ... chigatte meaning "different," but equally meaning "wrong." The language, like the culture, makes no distinction."

Some authors create a fictional world, and then milk it for everything it is worth - but not Barry Eisler. In only his second novel, HARD RAIN, Eisler's interest lies in telling a tale of a character, not plot. Interestingly, plot is almost non-existent in HARD RAIN - which makes this novel that much better. HARD RAIN is more an examination of character, of society, of relationships, of the connections between people than the usual plot-driven thriller in which the characters move about duex ex machina.

Make no mistake, John Rain is a fully formed character: plagued by doubts, uncertainty, melancholy, even age in a world where he is an assassin with little forgiveness for others no matter how important each might be in his own life. (The novel's title assumes multiple meanings, shadings, intent.) There are many scenes (not enough, in my opinion) wherein John Rain thinks, recalls, reflects, becomes wistful, even regretful; all very Zen, existential... for a killer.

In fact, Barry Eisler handily eludes the much feared `sophomore jinx,' as he uses his supple prose to edify his readers as well as entertain them; Eisler retains full command of his reader's attention on each page. Has any author - in particular, any genre author - ever invested so much effort to make scene and setting as integral to the tale as characters and plot? The Midori, Tatsu, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Juki Net that live in Eisler's fictional world lives in ours as well, not solely as metaphor, but alive.

HARD RAIN offers exciting moments of frisson, as we learn more of Rain's profession, of his isolated, insular lifestyle, of his life. He is a likable character, even though he is an assassin. Rain's likeability, along with his desire to move among the living as a `ghost,' serves as an intriguing dichotomy to his perception of himself as divorced and isolated from his own country, his own people. The paradox is that Rain is a particularly astute and keen observer. So while he moves through the various strata of Japanese society as a ghost, he still breathes life into the world he inhabits. Even as he kills.

Barry Eisler is simply magisterial in his dual feat of creation: both John Rain AND Japan is a successful rival to Chandler's Phillip Marlowe in Los Angeles and Hammet's Sam Spade in San Francisco.

Highly recommended. I eagerly anticipate the continuing story of John Rain.

In this sequel to the first John Rain novel, the excellent, "Rain Fall," Anti-hero rain is forced into action again as his old nemisis Tatsu tracks him down and recruits him to take care of a very tough character.

Despite the fact that he's a hired killer who specializes in making his hits look like natural causes, Rain is a very complex individual who has his own rules of engagement. He's intelligent, appreciates fine things and is a connoisseur of cuisine, single malt Scotches and beautiful women. He's able to laugh, cry, regret, and act from loyalty, and these contradictions make him not only fascinating but also so likeable the reader can not help but root for him to come out on top.

In "Hard Rain," the overall reason for Rain's presence is not as clearly defined, the enemies don't seem larger than life as they did in the series debut, the intervals between action scenes are longer and although the author's depictions of Rain's careful stalks are as vivid and satisfying as ever, the action itself seems less hard-edged. Still, the enemies are plenty dangerous and Rain is at his most engaging as he fights to save Harry, his electronics-genius collaborator and friend, and come to terms with the loss of Midori, jazz singing daughter of a man Rain killed before they met. Despite its shortcomings, this is the kind of read you fly through, then start looking around to the next one in the series. Not quite a five star, though.

Art Tirrell is the author of the 2007 adventure "The Secret Ever Keeps."

"Simply put...the best underwater scenes I've ever read." - reviewer Meg W.

Veteran voice performer Dick Hill imbues his reading of this Tokyo based thriller with just the right amount of suspense and shock. His performance is tight and perfectly paced.

Following on the heels of his wildly successful debut novel, Rain Fall, Barry Eisler brings back his intriguing protagonist John Rain. A freelance assassin, a loner by necessity, half Japanese and half American Rain makes the globe his home.

After disposing of a CIA agent who had been pursuing him Rain is now ready for a better life, wishing never again to have to orchestrate a murder that appears to be an accident. He's spent almost a quarter of a century doing this, and enough is enough.

Enter Tatsu, a Japanese FBI agent who persuades him that he must do one final job. There is a rabid murderer on the loose with absolutely no scruples; unless he's stopped his evil machinations could mean the collapse of Japan's financial system. A ripple effect could then cause global recession.

Rain's tracking of this fiend is Eisler at his brilliant best capturing the sights, smells and sounds of underground Tokyo. "Hard Rain" is an electrifying journey through a netherworld of deception and danger.

- Gail Cooke

In HARD RAIN we get the strong impression that the life of an assassin would be a very harrowing existence. The mental strain that it would place on you would be enormous, but there are other considerations that would have to be dealt with. You need to remain anonymous; your movements must be undetected; you must remain unobserved; you must be aware of your enemies and the possibility that you will be tailed. Personal relationships are another difficult area because of the possible weakness in your defenses they might expose. It's a lonely, harrowing existence and that's exactly the way John Rain lives.

John Rain is an assassin living in Japan who has a special talent for killing people in such a way that it looks as though they died of natural causes. He was introduced in RAIN FALL and this is the second book in the series featuring this most unusual protagonist. The story opens with Rain about to close the deal on his latest contract, a steroid enhanced enforcer from the Yakuza (the Japanese mafia). This opening job establishes two aspects that will be reinforced throughout the book. First, Rain is incredibly effective at what he does and second, his preparation before taking action is exhaustive.

After the initial excitement and action that comes with killing a man face to face, the mood quickly settles down to one that is more sedate. The background of John Rain is explained including how he came to be an assassin and the careful daily routines he must go through to ensure his own life is not in danger. It's during this down time that Rain is approached by his contact, a Japanese FBI agent named Tatsu, with details of another job he wants done.

The next job is the main focus of the book. The man to be killed is another mafia killer, a man who is feared for both his sadistic ruthlessness and for his innate instinct for survival. This particular job will pose an incredible challenge for Rain, so much so that he strongly doubts he wants the job. But then it becomes personal and he throws himself completely into preparing to take down the Yakuza heavyweight.

One of the strongest features of the book outside the tension of the assassination attempt was the way in which Japan was depicted. The settings, the customs and history were all integrated into the storyline in a way that was both informative and interesting. Where possible Barry Eisler gave us the Japanese terms and then followed them with the English translations. When John Rain visited a place of interest he included relevant background and he describes customary behavior whenever traditional Japanese methods were used, for example, when dining or when visiting a sento, a public bath. It's obvious that Eisler has spent a lot of time in Japan and has introduced me to a setting that I rarely read about.

As a sequel to the outstanding RAIN FALL, this book excels in the development of the John Rain character. We get a real sense of the loneliness and self-doubt that surges through him, even when on the outside he appears bullet-proof. We understand more fully his thoughts, fears and regrets and also his limits. It's not quite as fast paced as the first book in the series, settling into a more brooding, predatory mood as it carefully hunts us to the moving finale.

Like a good glass of wine, the character John Rain stayed with me after I finished the audiobook. Rain is an assassin with ethics and a highly developed sense of paranoia who specializes in natural-seeming kills and hand-to-hand engagements, and who seems to live only in hotels. The fight/kill scenes are exciting and intensely cinematic, and also seem very authentic. The Tokyo portrait is graphically, contextually beautiful. But what really intrigues me is the conflict between Rain's need for isolation that keeps him safe in a highly dangerous environment and the way he is drawn into emotionally connecting relationships that could kill him or his friends/lovers. I will definitely read Rain Fall (I wish it were out in audio) and look forward to the next sequel. I want to see how Eisler treats Rain's aging (Vietnam era) and future relationships. And hopefully there will be an equally strong female character who challenges him out of the safety zone of isolation for more than the length of a (well-written) sexual encounter.

In most series, the first book in the series is the best. Not so here. Eisler delivers in Hard Rain a fantastic followup to his first book, Rain Fall! Not only does it continue the engaging John storyline, but Hard Rain stands on its own as a great story in its own right.

As always, Eisler captures a view of Tokyo that is unique. He draws us in to a Tokyo that few residents, much less visitors, fully experience. Having lived in there for a few years, and having some familiarity with the, shall we say, less than polite parts of Tokyo, I can attest that Eisler's portrayal is dead on.

I look forward to continuing to follow Rain's life and adventures.

My only question is, when will we see these characters on the big screen as well???

For everyone who read and loved Eisler's first novel, Rain Fall, this sequel surpasses all expectations. For those who haven't yet discovered the world of John Rain, its time to find out what you've been missing. While continuing in the exciting themes of intrigue and action on the streets of Tokyo and beyond, in Hard Rain, Eisler takes us deeper still into the complex and fascinating character of John Rain. And, as with Rain Fall, once you get on this roller coaster ride of a story, you won't be able to get off until you reach the conclusion. Whether or not you're a fan of thrillers, if you enjoy intelligent and graceful writing, deft character development, and compelling plots, you'll love Hard Rain.

I loved Rain Fall, Barry Eisler's first book. Being a great fan of thrillers, having lived in Japan for a number of years and also having been a martial arts practitioner for a long time, the book appealed to me on a number of levels. Its conflicted hero (John Rain), its complicated yet plausible plot, its vivid -- and often beautiful -- descriptions of Tokyo, and its action scenes all made for a wonderful ride.

So I was excited to find Hard Rain, the follow-up to Rain Fall, an even better read than the first. Hard Rain opens with John Rain still in Tokyo, contemplating relocation to avoid payback for his elimination of the CIA's Tokyo Station chief. But cop friend Tatsu persuades him to do one more job before he leaves for friendlier climes. The job turns out to be more complicated than expected, and soon Rain must worry about both the yakuza and the CIA.

A pretty simple storyline, right? Wrong. The plot gets increasingly intricate as the story moves along, with Eisler juggling a number of bad guys (one of them is particularly nasty -- someone you just would not want to meet up with under any circumstances), several questionable characters and multiple love interests. Well, actually, everyone is a questionable character to John Rain. This is one paranoid guy, and rightfully so. Nearly everyone he meets is a potential attacker, and he can't go anywhere or do anything without taking extensive precautions. Just going around the corner to the market requires a "surveillance detection run" to determine whether anyone might be following him (Lord help them if they are).

In addition to the fact that Rain is a hitman with rules (he has a conscience, albeit a very twisted one), it's this paranoid life on the run that makes him such an interesting character. He's a very lonely guy, and his loneliness, along with the ghosts of his past and present, weigh very heavily on him. And Eisler shows him wrestling with his demons in subtle, yet powerful ways. In one scene, Rain sits in the dark, making excuses to himself for his bloody career, and it's hard not to feel sorry for the guy.

Just in case you're now thinking that Hard Rain lacks action, let me say that the book has some of the most original and unusual action sequences I've read in a long time. The fight scenes are intense, realistic, and well thought out (which is not surprising given Eisler's own martial arts experience and research) and amazingly don't detract from the book's moody atmosphere.

Hard Rain puts most thrillers to shame, and I'll definitely be among the first to buy the next installment in the series.