Customer Reviews

The Last Assassin

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent action-adventure novel that rips you from Barcelona to New York to Japan and back again, while the protagonist must contend with the Japaneze Yakuza, Chinese triads, the anger and bitterness of an ex-love, the jealousy of his current flame, and most difficult of all, the unaswerable questions in his own heart caused by the revelation that he has an infant son in New York. This is the fifth in Eisler's wonderful series featuring John Rain, the half-American half-Japanese professional assassin. This novel ties up some of the loose ends created in the first four outings and once again delivers a dose of the most convincing and lethal action scenes to be found between book covers.

If you are an action fan, but also like clear, entertaining, and super-intelligent prose, then this series is about as good it gets. The author obviously does his homework and studies close quarters combat (CQC) in detail in order to write believable, harrowing, and shocking combat scenes that are absolutely thrilling and riveting. Guns, knives, explosives, fists, feet and the everyday objects of life are used to write incredibly detailed and smart fight scenes. John Rain is perhaps as lethal a man as there is in literature, but he is also an intensely believable character because he is rational, intelligent, and above all else cautious and paranoid in amounts I have never seen before. Rain would spend hours doubling back on his trail and using tradecraft to insure there is no one on his tail simply to get out and get a whiskey. A man truly fond of single malt scotch and good jazz music, but who also flies to Barcelona five days ahead of his scheduled rendevous with his amour in order to scope out all the alleys and exits and ensure there are no enemies there first. While absolutely lethal in close quarters combat, Rain prefers to assassinate people by staging heart attacks or accidents for them so that no one even suspects they've been assassinated. When he does have to resort to using his fighting skills it is generally because he has made a mistake, one that makes him furious with himself. With his troubled and unsure heart, wondering what role he should have as a father for a son he was unaware of, Rain does make a few mistakes in this novel and he and his faithful friend Dox are suddenly plunged into a vicious war with Japanese and Chinese thugs. This book is a rocket-ride, so intelligently crafted, with such incredible actions scenes and fiercely believable characters, that it's both a joy to read and super fun at the same time. When you finish you're left wondering: why doesn't everyone write like this?

Barry Eisler's John Rain series used to be on a par with Lee Child's Jack Reacher series - both featured hard-boiled anti-heroes, shocking plots, exotic locales, fearsome villains, and some of the best action scenes out there. And Rain had the advantage over Reacher in that he got to travel the globe and use the CIA as a supplier of lethal weaponry. Perhaps that, along with Rain's appreciation for good whisky, gave Rain the edge.

But then, "The Last Assassin" came along, and suddenly Eisler's run of well-written, well-plotted thrillers came to a screeching halt. Where Child is comfortable with keeping Reacher more or less self-contained emotionally (and therefore occasionally unlikable), Eisler couldn't resist the temptation to make John Rain come to terms with his emotional side. True, he does so in a natural way - Rain has to comes to terms with fatherhood - but the emotional quagmire that results is a jarring flat note in this otherwise brilliant series.

When Barry Eisler writes about ops, he's as good as it gets. Rain is a master strategist and tactician, and Eisler's words flow smoothly when reconning an op site or describing gruesome hand-to-hand combat. He's also pretty good at writing a sex-ridden romp, particularly when the Israeli agent Delilah is involved. But when Eisler's writing about love, well, let's just say the cliches start flying and Rain is less an assassin than a frustrated teenager. And that's disappointing.

Rain actually says at one point, "I can change!" Yup - Oscar Wilde would be so proud . . .

The focus on love also renders Eisler's other characters more or less stereotypical supporting characters. Midori is the unattainable object of Rain's affection. Delilah is no longer an Israeli operative, she's the jilted lover, which isn't so interesting. And Dox spends more time as the drinking buddy sidekick than he does as the superlethal sniper we want to read about.

Only when Eisler focuses his story on the villain of the piece, the corrupt Japanese politician/warlord Yamaoto, does Eisler keep his focus . . . namely because Yamaoto doesn't care a rip about Rain's love life unless he can use it to hurt Rain.

Fans of the Rain series will read "The Last Assassin" no matter what this reviewer says. Here's to hoping that Eisler has gotten the Emotional Rain out of his system, and will take this series back to its exotic, lethal, enjoyable roots.

I have simply devoured all the John Rain books. THE LAST ASSASSIN arrived in the mail yesterday; as always, I couldn't put it down and finished it tonight, disappointed I'd reached the end.

John Rain is an assassin you get attached to, and even begin to understand. Another reviewer is apparently disappointed in the way Rain has evolved over the course of five books. However, the changes are simply evidence of Rain's maturing process. A couple of books ago, Rain met a woman, unwillingly fell in love, and now finds out he has a son. The emotional impact of these developments have forced him to start wondering if it's even possible to live a different kind of life, out of the "business" he's worked at for so many years. But in order to leave that life and ensure his son's safety, many obstacles must be removed in the only way Rain knows.

Barry Eisler is a gifted writer who has created wonderfully believable characters and scrupulously researched stories. The locales he describes are so easy to visualize, I almost feel like I'm there while I'm reading. And his knowledge of spycraft is fascinating. He's made a cruelly efficient, paid assassin actually likable, a man the reader can relate to, despite the viciousness of his world.

Although each John Rain novel can be read as a stand-alone story, I do recommend starting with the first, RAIN FALL, and following with HARD RAIN, RAIN STORM, and KILLING RAIN. Each story is edge-of-the-seat reading, and seeing the evolution of John Rain from the beginning is very satisfying. I'm just hoping that the title, THE LAST ASSASSIN, isn't Barry Eisler's way of telling us he's taken John Rain as far as he can.

I love Eisler's Rain series. I gobbled this one up just as fast as the others. Others have posted the highlights of the story, so I won't rehash that. The gist of course is that John Rain must face his one-time mistress, Midori, in regards to their son. All the while, he has to deal with a lingering yakuza threat from the last book. One thing I will say is that The Last Assassin really wraps things up. The relationship with Midori is finally put to rest (personally I think the emotions were a bit over the top considering they had only a single night together). The yakuza boss, Yamaoto, is also put to rest... excuse the pun. Even the helpful police detective, Tatsu, passes on, perhaps unnecessarily.

So things definitely get wrapped up. That's the good news. I like to see progress. The unfortunate thing that's happened however is that the John Rain character has fundamentally changed. Perhaps this was Eisler's intention, or perhaps it was an overzealous editor reaching out for more book sales. The once cold, extremely careful killer, has now become heroic, and a bit complacent. He is not operating to the level of professionalism that he did in the early books. I feel like Rain has become a mainstream action hero. And with that morphing, some of the realism has been lost. If you notice that throughout this book, Rain kills with a knife several times. All very brutal, all very bloody, yes. But he never once gets cut... hmm. Not even a nick? Too hollywood for me. Another problem for me... When Rain kills, his victims offer almost no resistance whatsoever. Really, go back an re-read it. They're all dropped in one shot, or with the quick slice of a knife. I can't say that I've ever killed anyone with a knife, but I can only imagine that it's one hell of a struggle. Body count has gone up, realism has gone down. Final pet peeve, why does Eisler keep pointing out that Rain isn't using a condom? It just bugs me that he feels the need to keep pointing this out. We get it, Rain doesn't always think with his head... umm, you know what I mean.

All those complaints aside, I still enjoyed The Last Assassin, and definitely recommend it to anyone. But just to break ranks, I personally think that Donohue's Sensei/Deshi books have more realistic dojo-style martial arts, and Bradley's Process of Elimination has better street-fighting martial arts. Bradley's in particular brings in little things, like stepping on an opponent's feet, or grabbing their ear for head control. Stuff that fighters really do. Ok, that's my two cents.

The 5th in the series involving John Rain was my first read about this character and by this author. I was not charmed by jumping back and forth from first person chapters to third person, but it is something you can live with. The story is a pretty straight forward one with Rain having to deal with the knowledge that he has fathered a child with a woman whose father he assassinated. She has to deal with it also.

While doing that he is drawn into the assassination business at which he seems to have no peer and also has some very solid support.

It is an interesting read, however it did not encourage me to read the earlier novels. The story is about relationships of all kinds. The kinds that end in death; the kind that have heart break attached to them and the kind where the people really needed killing.

At that John Rain excells. Other aspects of his life need work.

Elite Japanese American assassin John Rain shockingly learns from respected colleague and fatherly mentor Tatsu, a high ranking member of the Japanese FBI, that he is a parent. A son had been born from a romantic interlude with Midori, daughter of a Japanese minister, Rain had liquidated on a previous assignment. The manipulative Tatsu realized that Rain would become obsessed with seeing his son and Midori, a noted jazz pianist now living in New York.

This attempt by Rain to connect with his previously unknown family would provide the basis for Barry Eisler's latest thriller, "The Last Assassin".

The wily Tatsu suspected that Midori was being watched by enemies of Rain, in a desire to expose him and ultimately eliminate him. Rain reconnoiters Midori's apartment and eventually gains entrance and meets his young son Koichiro in a tender and poignant scene. Rain is willing to leave his profession in order to form a family unit but Midori is doubtful. Rain's bliss is shattered when he is forced to kill two Chinese gangsters spying on him and working for a criminal triad called United Bamboo. They've been collaborating with Rain's arch enemy, Yamaoto, a powerful Japanese political manipulator and supreme Yakuza boss.

This sets up a chain of events leading to a battle fueled by Tatsu's cunning machinations between Rain and Yamaoto. Rain recruits his partner, Dox, a boisterous yet efficient ex-Marine sniper. He also utilizes the skills of his sometimes paramour, Delilah, a gorgeous blonde Mossad agent, in whose arms he was when learning of his son's existence.

Rains meticulously sets up his campaign to try to eliminate Yamaoto as a threat to Midori and his son once and for all. As added incentive, Rain learns that Tatsu is gravely ill and is depending on Rain to dispose of Yamaoto, a large thorn in his side.

While "The Last Assassin" falls slightly short of some of the previous Rain action thrillers it is still a more than worthy effort. Rain seems to be a kinder and gentler mellow version of himself. Eisler fails to be as detailed in his descriptions of Rain's plotting and stealthiness in setting up his assignments. What was well done however was a peek into Rain's inner psyche as he struggles to allow those close to him entrance into his private secretive world.

Like nearly everyone posting a review, I'm a huge Eisler/Rain fan. I put "Eisler" and "Rain" together because in my mind the two are inseparable. The latest installment reads as a great mix of drama and high-octane action. John Rain is once again drawn into a situation regardless of his own wishes to "retire." The story picks up right where the last novel left off, Rain deciding to go and see his old lover Midori and their child Koichiro. It is clear that his current lover, Delilah is none too pleased with his decision. A scorned lover is one thing, but when she's part of the Israel intelligence service, it's something else all together!

It is in fact the characters that make this novel work so well. We are finally coming to know Rain, Dox, Delilah, Tatsu, and even Midori to some degree. For me personally, this is the best written of Eisler's works, even if it has more drama than action. I was also glad to see that Eisler took care of the loose ends, Yamaoto for one. This book was a very satisfying read.

Author of "Process of Elimination" - a sexually-charged thriller that pits a martial artist against a world-class sharpshooter out to shape the next Presidential election.

This one is completely out of character from its predecessors. Rain was the cold professional. Now he's constantly screwing up. I know that's the point of this story, but it goes too far, and each screw-up conveniently comes at the worst possible time. No navel-gazing while on an international flight or in the hotel room for this book. All the inattention has to come when going face to face with a bad guy or planning the caper. Too convenient.

Barry Eisler, like his hero John Rain, is getting better with age! This latest installment of the World of John Rain shows literary growth, wonderful character development, and electric character interaction. Mr. Eisler is very close to joining Flynn, Child, and Connelly at the top of the action writers genre.
In The Last Assassin, Mr. Eisler weaves a complex story of action, betrayal, mistakes, intrigue, and realism. Rain becomes multi dimensional as he is forced to come to grips with life's true mysteries; Age, family, love, friendship, and death. Mr. Eisler has opened many new doors for John Rain to go through. Yet in it all he has also closed just as many. It will be very interesting to see how John Rain handles his new life. Mr. Eisler has done a masterful job of opening many new horizons and paths for John Rain to follow. It will be very interesting to see the next installment of the "World according to John Rain."
Note: The only flaw in Mr. Eisler's Rain series is assuming the reader knows all the previous interaction of characters. For us who have read all the Rain books it is not a problem. Will miss Tatsu and Yamaoto! BUT, for you who have not it could create some confusion. Just a thought.
Highly recommend this action thriller for those who like more than just a "shoot'em up bang, bang!"

While I have really liked all of the books in the 'John Rain' series, I found 'The Last Assassin' to be the most enjoyable of the five novels.

The characters have aged and evolved in real time, rounding them out and making them very real as they grow. At the same time, Eisler has become more of a craftsman in his use of the language, dialogue and descriptions. The story itself is written on many levels...the setups are interesting and the payoffs good.

If you liked any of the other 'John Rain' books, this one will be a real treat.