The Last Assassin (Onyx Novel) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I'VE NEVER LIKED doing a job in a new place..." (more)
Key Phrases: Big Liu, New York, Hong Kong (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Japanese-American assassin John Rain would like to get out of the killing business in his fifth action-filled outing (after 2005's Killing Rain), see the son he's only just learned of and perhaps try to reconnect with Midori, the child's mother. But first there's the little matter of the Japanese gangster Yamaoto and Yamaoto's Chinese triad allies, who are watching over Rain's son in New York City, not to mention Delilah, the beautiful Mossad agent who shares Rain's occupation and his bed. Seizing the initiative, Rain enlists the aid of his super-sniper friend, Dox, in a campaign to remove Yamaoto. Rain and allies clash with their many powerful foes in combat scenes full of lovingly detailed descriptions of knives, guns and other martial paraphernalia. Amid the threats to life, limb and loved ones, Rain finds time to enjoy good food, better whiskey and even better sex. While most of the action takes place in Japan, Eisler handles all the story's locales, including Manhattan and Barcelona, with considerable aplomb.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

The fifth John Rain novel is the first not to feature the Japanese American contract killer's name in the title. Is this a sign that Eisler is taking the series in a new direction, or perhaps, given the seeming finality of the title, ending it altogether? The book begins with momentous news: Rain is a father, his brief liaison with Midori, the daughter of a man Rain killed, having produced a son. Now Rain sees his best chance of getting out of the killing game. But can he protect mother and child from his enemies, who are trying to use them as leverage to get Rain? And can he extricate himself safely from his relationship with Delilah, the beautiful Israeli assassin? This has been a consistently fine series, and its latest installment is no exception. Rain, the killer who wishes he could stop killing, is an engaging protagonist, and the author's depiction of the world of the assassin is vivid and well imagined. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (June 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451412400
• ISBN-13: 978-0451412409
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,637 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rain in the Heart, June 5, 2006

By	Colin P. Lindsey (Manchester, NH) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Last Assassin (John Rain Thrillers) (Hardcover)

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?

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good drama, but a bit unrealistic, June 21, 2006

By	Karate Enthusiast "Tom" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Assassin (John Rain Thrillers) (Hardcover)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hopefully, not the LAST John Rain book!, June 7, 2006

By	Dragon Lady "Claire" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Assassin (John Rain Thrillers) (Hardcover)

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.