Customer Reviews

Rain Fall

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Rain Fall gives the thriller novel a much-needed shot of adrenalin. Eisler's hero, a half Japanese/half American assassin named John Rain, is one of the most compelling series characters in recent fiction. Moral but heartless, a man with a terrible past and no certain future, Rain wrestles with two cultures and personal demons in a first-person, noir-on-steroids narrative.

With Rain Fall, Eisler proves himself a worthy heir to the killer-for-hire sub-genre created by Andrew Vachss, Trevanian, David Morrell, and Eric Van Lustbader.

The book is set in a modern Japan filled with smokey whiskey bars, corrupt politicians, insane gangsters, beautiful jazz singers, plot twists and martial arts. I read it in one sitting. Then I immediately read the sequel, Hard Rain, which is even better.

Rain Fall was named Best Novel of 2002 by Publisher's Weekly, and it's easy to see why. If you like your thrillers tough, honest, and fast-paced, check this series out.

I am happy to say I enjoyed both RAIN FALL and HARD RAIN by Barry Eisler, though I recommend starting with RAIN FALL. Much of what happened in the first book is alluded to in the second, and this could cause some confusion. If there is such a person as a likeable assassin, then John Rain is the man. He is caught between two cultures (John's father was Japanese and his mother American) and not really a part of either. More of his background is given in HARD RAIN, so this man-caught-in-the-middle character makes a lot of sense when you put together the fragments of his life. Still, Rain is definitely a man of action and the action comes fast and furious in both of these page turners. Even when you know there will be the inevitable showdown between Rain and the bad guy (or one of the good guys who may or not really be one of the bad guys), the plotting is so tense you wonder if he'll survive to make it into another novel by Eisler. It's nice of the author to translate the Japanese his characters speak for the reader and to explain all of the deadly Judo moves they make when fighting. I'm anxiously awaiting the third book in the series.

Eisler hits the ball out of the park with his debut. It's a spy thriller set in Modern Tokyo, capturing the ambiance of the neo-future Metropolis sprouting above and ancient culture.

There are three main selling points for the book. First is the main character. John Rain is part James Bond, part Trevanian's Nicolai Hel, and part Blade Runner. He's both complex and interesting. His "voice" comes off as an old friend with a shady path.

The second stellar point is the ability of Eisler to capture Tokyo. It's a Tokyo that many expats will recongize. The places, style and feel of the city are brought to life with excellent prose. I truly felt like I was back in Roppongi and Shinjuku. The flashbacks really brought me back to a great place.

Lastly, the book has a gripping "can't put it down" quality. Expect to read the book in one sitting. Don't start it unless you have time to finish it. You'll find yourself looking at the clock at 3am thinking, "Where did the time go?"

Well done on an outstanding novel!

Barry Eisler mines his personal history (sufficient time spent in Japan to be steeped in its culture and traditions, training in the martial arts, etc) to create RAINFALL, a novel that is a treat for all readers everywhere.

And that knowledge litters this novel. Barry Eisler shares so much understanding of Japan and Japanese culture that this novel is a sheer joy to read. We learn in Chapter 10 of "...sado, the Japanese tea ceremony, [whose] practitioners strive through the practice of refined, ritualized movements in the preparation and serving of tea to achieve wabi and sabi: a sort of effortless elegance in thought and movement, a paring down to the essentials to more elegantly represent a larger, more important concept that would otherwise be obscured." We also learn, in the same chapter, more of John Rain's true nature, as he dispatches with ease, deftness, and an alarming amorality a threat, before continuing his pursuit of other characters, other information... Chapter 10 is itself an excellent fractal representation of the novel, a perfect rendering in writing of sado. Kudos to Eisler, for he achieves throughout this novel 'a sort of effortless elegance in thought and movement...'

A good writer faces difficult choices. To invest so much time and effort to create a fictional landscape and then drop into it real characters - i.e., laced with problems similar to our own so that their decisions and actions are organic, true to character - then only to move on to the next novel and start anew... or mine that fictional world for all that it is worth. Conan Doyle had this problem with Sherlock Holmes, to the point of frustration, of finally killing off Holmes, only to have to resuscitate Holmes after his readers' protestations. Barry Eisler faces a similar problem: how to keep the gold that is this book from a reverse transmutation to lead in subsequent entries, from being too similar to other typical plot-driven suspense and espionage novels. A second novel limning the further trials and tribulations of John Rain arrives in July 2003. I wonder which will triumph: John Rain, the conflicted, real protagonist who inhabits a universe of secrets, betrayals, and bad decisions AND that inspires us to learn more of that culture... or yet another plot-driven thriller, interchageable with most other novels from this genre?

I look forward to HARDRAIN with an equal measure of desire and dread. Nevertheless, I will read it; Barry Eisler's freshman effort is sufficiently superlative that it demands no less. Recommended.

RAIN FALL is a terrific debut about a Japanese-American hit man who works his profession under cover of being a "market-entry consultant" in Tokyo.

The atmosphere of modern Tokyo shines in RAIN FALL. I lived in Japan for seven years and read this book on a recent trip back. Barry Eisler, who was based in Japan for many years, worked for the US Government and earned his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center in Tokyo. This is a rare book set in Tokyo that gets the details of setting and mannerisms correct. Too many Japan themed efforts are sloppy and just plain wrong. Your reviewer lived and worked for seven years in and around the exact places described in the novel. The book was read and this review written around the corner from one of the coffee shops described in the book. And another rare feat by Eisler  a Japanese-translated version of RAIN FALL was published in Japan to rave reviews from the local media.

John Rain is an efficient killer who will take on any assignment where the death needs to appear natural. But hes a killer-for-hire with particular rules of engagement  he only accepts contracts to eliminate principal parties and he will not touch women or children. The plot starts quickly when Rain s technologically fascinating killing of a Japanese Government official on a subway train goes wrong. There are other people who come from the shadows of the subway car suddenly interested in the contents of the corpses suit pockets. As his fee is deposited into a secret account the next day, Rain steps up his caution. But he finds himself hanging out with a jazz pianist who just happens to be the daughter of the government official. And Rains old CIA buddies from Viet Nam are mixed up with the dead man somehow and come after him. In great mystery tradition, he doesnt know who to trust and there seems to be no way out for Rain.

Putnam Publishers says Eisler is at work on another novel featuring John Rain. If he gets the sophomore book to work as well as the debut, we have a major talent to look forward to.

The story begins with John Rain, a highly paid hit man, tracking his prey through the byzantine streets and subways of Tokyo. His unknown paymasters have ordered the elimination of a highly-ranked member of the government bureaucracy. The high-tech hit man carries out his assignment with emotionless precision, daring, and inventiveness that can't help but draw the reader quickly in to this unusual man's world.

That death, however, sets off a chain reaction that forces Rain to flee his comfortable, orderly world, and battle the ghosts of his past. He must fight not only to stay alive, but to earn the love of a beautiful and talented young artist - a woman who just happens to be the daughter of his recent target.

For a first novel in particular, "Rain Fall" is written with a firm and confident hand. The story's intriguing plot moves forward at a driving pace, but the author still has the skill and foresight to include some rich characterizations, along with enough of the right kind of details to make his writing authentic and engrossing.

There is much to recommend about this book, not the least its compelling protagonist. John Rain is a remarkable creation, a multifaceted killer with the soul of a poet. He is easily one of the most interesting characters to come along in some time. One can only hope that Eisler is already hard at work on his return. "Rain Fall" is a tremendous debut, the best to come out so far this year.

Reviewed by David Montgomery, Mystery Ink

As good as Rain Fall is, the best part came not during the story itself, but on the About the Author section on the back flap of the dust jacket. It states that Mr. Eisler is at work on the second John Rain novel. That's the type of novel this is - you'll immediately be wishing for more as soon as you're done. Rain Fall is one of those rare novels that beg to be read as quickly as possible but will have you wishing you had savored it while you had the opportunity.

The title character, John Rain, half American, half Japanese, is one of the more interesting leads that readers will find. A former Studies and Observations Group (SOG) operative, Rain is highly skilled in covert movement and close range killing. After leaving the military, he set up shop in Japan as a hit man whose specialty is making his victims look as if they have died from natural causes. He has also mastered Judo, adding to his already impressive arsenal. He is both vicious (he kills without compunction), selective (no women), and caring (the book centers around his attempts to protect the daughter of a man he killed.)

Aside from the fantastic John Rain, the plot of the novel is above average as well, as Eisler takes the reader through the underbelly of Japanese urban life, from whiskey bars to love hotels. Rain is contracted to kill a man, which he does in an extremely cool scene with a PDA with pacemaker control software. His next contract is the daughter of the same man, though he finds himself protecting her against several different enemies.

This book has everything a novel should. The violence is well written and choreographed. The romantic involvement between the two main characters is subtle and adds, rather than detracts as is usually the case, from the story. The humor is timely and effective. The plot moves quickly and holds the readers interest and the ending works as well.

I'll be buying and reading everything that Barry Eisler writes for as long as he writes it. This book is that good.

John Rain is an assassin living in Tokyo. Born of mixed Japanese-American parentage, he was trained by the Special Forces in the US and is a veteran of the Vietnam war. Now he is available for hire to see that certain individuals 'die of natural causes'. After killing a Japanese executive, he falls for his daughter, a jazz pianist. Unfortunately, his next assignment is killing the daughter. He has two days to decide to accept the assignment. Rain decides to utilize the time to find out who wants her dead and why.
John Rain is one of the most original creations I have encountered so far this year. He meets the criteria of a thriller hero with his special forces training and being a loner with a love interest. It is not, however, the world he is trying to save. Rain is truly ruthless. He kills without any remorse and frequently with his bare hands. Yet, he is quite a sympathetic character to the reader. Barry Eisler keeps his story moving swiftly to the inevitable but highly satisfying conclusion. I look forward to Rain's next episode.

I loved this book, stealth hit man kills people and makes it look like they died of natural causes. The cool bars and clubs of Toyko make this in interesting read. Great story that moves fast, I had a hard time putting this one down. I went to Eislers site and found out that Jet Li has bought the rights to the Rain series. That would be cool to see Jet Li play John Rain. We will just have to wait and see.

I had heard about this book way before I read it and the talk was: Genuine Block Buster........ and that's a lot to live up to.

Barry Eisler's Rain Fall does and more.

Firstly, the book is a work of art; the title page and layout are different and pretty. It told me how much the author cared, how close to his heart the creation is.

Not only did he create a conflicted hero, he did it with a style all his own. Using Toyko as his back drop, Eisler paints a multi layered portrait, rich with atmosphere, billowing smoky streets teaming with crowds of people that you can hear taste touch and smell. And John Rain, our hero vacillating "Japanese/American, soldier/assassin, samurai/ronin" leads us on an adventure we aren't too soon to forget, and wait anxiously for the next installment.

This is the first book in a series that is already well on it way to being quite collectable.