Customer Reviews

Requiem for an Assassin

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those of you who might have stumbled on this book without knowing the full scope of things, you will want to start the John Rain series from the beginning. The books in order are: Rain Fall, Hard Rain, Rain Storm, Killing Rain, the Last Assassin, and now Requiem for an Assassin. All are outstanding reads. If you pick up in the middle or here at the tail end, you will really be doing yourself a disservice. Get to know the characters in the same order as Barry Eisler did.

I'm a big John Rain fan. The books have done an excellent job of addressing a previously unfilled niche - not since Lustbader's early works anyway. John Rain, the protagonist, is the cool international ex-CIA operative, half Japanese, half American - patriot, father, and remorseless killer. Trained in classical Japanese Judo, and master of assassination via accidental causes. The killing style is unique and different - comparable to what Trevanian brought to Shibumi with his killing with common items (e.g. ballpoint pen, cards, etc.).

The latest installment is in my mind an improvement. I've really enjoyed all the books, but I felt the Last Assassin had a bit too much drama and fell slightly short of high-octane action seen in early books. In one review, it was compared to Desperate Housewives... unfair but funny. Fortunately, Requiem remedies that complaint in high fashion. I definitely can't agree with any "wussification" claim, because Rain is as ruthless and brutal in this Requiem as any of the pevious ones. That said, there is clearly a struggle between his "iceman" killer self and a softer emotionally-reachable person. But I in no way found that to detract from the character.

Like most good stories, John Rain is the reluctant actor. He wants to escape his role as a killing pawn (something he fears defines him), and take on what might be even more difficult challenges - regular life with women who both love and hate him, and a child who doesn't know he's his father. Of course that wouldn't make much of a story, so in steps Jim Hilger (the ex-CIA bad guy). He snatches the fun-loving sniper, Dox, who at times can't tell men from women, and uses him as leverage to get Rain to do three final kills. Fortunately, John Rain is experienced enough to ask the tough questions, like why does Hilger want them dead, what are their connections, and what assurances are there that he can be trusted to release Dox. With help from Kanezaki, Boaz, Delilah, and others, they go about setting things right.

Like all of the books, this book merges both international intrigue (in this case it involves oil) with Rain's personal challenges. That's one reason I recommend you start from the beginning. If you're looking for a stand alone thriller, you might be disappointed or at least not fully appreciate the character development. But if you're looking for a great addition to an outstanding collection, this one is a pure gem. Five stars!

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an erotic martial arts thriller that pits a Kenpo Karate/Judo expert against a world-class sniper out to shape the presidential election.

The first four novels featuring the cold-blooded, nihilistic, contemplative Japanese/American assassin John Rain were true page turners. Rain was a killing machine, his specialty arranging murders that looked like "natural causes". He free-lanced, working for any client who met his flexible standards. He had only one rule: no women or children. But even that had a little leeway. Rain was a superb character: remorseless, nihilistic, but thoughtful and contemplative. He was a loner with only one or two people that might be called "friends" and even then Rain was always suspicious.

In the fifth novel, Rain discovered paternal love for the child he had conceived with Midori, a Japanese singer whose father Rain had assassinated. Rain started developing a conscience, a desire for another life, one where murder wasn't the order of the day. Rain, frankly, started losing his allure. The action that made the first four books pulse-pounders ebbed away.

In "Requiem For An Assassin", author Barry Eisler has effectively killed John Rain and it doesn't look like natural causes. In fact it looks like hubris. Barry Eisler apparently has bought into his own publicity.

Eisler hasn't lost his skill with words. He is still readable and a newcomer to Eisler and John Rain might very well find this book a passable read. Anyone familiar with John Rain may find this novel very disappointing. It took me more than six sessions to make my through this, often wondering why I was bothering. I hoped that Eisler would redeem himself in a successive chapter, but he didn't.

The plot is simple and can be described without spoiling it for anyone else. Former Marine sniper Dox, Rain's buddy on a couple of missions, is kidnapped from his island paradise by Hilger, the ex-CIA rogue Rain was chasing, but missed, in the last novel. Hilger contacts the always elusive Rain and tells him he must carry out three assassinations or Dox will die. Rain is in Paris, living with his current paramour Delilah, a Mossad agent. To save his friend, Rain reluctantly sets off on a series of assinations, but he is troubled: the old ice cold killer just doesn't come as easily any more.

There's a global chase that this time is boring. There are a few redeeming - to few - where Rain is in action, but otherwise the book is a bore. Way too much time is spent on Rain's thoughts about Delilah, including a gratuitous several page sex scene which does nothing to advance the story, but does lead one to question who Eisler thinks his audience is. Rain spends a lot of time reliving his youth in the army in Vietnam, including a visit to Saigon. Rain contemplates his relationship with Delilah, with Midori and the son he has held only once. Rain thinks way too much.

Eisler, unfortunately, injects his political thoughts way too often into the manuscript. Bad mistake since Eisler's political thinking is neither original nor necessary to the story. It's more a conceit: he's the author - he can put anything he wants in his book. But readers don't have to stand for having their own views attacked in a thriller. In short, if Eisler wanted to write a political polemic, that's what he should have written.

Eisler's ultimate sin in my eyes is one that most readers won't catch. Eisler thanks 54 people (and a deli) in his acknowledgements. He's got experts in bar room brawls, medical experts, experts in martial arts - but no experts in computer technology, which plays a big part in the story.

Put bluntly Eisler is ignorant of computer technology. Pathetically ignorant. Instead of consulting experts, he makes things up. Asking readers who may be conversant with the technology, as I am, to swallow his nonsense is an insult to readers that could have been avoided. And, in my opinion, should have been.

But Eisler simply makes his technology up out of whole cloth.

I won't detail all of Eisler's misstatements. If you don't know the technology, you probably won't recognize the nonsense.

One of the more irritating things Eisler does is have Rain purchase an Apple iPhone. Pity that the iPhone - which was neither available nor fully described at the time of Eisler's writing - won't do many of things that Rain does with it. Oh well, just more arrogance on the part of Eisler.

The ending of the book is unacceptable on several levels. For fear of spoiling, I won't get into a lot of detail, but the end result is to push Rain more and more in the direction of becoming an accredited metrosexual, wuss, wimp or whatever the current term is. Rain makes mistakes totally out of character for him - and, frankly, I was waiting for a chorus of "Kumbaya" to break out.

As a character, Barry Eisler has essentially killed off John Rain. Too bad - I enjoyed John Rain's single-minded ruthlessness and his skills as an assassin. As a wimp, Rain won't be getting any further attention from me. The first-time reader may find this a moderately acceptable time filler. If they don't read any or all of the first four novels, they will never know how rich the John Rain character was.

Jerry

I love this series so much so that I had Requiem ordered in hardcover in the US and sent to me in Australia, where it is still not available. It gets 4 stars as compared to other authors but I'd probably give it only 3 if compared to other books in the series. Rain seems to be getting a bit soft with age. Please don't let this turn into a sappy story of an old battered warrior finding love and understanding in the twilight years... yawn! Don't get me wrong, this book is still good and I will continue reading future books in the series... but hope they acknowledge an assassin can never go back to being a normal civilian. If the twists and turns eventually bring Rain to save his son and start a fatherly relationship then I am burning my collection of this series!

Jerry Saperstein's review entitled "The Wussification of John Rain is Complete" is a classic and is not to be improved upon. I agree with all of his comments and mourn the passing of the John Rain that ruled the first four novels that Eisler wrote. The softer, gentler, although still deadly, John Rain is not a welcome addition to the line.

I love John Rain the Bad guy..and have looked forward to Barry Eisler's new book being release; so, am disappointed with his efforts to show John Rain's emotional side..if he is going to make John Rain soft, then he might as well kill him off. Better yet, kill off his new girlfriend..the blond, what's her name..don't like her at all! Dox is great in this book and without him it would not have been worth reading. As always, the descriptions of all the exoctic places John visits are wonderful and the action scenes are great too..new gadgets, intrigue..still works..I just don't need to worry that Rain is going all soft and mushy on us.

Barry Eisler is not shy about his left wing politics, nor his hate of the Bush administration. Frankly, I could care less what he thinks. His Rain books have been exceptionally original and well written. I have read each of them and I have thouroughly enjoyed them, until now.

While this story was probably the least gripping in the series, it may still have been an enjoyable read if not for Eisler's frequent spewing of vitriol aimed at the Bush administration. His liberal tirades are so frequent and full of vinegar that they progress from mildly annoying to childish to flat out distractions.

On the strength of his other works, I MAY consider reading another Eisler book in the future, but this one could well leave a bad enough aftertaste that I change my mind. There are plenty of great writers today that are content to keep their politics out of their stories, and after all, I don't need to pay $20 to hear Eisler spit this crap out...I can turn on the TV and listen to Keith Olbermann or some other idiot.

Requiem for an Assassin is the latest in the John Rain series by Barry Eisler. Rain combines the Eastern mind of Trevanian's killer Nicolai Hel with the cosmopolitan aura of James Bond. A great character indeed!

The formula is similar to the Last Assassin - John Rain wants out of the killing business. Two things drag him back in: his inner drive, and blackmail over someone close to him. This time the scenery changes: Palo Alto, Singapore, Vietnam, and even Rotterdamn. As usual, Eisler writes from experience. He lived the life of a CIA operative, and is writing about the locations and tactics from experience. One part of John Rain is certainly based on Eisler's life experience.

The book leaves several loose ends open. We can only hope Eisler will keep to his "1 a year" schedule, so we won't have to wait too long for him to close them.

Harboring excessive emotional baggage, a by product of his lucrative profession, affluent, elite assassin John Rain is attempting to retire from his trade. He's struggling acclimating himself to a peaceful existence living with his gorgeous girlfriend Israeli Mossad agent Delilah in Paris. Any notion that his stressful former lifestyle can be put behind him is suddenly shattered in Barry Eisler's latest outstanding novel "Requiem for an Assassin".

The anitsocial Rain is alerted that one of the few people in the world he considers a friend, burly, wisecracking ex-Marine sniper and former associate Dox has been kidnapped. His captor, former nemesis Jim Hilger, a rouge ex-CIA agent is now running his own private intelligence enterprise. Hilger and his well trained cabal snatched Dox to coerce Rain into performing three assassinations which will assure his trusted friend's release upon completion. Not certain of the veracity of the deal, Rain however must play along after receiving a proof of life.

Rain is conflicted in sharing his burden with the few people he trusts but ultimately must recruit the aid of Tom Kanezaki, a Japanese FBI agent and protege of Rain mentor, the now departed Tatsu. His lover Delilah convinces him to ally himself with lethal Mossad agent Boaz who also has no love for the deceitful Hilger. With all these additonal resources Rain hopes to discover the location where Dox is being held before he completes the three sanctions.

Rain after completing two of the killings realizes that he himself will actually be the third victim. Being a cool calculating tactician, Rain is able to decipher the reason that Hilger is forcing him to kill. Hilger's nefarious plot is designed to pose a serious worldwide threat, being set into play by virtue of the assassinations.

Amazingly, the talented Barry Eisler is easily able to evoke empathy for unconventional but likeable anti-hero John Rain, a professional killer. Eisler is able to get inside Rain's psyche and allow us to feel the turmoil that resides within as he struggles with his identity and his desire to change his life. In this action packed, stirring, globe trotting novel, Rain strives to reinvent himself while trying to save his friend's life.

Hired gun John Rain is back in this latest Barry Eisler thriller. Rain continues to have an impressive arsenal of high-tech toys and lethal weapons, in addition to his impressive martial arts skills. Rain must be getting up there in years, though, despite 400 Hindu squats per day.

(Does AARP give a discount for aged assassins? Can you craft a poisoned dart from Grecian Formula?)

The usual subplots are here: the ongoing dalliance with Delilah, the goofy buddy friendship with Dox and an impressive succession of Bad Guys who Rain does in.

John Rain has to be one of the most introspective and thoughtful killers, torn between the lure of love and retirement, drawn back to the violent world of killing, at which he is a master. Despite the requiem, readers can only hope that Rain will continue to reign in this absorbing series.

This was a real treat... I've read all of the John Rain novels written by Barry Eisler. Rain is an ex-CIA assassin of Japanese/American ancestry, and he desperately wants out of the business. The latest installment, Requiem for an Assassin, starts with the idea that he might actually be leaving it all behind. But a nemesis from the past, Higler, has found a way to force Rain to perform three hits. By kidnapping Dox, one of the few people that Rain considers a friend, Higler has power over Rain, and that's not an acceptable solution for John. The act of killing people to free Dox isn't a difficult matter, but there's the question of why Higler wants these people dead. And once Rain finishes the third job, is there any assurance that Higler won't kill Dox anyway? The only sure way to end this is to find Dox and/or kill Higler before the series of killings are finished. But Higler is ex-CIA, and hasn't survived this long for no reason. If Dox is to have a chance of surviving, Rain will have to trust people to help him, and trust isn't Rain's strong suit...

Requiem is definitely a continuation of the John Rain story. While it'd be a good read on its own, you won't appreciate it nearly as much unless you started from the beginning. Rain is a killing machine, but he struggles to reconcile that part of his personality with who he actually wants to be. His doubts and vulnerabilities make it easy to side with Rain and actually care about him. Eisler has done an excellent job in creating a superb spy series, and his own background as a CIA covert operative lends a realism to the writing that isn't found in too many other books. His background in martial arts and Japanese culture also comes into play with Rain's Asian background, and that means that scenes set in Hong Kong, Vietnam, and other similar locations ring true. There's not a lot of fluff to pad the page count, either. It's a tight plot that moves back and forth between the immediate crisis and Rain's personal issues.

I would have eagerly waited for this novel to come out later in May. But email exchanges with Eisler on prior Rain reviews led me to inquire about possibly getting an advance reader copy (I *really* wanted to read this!) I was thrilled when the actual hardback copy showed up via FedEx the end of April. Needless to say, it went right to the top of my "must read now" stack. If you like espionage novels and you haven't had the pleasure of reading Barry Eisler, go get Rain Fall (the first) now. That should give you just enough time to get through that one and the other four before Requiem comes out. And if you *have* been keeping up with the John Rain adventures over the years, you'll love Requiem. One of the best recreational reads I've had this year...