Customer Reviews

Rain Fall

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The hero of our story, John Rain, is a former special ops soldier who fought in Vietnam as part of an illegal force in Cambodia now uses the skills he learned in the war as a paid assassin. As a Japanese/American he can move seamlessly between the two cultures and has connections in both. He is hired by Japanese gangsters to kill a government minister who plans to reveal connections between the ruling party and construction industry that regular pays for government contracts. Yasuhiro Kawamura, a long time government minister, is dying and would like to clear his conscience of his wrong-doings not only for his own benefit but also a proclamation of peace with his daughter, an up-and-coming jazz musician. Rain falls in love with the daughter and so must come to terms with his profession and the impact his actions have on its victims. 'Rain Fall' is fast-paced novel with excellent descriptions of Tokyo city plus insights into a level of government corruption that is well-documented and been going on for some time.

This book once it got going kept me until the end. Barry Eisler at times did a little too much detail at times, but since this is the first book in the series I can understand it and know why. Great character development and a great plot. Be prepared to not put it down toward the end chapters as it picks up quickly.

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.

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.

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.

This novel is clever in that it portrays (fairly accurately, I think) what the author believes to be wrong with contemporary Japanese politics. The main character, John Rain, is a former CIA officer of half-Japanese descent that finds himself lost between two cultures - the United States and Japan. Still haunted by his experiences in Vietnam, Rain manages to finally get revenge and put some of his nightmares to rest while falling for a beautiful Japanese jazz pianist, who happens to be the daughter of the politician Rain kills in the opening chapters. Overall, this is not a bad book. It's not a great book either. But if you are looking for a quick read, this book is well written enough that it will keep you interested. Those of you familiar with Tokyo may find this book more interesting.

As a reader of Dennis Lehane, Steven Hunter, etc. I am always looking for a new author with a page-turning writing style and a new intelligent action-character. Author Barry Eisler is a new favorite now that I have finished his novel Rain Fall.

Eisler creates mercenary hitman John Rain as his not-so-prototypical central character. Indeed, how John Rain deals with his friends and foes are very uncharacteristic of your everyday hero. Being half Japanese and half American John Rain finds himself drifting between cultures and between his haunted past and his secretive present as he pursues a computer disk in competition with both government agencies and the Tokyo underworld.

Having lived in Japan Eisler deftly captures the incredible feel and subtle nuances of culture in modern Japan. I enjoyed his crisp writing style, the absorbing storyline and all of the fast-paced action. If you enjoy this genre take a shot at Rain Fall - you won't be disappointed.

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.

An excellent book - so engrossing I finished it in two sittings. I've spent enough time in Tokyo to appreciate the author's familiarity with the city, but the Tokyo he describes is far more exciting than the one I visited. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that this was the author's tenth or twentieth book, not his first. Eisler is right up there with Kerry Collison (who writes thrillers about Indonesia) in giving the reader an authentic and exciting read.

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!