This is by far one of the best John Rain novels yet. Barry Eisler had created a very strong and dangerous team that Rain has assembled over the books, with Delilah and Dox each adding their own take to the situation at hand. Eisler has always been excellent at building suspense, but this book took that to a whole new level when John finds that Midori has been with a child without his knowing. John tries to go see them, only to realize that enemies have been watching him, and that is when things get interesting.

The emotional complexities that build in this book with John's continued relationship with Delilah, and his wanting a normal life with his past love Midori certainly help build the suspense in this book, but it is John Rain knowing what he is, and knowing that he may never get out of that life that fuels this story's climax. The fact that a character such as John Rain would even mention suicide in this book shows how much he is willing to risk to save the ones he loves. That speaks volumes about the kind of character he has evolved into since first being introduced in "Killing Rain".

John continues to grow as a character, but this book shows how much he wants to get out of his line of work, but cannot help but be drawn back in. These characters act very much the way humans would in certain situations, and Barry Eisler has always been excellent at showing the reader an unsuspecting side of his characters, but this series is essentially about the redemption of John Rain, and I look forward to seeing how his character evolves over the next book!

Listened to this on audiobook, and I absolutely love it when authors read there own work. I feel like we can get a better sense of who these characters are because they are the ones who created them, and can show us a different side of them than another narrator could.

Barry Eisler has always been one of my favorite authors, and he continues to impress with each book he puts out!

I'm still crying.

Another "homerun" from Barry Eisler!
This one novel kept me going from excitement to crying until my eyes got red, to astonishment.
FABULOUS!!!
From Monica, Montevideo, Uruguay.
(The inverted heart in South America, between Argentina and Brazil.)

Really like the John Rain series

I really like this series and the interactions between the characters. John is a complicated individual which makes him more interesting. This book had a sad scene that certainly pulled the heart strings of any Rain fan.

This is one of the better Rain books it had twists, turns, and interesting characters as well as friendships. If you enjoy action thrillers, spies and 007 intrigue, if you have enjoyed Victor the Assassin, and have not read a Rain book by Barry Eisler. Treat yourself.......

Exciting adventure where John is thrown for a loop by his friend Tatsu who informs him he has a son with Midori. He plans to visit her to see his son even though there is surveillance to catch him. Once he sees his son he realizes he has to take out the yakuza boss in Japan to protect his son. The adventure gets exciting as he plans with a dying Tatsu, a friend Dox, a jealous girl friend A CIA supervisor and a mad Midori. Great adventure thanks

Wow, I am hooked.

I loved Extremis! And I am hooked. I love John Rain! The encounter with 2 ex-sumo wrestlers was laugh out loud hilarious! The rest was so intense, I even forgot to take my medication! What a writer, what a thriller! Thank you, Barry Eisler for writing one of the best thriller I have read! Now onto the next John Rain...

Ah, it took five books, but Extremis reaches the heights I thought the series might achieve. The characters have become real, the action and the plot technically aggressive and engaging. I cannot think how to say more without popping out a spoiler, so I will just leave it with the first 4 star rating I have given the series and my hope for an even better book 6.

Exciting confusion

There's a lot of enemies with a few good skillful friends, that's a combination that produces a lot of excitement. This book flows at the speed of a bullet train, from one intense fight scene to the next with an occasional pause for healing. A good quick story.

Rain is growing wisdom

No doubt I am a true Barry Eisler fan! Buying his new books when they are his old books is a great pleasure. If Barry wrote it is worth a third or fourth or fifth reading. Thanks Barry, keep them coming.

Rain-San

Love the style, love the anti-hero and especially love Dox! I’d love to have a friend like that,you know, you show up on his doorstep at 3am bloody with a shovel and he starts digging and asks questions later

At the end of the last John Rain book, Killing Rain, our half-Japanese hero discovered that an affair with the daughter of one of his victims resulted in a baby boy. At the beginning of installment #5, Rain learns that his son is living with his mother Midori in New York City, oblivious to the fact that Rain's yakuza enemies from Japan have her under constant surveillance. Rain, himself, has fallen in love (or as close to love as an emotionally detached trained killer can be) with a fellow assassin, the beautiful Israeli, Delilah. Torn between escaping his life of murder, and establishing a relationship with his son, Rain sets out to destroy the yakuza boss and regain his freedom. To do so, Rain must return to Japan to his dying mentor, and solicit the help of the irreverant and sometims obnoxious, but always loyal sniper, Dox. As with all the books in the Rain series, this one is filled with fight scenes, brutal murders, and tricky surveillance gadgets. But more so than the others, Rain really develops in this one as a human being - determined to remain dispassionate, but tormented by his conscience. The quote on the back of this one got it right - it truly is "the best one yet!"

Something for everyone

I mostly think of this series as an international thriller. In reality it is that and more. It has the action plot, fight scenes for the guys, there’s also travel, romance and deep friendship. However, I recommend starting from the beginning of the series to have a better understanding of the characters.