I'm just not feeling this one now.... maybe another time.

Rating 2.5

Recently I read somewhere, which said something like, "sometimes, to enjoy literature, pick-up a novel that you think you might enjoy and read it without judgement." So, I picked-up this one. It was hard at times not to judge it, but as I continued reading I could manage to be less skeptical of few things.

There were mainly 3 reasons for choosing this novel,
1. It has something to do with Japan and I was hoping it would give some insight into the mysterious Japanese society.
2. It has an assassin as the main character
3. It has something to do with the CIA - (I thought, Who can write better about CIA and its operational details than the guy who spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations)

It definitely gave some insight into Japanese politics and the level of corruption, which I was totally unaware of. Initially I was skeptical about it and was thinking that it is fictitious, but the author gives reference to some corruption reports by Forbes. So, seems legit.

But the assassin character seemed like a cross between "Jason Bourne" and "Noah Calhoun"; not what I was hoping for.

And even the esoteric CIA knowledge and CIA jargon failed to produce a compelling story. Surprising thing was, the one trait of the assassin, which is repeated several times in the story and which could have been used to present some bone chilling moments, wasn't utilized effectively. I feel Robert Ludlum did a better job with "Bourne" series.

Mr. Einstein is proven right yet again - "Imagination is more important than knowledge".

But the truth be told, in spite of those shortcomings, the voice inside my head, shouting - "don't be judgmental," helped me enjoy this novel, a bit. I might pick up "A Lonely Resurrection". But if is doesn't give me any reason to keep reading then I might switch to one of John le Carré's novels.

The city is Tokyo, where government, yakuza and construction industry leaders are knit together in a web of corruption. Central character John Rain - a tough guy with scruples - finds himself snared in the deadly tangle, and struggles to understand why his life is suddenly turned upside down. Eisler's novel is scrupulously researched, expertly plotted, generous in detail and rich in color. He has created a torrent of action that transported this reader from cover to cover with timeless celerity.

4.5 stars

John Rain is awesome! He is a highly skilled assassin who lives and works in Tokyo's underworld.

The story is fast-paced and excellent - love all the little details that make John untouchable and super effective.

I would recommend the audio version as it is read by the author and you can hear how all the Japanese is pronounced.

Looking forward to reading more of these!

Barry published this book original as RAIN FALL the same year I debuted with NO OTHER OPTION. Publisher’s Weekly picked both of us as “Thriller Authors to Watch” that year. John Rain is a great character, and Barry does a great job in developing him over the subsequent series. I think Barry mentions me as a consultant in one or two of his titles — and I think John Rain kills somebody who looks a lot like me (with an equal fondness for knives) in one of his books!

Reprezinta primul roman din seria "John Rain", un asasin profesionist japonez care este angajat sa rezolve treburile murdare ale unor organizatii guvernamentale, CIA, partidele politice din Japonia sau in general oricui doreste sa-si elimine un adversar astfel incat sa para o moarte naturala.
Autorul a considerat ca trebuie sa ne lamureasca printr-o scurta introducere de ce a ales orasul Tokyo si ne povesteste despre pasiunea sa pentru asa numitele "cunostinte interzise". Aflam faptul ca il admira foarte mult pe celebrul Houdini si ne dezvaluie si cateva detalii din trecutul sau in cadrul CIA.
In aceasta prima parte a seriei facem cunostinta cu John Rain si cu trecutul sau, aflam traumele sale din razboiul din Vietnam, viziunea sa despre a fi jumatate japonez - jumatate american si discriminarile la care a fost supus din aceasta cauza.
Desigur ca si de data aceasta, eu am inceput sa citesc seria cu cel de-al treilea roman iar acela mi s-a parut mai bun. Desi am aflat anumite detalii despre care nu trebuia sa stiu din primul roman am putut totusi sa ma bucur de roman.
Cel mai mult mi-a placut descrierea foarte amanuntita a strazilor din Tokyo, atat de exacta incat daca vreodata ajungeti acolo si nu aveti ghid sau harta puteti sa va folostiti de aceasta carte fara nici o problema.
Am savurat descrierea mirosurilor de mancare, a imbulzelii de pe strazi la orele de varf, a tonetelor cu street food, a magazinelor medicinale si a tumultosei vieti de noapte. De asemenea se face referire si la celebrele benzi desenate de aventuri numite Manga, foarte populare mai ales in Japonia, sau la Chado, adica ceremonia japoneza a ceaiului prin care practicantii ei se straduiesc prin miscari rafinate de preparare sa atinga wabi si sabi - "un soi de gratie lipsita de efort in gandire si miscare". Aflam si despre scoala de la Kodokan unde se practica judo si faptul ca acest cuvant inseama "calea blandetii" sau "calea cedarii".
M-a amuzat sa citesc despre o metoda a politiei de descoperire a indivizilor care cultiva marijuana in apartamente, monitorizandu-le facturile la electricitate.
Ca o concluzie, mi-a placut romanul, o sa citesc si celelalte carti din serie, sperand ca de data aceasta in ordinea corecta si cel mai interesant mi s-a parut ca John Rain reuseste sa opreasca peacemaker-ul cuiva de la distanta folosindu-se de un magnet si de un gadget inovativ.

Rain Fall is definitely not a book I'm used to. It was a bit... political, if that's the right word, for me. That being said, I fairly enjoyed this novel. I started Requiem of an Assassin and realized that it was book 6 in a series. I needed to stop and find book 1.

Basically, John Rain is an assassin for hire. His specialty is making it look natural. When the daughter of his last kill becomes his new target he's unsure of what to do. He has a policy of no women. John goes against his employers and decides to help Midori rather than assassinate her.

There was definitely lots of action. Martial Arts, hand to hand combat. John would get himself into situations and I would think... welp that's it for him. No getting out of this one. John has himself a serious set of skills.

The ending definitely sets us up for what might be in store for the sequel. Usually, not my style but I absolutely want to continue with the story. I'd like to know what's next for John. It almost reminds me of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I've only read a few of those as well but I enjoyed them just the same.

#25 - 2010.

Recommended by Matt. American born, half-Japanese, John Rain is a professional hit man with a strict set of rules for his targets: no women or children, only principles in a dispute. He specializes in "natural causes" deaths and has just pulled one off while giving us a bit of back story. Interestingly as the story goes on through fascinating twists and turns, we are not asked to find John a sympathetic character. We learn more of his story so that his life's work makes more sense but the character does not work to become likable. I like that since he's a hit man ... seems more "real" that way. Although he seems so American in his thinking that i tend to forget he looks Japanese and sometimes have to remind myself and "fix" my mental picture when that is important to the story, as it sometimes is.

A Clean Kill in Tokyo is a magnificent match-up of noir vibe and grounded action-thriller genre. Right off the bat, the focus persists on the protagonist, John Rain; haunted by his demons from the Vietnam War, now operating as a hitman that specializes in making his kills look like those from natural causes.

The story, as gleaned from the title, is set in Tokyo. The author does a beautiful job of describing the environment and locales with a finesse that screams real-life experience of those locales. This made the read even more enthralling for me. The beautiful and vivid details of the city life of Tokyo not only served the story, but also breathed life into Tokyo as a living breathing character in this novel.

The action sequences are well described, focusing on skillful hand-to-hand combat, proficiently demonstrating art of violence. Every punch, every blow, every throw, is written in a way that allows readers to visualize every economical movement of John Rain as he takes on his adversaries in brutal manner. Another winning aspect of the action sequences for me, was that they were in tune with the grounded and gritty nature of the thriller. John Rain doled out the beatings as well as endured them, showing the readers that John Rain was not untouchable, but just more conditioned to being the hunter rather than the prey.

What I enjoyed just as much, was the strong foundation of John Rain. With the sole focus on him, the author demonstrated Rain’s thoughts and inner demons, as a man struggling with being considered an outsider due to him being of both American and Japanese descent. This struggle is further explored by the author as he takes the readers for a dark ride into John Rain’s twisted past. A man of few words, hurting soul, and a mean soccer-style kick, John Rain has become a new personal favorite character for me to dive into further. While the novel itself can be considered dated, it never detracts from the feel of a realistic thriller, and resonates with technical details and technology even today.

I definitely recommend this to readers for an addictive read with a strong emotional center, complimented by fast-paced action.

(Audible download) According to the author's website, Eisler has a black belt (it shows in the books, Rain's fights are described in loving detail by judo and karate movement name), worked for the CIA (and must not like most of them, for , in this first of the series at least, the CIA does not come off well) and worked in Japan for several years (and has high respect for Japanese customs.)

One always feels guilty reading (listening, actually) to a book like this for the hero is just about as anti-social as one gets. Rain is half Japanese/half American with a seemingly sordid past as a special operations group member in Vietnam. Haunted by what he had to do there, he has become a specialist in making people die from natural causes. Most are politicians or bankers or a person who someone else has determined must die, and Rain does it really well. It's really hard to discuss any of the plot of this book without stumbling through numerous plot spoilers. Rain has been burned so many times by the traditional forces of "good" that he has been forced to adopt his own code of morality and live in the shadows. Nothing, nothing, is as it seems and Rain learns he has been manipulated again by those he had come to despise.

I suggest, if possible, reading this one first in the series, as it sets the stage for Rain later. Read brilliantly by Brian Nishii. The Japanese names just roll off his tongue and make it even more authentic. There's nothing worse than a reader who doesn't pronounce names correctly. I once heard Dick Hill, otherwise one of my favorite readers, pronounce Schuylkill River as "skykill" instead of "schoolkill" which as anyone who has been within 400 miles of Philadelphia knows is the native way to pronounce it. Drove me crazy the entire book.

I've heard some people use Eisler's view of Japan to assume that the LDP is as corrupt as Eisler suggests and that one can learn about Japanese society from reading the Rain titles. Although I know virtually nothing about Japan, my natural skepticism would suggest being careful in drawing such conclusions. My only criticism would be that Rain's ability to take on 3 or 4 antagonists at once, beating them all, buggers the imagination. Then again, it's fiction.

John Rain is a mercurial figure. A man of Japanese-American descent, who has lived in both American & Japan, but does not feel he fits in either place. In fact, the only place he seems to fit in is in the shadows. Having experienced harrowing firefights in the jungles of Vietnam during America's most unpopular war, Rain honed his skills as a fighter. After the war he moves to Japan where he continues training in martial arts, and putting his skills as a professional soldier into that of an assassin.

He receives his orders from unknown employers, and his specialty is terminating persons with extreme prejudice, but making their deaths appear natural. His latest victim is killed in such a manner, which is to say, no one is left wiser of how he really died. But when Rain learns the man had a daughter who now becomes target herself, his curiosity gets better of him and he dives into her life, only to find he has taken on more than he can handle.

When a 'Forbes' magazine reporter tries acquiring information from the body of the man Rain killed, Rain goes out of his way to learn what he was after. Turns out the tidbit of information could topple the Japanese government and leave a lot of powerful people vulnerable....But only if Rain gets his hands on the information first and then see's it published.

Rain turns to a group of people he has relied on for assistance in surveillance and weaponry needed for his line of work. Turns out they are good people he can rely on, people he will need when the going gets tough....And the going gets tough when an adversary from his Vietnam days turns up. As Rain gets closer with the daughter of the man he killed, feelings are stirred, feelings best left undisturbed. However, emotions get the better of him.

As Rain gets closer to acquiring what everyone is after, his life is turned upside down and he finds himself running after and away from people who could end him in a heartbeat. In any other situation, Rain would be dead. But then again, Rain is like no other. He's a man who does not quit, and a man who does not die easily.

This was my first book read by this author. I've heard a lot about him and this book left me in no doubt why his books have been so successful. I learned Barry Eisler lived in Japan, studied martial arts, and knows how to write! The characters are all plausible, and I enjoyed his descriptions of how tough things were for soldiers during the Vietnam War. I served 9 years after the war and experienced a lot of the aftereffects my senior officers and noncoms went through upon returning to an ungrateful nation. Glad to see our troops don't go through similar treatment today.

The book does not take place during Vietnam War. It's a modern-day book with modern technology which helps push things along. Rain is an interesting man. His features are Japanese, although he is not accepted in Japan because of his American-half. He's tough, smart, cool under stress, and a level-headed man. I could not help wonder if such a man really exists. I'm glad to see this is the first in a series with this character. I look forward to reading more about John Rain, and so will you.

"Um matador de aluguel tem uma repentina crise de consciência e resolve proteger a filha de um burocrata (que ele acabara de matar!), agora envolvida com a ocultação de uma prova que pode revelar corrupção nos mais altos escalões do governo japonês".

Confesso que quando li a sinopse não pareceu tão ruim assim quanto isto...mas a trama do livro infelizmente lembra muito aqueles filmes do Domingo Maior que devem dar traço de ibope. Nada a elogiar. Começo, meio e fim sofríveis...e imaginar que este é o primeiro livro da saga de John Rain!