The second is the series featuring hit man (assassin) John Rain. Rain is highly efficient, so the squeamish probably should think twice about reading. He does have his own set of ethics (a bit like Thomas Perry's Butcher Boy).

My favorite part is often the parts about blending in to a crowd, losing (or avoiding) a tail, etc. (Here again, similar to Thomas Perry's Jane Whitefield). Since I haven't been to Japan, some of names of the streets, parts of town, etc., are lost on me, but it doesn't distract from the story.

This book deals with politics (in Japan and the USA), espionage, fighting (in and out of a "ring"), and choices. Rain continues to question whether to continue in this line of work or not...

Once again John Rain must do what he does best, kill or be killed. John comes back from the first book where he met his end, or so he had other think. Someone is tracking him and wants him. What will his pursuers do to get to him? Will John help some of those tracking him? and who will pay the price? This installment seemed to start a tad slow and for a while it seemed that I had signed on for a tour of Japan. However, once the story started and I got deeper into the book the story line took off. This book was written in a different style than the first and I wasn't a big fan. However, as I said, once it finally got going it became a page turner and I couldn't wait to see how/if John got out of this giant mess. I liked the way the author set the reader up for the next in the series because this reader is going back to find out how John makes out and if he will retire?

The second John Rain book and the action keeps on rolling. I love the John Rain character, a half American half Japanese killer for hire disillusioned by his time in both cultures. He is a realist and a killer, yet has not lost his humanity or a deepset sense of justice. I really enjoyed how this book piggybacked the end of the first in the series and continued to follow the loose ends left in the first book. The thing that stands out the most for me in Eisler's writing is the descriptive nature of it. His action and plots are as fun and twisting as any action writer, but his descriptions are much more elaborate without being over done. Because it is written in first person, the descriptions are attributed to Rain's character and help to define this enigma of a contract killer

The Rain series is extraordinary. Mr. Eisler's writing not only compels the reader to turn the pages, but does so with beautifully constructed sentences, paragraphs rich in metaphor, and a deeply realized philosophy. The East meets West metaphor is in full force, but without the cliches. This highly original series may not be for everyone because the main character is an assassin, and when you find yourself rooting for him; well, you've been captured by Eisler's Voice. I learn so much about Japan and Japanese culture, and the books allow me to look at America through a Japanese lens, which is refreshing and exciting. If you are open minded and love adventure, these are the books for you.

As a man with the skill to make murder look like a natural death, John Rain influences international intelligence agencies, governments and yakuza members. Tasked to take down a sociopathic killer to prevent the power balance to tilt towards the Japanese mafia, he needs to balance between the CIA, Japanese FBI and the mafia - whose leader, Yamaoto, tries to tip the financial balance to gain power in Japan by playing the CIA, using his assets while trying to have Rain killed - protect the few friends he has and come out alive.

John Rain, der Auftragsmörder mit Gewissen, wird genötigt, wieder ein paar Leute ableben zu lassen, so dass es aussieht, als wären diese eines natürlichen Todes gestorben.

Das japanische FBI ist involviert, die CIA, die Yakuza, und so kommen sich die Interessen etwas in die Quere. Einige sterben, meist die richtigen, aber eben nicht immer. Rain geht auf Rachefeldzug und entledigt sich noch ein paar mehr.

Das tönt jetzt alles ziemlich banal, ist aber in seinen Actionszenen richtig gut geschrieben. Meist Close Quarter Combat statt Kugel und Long Distance, und in einem Setting, das recht nahe an der Realität liegt.

Eisler versucht manchmal zu fest, Glaubwürdigkeit mit vielen Worten und intelligent tönenden Sätzen aufzubauen. Funktioniert teilweise, aber wird auch ermüdend. Ausserdem sind die zwei Sexszenen zum überspringen.

Alles andere ist gelungene Action in Japan. Hat Spass gemacht!

This is book 2 of Eisler's John Rain spy series. It's 352 pages, rated 4.09/5.0 and I rated it 4.0. I really like the pace of this book. It's just the right mix of story to action. The story is set in Japan and has the added benefit of discussing a lot of Japanese culture. In the story, John is tasked with eliminating a really bad and cruel criminal. Along the way, people in his life are affected by his work in a way that causes John a lot of internal struggle, so we watch John long for a normal life, normal love, normal day, but it's not so easy for John.

All right, so I appear to be hunting for a specific character: from Jack Reacher (Lee Child), to Jonathan Quinn (Brett Battles), onto John Rain (Barry Eisler). From ex military, to cleaner, to assassin.

How do we as readers gain empathy for a killer? Simple enough, join John Rain in his voyage from assassin for hire to conscientious killer (kill bad guys) to wanting to get out of the business...but unwilling to leave his perspective of the world (no worries, this transformation takes place across many books, more than enough to satiate the most avid genre reader)

I devoured these books as I did the others above (more to come as I continue hunting). You'll just have to see for yourself.

P.S. If you've read this review, you've read all my John Rain reviews. There are no discrepancies in Eisler's work. Every novel is top notch, provided you share my predilection for this sort of character.

HR

This is the second in the series of books featuring John Rain, the America/Japanese soldier turned freelance assassin. This time Rain is up to his neck in a complex web featuring an underground fight club and a collection of some of the most unpleasant characters you’ll ever wish not to meet.

You’ll have to keep your wits about while it plays out as a multitude of interlinking characters created, for me, a foggy plot. But Tokyo is brought alive and a few more layers are peeled off the John Rain onion. I am realising more and more what a complex and haunted man our anti-hero is.

The descriptions of Rain’s journey of self-discovery, his interactions and the expert way the action scenes are laid out are the real strengths of this series. A convoluted plot, with the intrigue and complexity created by the actions of the various law enforcement agencies and underworld characters may or may not be your thing. If it is then Eisler’s career history ensures there’s plenty of authentic detail. If not, I still believe these stories are multi-layered enough to fulfil most tastes. I’ll certainly be going back for another helping.

The second installment of Eisler's John Rain series offers more of the same, but less. The hit man-antihero is once again embroiled in the corruption and crime omnipresent in Eisler's portrayal of Japan, once again caught between yakuza on one hand and the CIA on another, and once again finding inventive ways to kill the people who become threats. There is much double- and triple-dealing, skulking about in dark shadows, and conspiracy enough to spare. This is the good stuff.

Where Hard Rain falls short of the series debut (Rain Fall) is in its subtle change in Rain's portrayal. In the first novel, Rain was palpably a mortal man -- very good at what he did, but fallable and certainly not indestructible (indeed, he sustains significant injury in the finale). This time around, Rain has become more of a killing machine, dispatching various targets without a great deal of either effort or reflection. At no point are the outcomes of these encounters at all in doubt, which leaches them of much potential tension. The shortcomings of the first book also become more pronounced in this one: name-checking districts in Tokyo isn't the same thing as showing us those places; the endless menu of high-end whiskey makes connoisseurship tedious; and his conquests of women half his age continue unabated.

If you enjoyed the series opener, you'll probably like this one, perhaps not as much, though. If you've never encountered John Rain before, start with Rain Fall instead. I have another installment in the series (Killing Rain) queued up, hoping Rain will regain his humanity and reclaim the interest he held in Rain Fall.

Another good one in the John Rain series, although I've been reading them out-of-order. I read this one under the name "Hard Rain" and it is #2 of the John Rain series. I've now read #1 through #4. Back on track as #5, The Last Assassin/Extremis, is next.

A Lonely Resurrection made a pretty good follow up to the first John Rain novel, A Clean Kill in Tokyo, but I don't know if this book was as good as the first. There was something compelling about the first novel where it felt like an assassin for hire rethinking his life and maybe looking for an out by trying to help someone with the unfortunate conclusion that he couldn't get out. At least not yet.

The second novel picks up a little bit after the first book where he is finally deciding that he needs to get out of Japan for good to escape the events of the first book. However, he gets dragged back in by his friend, Tatsu, who wants John's help to continue to go after the more corrupt aspects of Japan's political structure.

I think where this book fell a little short for me from the first book is in the story. There didn't seem anything as compelling in this one that carries John forward other than the fallout of trying to help out his friend and realizing that maybe his latest target isn't worth the risk. That leads John into a series of events that end up turning out poorly for him. That's not to say that this isn't a good book. It was really good, and I found myself reading it over the other book I had picked up recently because I was hooked. I really like John Rain, even if he is a ruthless killer at times, but he seems to be struggling with his lifestyle choice a little more each time. That makes for some compelling reading as I watch the character struggle with his choices.

I'm curious where John Rain will go from here. I'm committed now to see where this story goes especially now that it seems John will stay in Japan to continue to do something. What that something is looks to be up in the air. I've already picked up the third book. I can't wait to get started on that one too.

If you are a fan of thrillers, I'm starting to feel like this is a must-read. The character is fairly unique for me considering many of the thrillers I've read in the past two years seem to have main characters with similar military backgrounds working for some American agency or secret organization dealing with Middle Eastern stuff. I still like the location of the books so far. Reading about his adventures in Japan has been a refreshing change of pace.