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The thrills keep coming with Rain and his assassinations.
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John Rain #4
One Last Kill
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Rain has a new employer, Israeli intelligence organization the Mossad, which wants him to fix a "problem" in Manila; and a new partner, Dox, whose good-ol' boy persona masks a sniper as deadly as Rain himself. He also has a new that by using his talents in the service of something good, he might atone for all the lives he has already taken. But when Rain's conscience causes him to botch an assignment, he finds out that the Mossad's next assignment is himself. And when Delilah, the alluring Israeli agent he once fought and then loved, reappears in his life, is she there to help him - or to finish him off?
null pages, Hardcover
First published June 23,2005
This edition
- Format
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null pages, Hardcover
- Published
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June 23, 2005 by Michael Joseph Ltd
- ISBN
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9780718148973
- ASIN
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0718148975
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
About the author
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Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center along the way. Eisler's bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year, have been included in numerous "Best Of" lists, and have been translated into nearly twenty languages. Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and, when he's not writing novels, blogs about torture, civil liberties, and the rule of law.
--from the author's website
Series:
* John Rain
--from the author's website
Series:
* John Rain
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Community Reviews
Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
38(38%)
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25(25%)
3 stars
37(37%)
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Another good entry in the John Rain series. He spends a little too much time dwelling on his morals or personal philosophy, but it does make a good point - do the means justify the end? Even some of the 'bad' guys have good reasons for what they do. A very slippery slope & where to draw the line is something the reader has to figure out for themselves.
3.5 rounded up to 4 for great narration & such a thought provoking theme. Plenty of good action, too.
3.5 rounded up to 4 for great narration & such a thought provoking theme. Plenty of good action, too.
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This was my first introduction to John Rain, assassin for hire. Coming to the series having sidestepped the first three books did leave me exposed to the gaps in my knowledge of his history. There are carry-over characters here from his earlier adventures and knowledge of the back-story would have been advantageous given numerous references in this book. My advice would be, if you are new to this series do the logical thing and start at the first book!
In style, it felt like Lee Child’s Reacher series in the transient nature of its hero’s lifestyle and also in his seeming indestructability despite, at times, facing multiple foes. Rain is also somewhat reminiscent of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, another nailed down killer, in its meticulous attention to the nano detail of tradecraft. But, in some ways Rain does feel different to both. For example, at times in this book he examines his conscience regarding his choice of occupation, something I don’t recall either Reacher or Rapp doing. In fact Rain is altogether more humane, a more considered character. Though in conclusion, the book is close enough to both series for me to assume that if you like one of ‘em you’ll like ‘em all.
The plot is complicated enough to keep you guessing and the action scenes are exceptional. It’s pacy, as Rain skips around Asia in a dizzying series of flights punctuated by some ruthless disposal of the bad guys. The characters are well drawn if a little stereotypical. Overall it’s a pretty good read. Is it enough to draw me back to devour the rest of the series? I don’t know, time will tell.
In style, it felt like Lee Child’s Reacher series in the transient nature of its hero’s lifestyle and also in his seeming indestructability despite, at times, facing multiple foes. Rain is also somewhat reminiscent of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, another nailed down killer, in its meticulous attention to the nano detail of tradecraft. But, in some ways Rain does feel different to both. For example, at times in this book he examines his conscience regarding his choice of occupation, something I don’t recall either Reacher or Rapp doing. In fact Rain is altogether more humane, a more considered character. Though in conclusion, the book is close enough to both series for me to assume that if you like one of ‘em you’ll like ‘em all.
The plot is complicated enough to keep you guessing and the action scenes are exceptional. It’s pacy, as Rain skips around Asia in a dizzying series of flights punctuated by some ruthless disposal of the bad guys. The characters are well drawn if a little stereotypical. Overall it’s a pretty good read. Is it enough to draw me back to devour the rest of the series? I don’t know, time will tell.
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RATING: 4.75
PROTAGONIST: John Rain
SETTING: Manila, Thailand, Japan
SERIES: #4 of 4
The one thing that you must do if you are a paid assassin is to learn how to remove any emotional elements from the act of killing. Each target should be viewed as goal to be accomplished, devoid of any feelings about the person or the deed. Thus, when John Rain is hired by the Israeli intelligence organization "Mossad" to kill Manheim Levi, an Israeli explosives expert, he is amazed to find himself hesitating when Levi's young son comes into the picture. Rain relates to the position of the son after having lost his own father as a youth. But he's not supposed to have these feelings; in fact, what has made him successful in his chosen career is his ability to stage a killing that looks natural and leaves him later with no remorse.
His reputation impugned, Rain must complete the assignment both for himself and for the organization for which he is working. Partnering with a flamboyant American by the name of Dox, who helped him out of a bad situation previously, and Delilah, the intelligence agent who referred him to the Mossad, Rain goes on a global chase to meet his objective. Hindered by twinges of conscience, Rain still hasn't lost the skills he has honed over the years. Facing danger, both to himself and his colleagues, he is able to pull out his bag of tricks and dig into the organization that was fronting Levi.
KILLING RAIN succeeds on many levels. The plot is complex and fast moving, and the various Asian settings add another dimension to the narrative. It's fun to see the impact of the rambunctious Dox on the very serious Rain; at times, John even lightens up and makes a joke or two. Delilah, the Israeli agent and love interest, is multi-dimensional and unpredictable. The action scenes are superb; the art of spying with all of its paraphernalia is fascinating as well. The only weak area for me was the reintroduction of a previous love interest toward the conclusion of the book, in a scenario that felt improbable at best.
But to me, where Eisler really excels is in how he portrays the psychological stresses that Rain is going through as he matures. Certainly, having any hesitancy or doubt about what he is doing is going to end in a very bad result for Rain. But he is finding that he needs to justify his own behavior; and as he does so, the reader becomes involved in Rain's moral dilemma. Yes, Rain is killing people; however, don't they deserve to be killed? By eliminating subversives and terrorists, is not Rain eliminating vast harm to the general public?
I fell in love with Rain in the first book in the series, RAIN FALL, and am a big fan of international thrillers. By adding in Rain's struggles with his conscience and his ability to trust his erstwhile partners, I felt that KILLING RAIN had a sense of humanity that is often missing in books of this type. Other readers may see this as a sign of weakness in a strong character; to me, it added another dimension and made the book all the more enjoyable.
PROTAGONIST: John Rain
SETTING: Manila, Thailand, Japan
SERIES: #4 of 4
The one thing that you must do if you are a paid assassin is to learn how to remove any emotional elements from the act of killing. Each target should be viewed as goal to be accomplished, devoid of any feelings about the person or the deed. Thus, when John Rain is hired by the Israeli intelligence organization "Mossad" to kill Manheim Levi, an Israeli explosives expert, he is amazed to find himself hesitating when Levi's young son comes into the picture. Rain relates to the position of the son after having lost his own father as a youth. But he's not supposed to have these feelings; in fact, what has made him successful in his chosen career is his ability to stage a killing that looks natural and leaves him later with no remorse.
His reputation impugned, Rain must complete the assignment both for himself and for the organization for which he is working. Partnering with a flamboyant American by the name of Dox, who helped him out of a bad situation previously, and Delilah, the intelligence agent who referred him to the Mossad, Rain goes on a global chase to meet his objective. Hindered by twinges of conscience, Rain still hasn't lost the skills he has honed over the years. Facing danger, both to himself and his colleagues, he is able to pull out his bag of tricks and dig into the organization that was fronting Levi.
KILLING RAIN succeeds on many levels. The plot is complex and fast moving, and the various Asian settings add another dimension to the narrative. It's fun to see the impact of the rambunctious Dox on the very serious Rain; at times, John even lightens up and makes a joke or two. Delilah, the Israeli agent and love interest, is multi-dimensional and unpredictable. The action scenes are superb; the art of spying with all of its paraphernalia is fascinating as well. The only weak area for me was the reintroduction of a previous love interest toward the conclusion of the book, in a scenario that felt improbable at best.
But to me, where Eisler really excels is in how he portrays the psychological stresses that Rain is going through as he matures. Certainly, having any hesitancy or doubt about what he is doing is going to end in a very bad result for Rain. But he is finding that he needs to justify his own behavior; and as he does so, the reader becomes involved in Rain's moral dilemma. Yes, Rain is killing people; however, don't they deserve to be killed? By eliminating subversives and terrorists, is not Rain eliminating vast harm to the general public?
I fell in love with Rain in the first book in the series, RAIN FALL, and am a big fan of international thrillers. By adding in Rain's struggles with his conscience and his ability to trust his erstwhile partners, I felt that KILLING RAIN had a sense of humanity that is often missing in books of this type. Other readers may see this as a sign of weakness in a strong character; to me, it added another dimension and made the book all the more enjoyable.
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This novel is for you if you’re into frustrating stories. While the idea set up of a hit man may sound interesting, the story drags on and on and lacks good excitement throughout. 0 of 10 stars
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There is too much pointless bad language but I managed to enjoy it nevertheless by for the most part overlooking it. John Rain wonders where God is and why he doesn't smite him. There is some more interesting thought along these lines. I hope I can get the next one as I want to find out more about Midori.
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Libro entretenido sobre el sicario John Rain.
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Funny story to start this off: it seems that all assassins in novel series are named John, like John Milton. Or John Rain, whose specialty it is to make the death look natural. (There are also the Jacks, like Reacher or Widow - they're not assassin's, they're drifters. It's a small and simple world out there.) If you have noticed similar name consistencies, please let me know in the comments! I'm really curious about it.
John Rain is also very curious when he is approached by the Mossad to eliminate an Israelian bomb maker with utmost deniability. As it turns out, that guy might or might not be a CIA asset, too. And from that point on, down the rabbit hole we go.
One of the strengths of the John Rain series is Barry's eye for details. When John observes his target, Barry doesn't glance over the facts. No, you'll learn the ingenious ways John uses on his quest, like how to find the room number of a guest without asking for it.
I'm pretty sure Barry has done a ton of research for his novels.
That might also be a weakness, depending how you like your stories. For me it's a match to my taste, like the Nick Stone series. But maybe you prefer high octane thriller without details? Then you're probably going to find this series too slow going for your tastes.
Another constant in this series, besides the meticulousness, is the fact that John Rain has a tenderness at the core of his heart. For a man who makes his living by stopping the living of other people, he's kind of soft hearted. He would never submit to this, true, but it's a constant of this series that he'll get into trouble because of that soft spot.
A soft spot is also a weak spot, if you're in the business of killing people.
Also a constant in this series is the fact that it's first person telling. I like that style for the immersion it grants me - although in this case, there are chapters written from the view of other people, in the narrator style. Those passages serve the reader to know more about what's going on behind the scenes than John, which is a clever way to make you feel afraid for him. Will he realize he's walking into a trap?
General Akhbar knows.
Character based series can come in two types. There is option A, where the hero never really changes. The joy in reading these comes from watching them thrown at ever increasing difficulties and still succeeding. This works best with larger than life heroes, and Reacher is THE prime example for that scenario.
And then there's type B, where our hero grows over the course of the series. That's actually the natural type, and some authors succeed more or less in capturing that change. With John Rain, that's surely there. This John is not the one we meet in the first novel, he's getting older, wiser - and gradually starting to change his world views. Like trust - first novel John wouldn't have trusted his own mother when she told him it was raining. But now? He's letting down his guards.
For some, the distance between who you were and who you have become is unbridgeable, and the dissonance attempted repatriation creates is a constant reminder of the very changes you want so badly to forget.
--In John Rain's own words
And there's the brilliance in suspense, because we readers know he's about to walk into a trap. I'm not afraid for his life, mind you, but I'm afraid for his newborn sense of trust. Will this gentle, young flower start to wither before it has even full blossomed?
John Rain is also very curious when he is approached by the Mossad to eliminate an Israelian bomb maker with utmost deniability. As it turns out, that guy might or might not be a CIA asset, too. And from that point on, down the rabbit hole we go.
One of the strengths of the John Rain series is Barry's eye for details. When John observes his target, Barry doesn't glance over the facts. No, you'll learn the ingenious ways John uses on his quest, like how to find the room number of a guest without asking for it.
I'm pretty sure Barry has done a ton of research for his novels.
That might also be a weakness, depending how you like your stories. For me it's a match to my taste, like the Nick Stone series. But maybe you prefer high octane thriller without details? Then you're probably going to find this series too slow going for your tastes.
Another constant in this series, besides the meticulousness, is the fact that John Rain has a tenderness at the core of his heart. For a man who makes his living by stopping the living of other people, he's kind of soft hearted. He would never submit to this, true, but it's a constant of this series that he'll get into trouble because of that soft spot.
A soft spot is also a weak spot, if you're in the business of killing people.
Also a constant in this series is the fact that it's first person telling. I like that style for the immersion it grants me - although in this case, there are chapters written from the view of other people, in the narrator style. Those passages serve the reader to know more about what's going on behind the scenes than John, which is a clever way to make you feel afraid for him. Will he realize he's walking into a trap?
General Akhbar knows.
Character based series can come in two types. There is option A, where the hero never really changes. The joy in reading these comes from watching them thrown at ever increasing difficulties and still succeeding. This works best with larger than life heroes, and Reacher is THE prime example for that scenario.
And then there's type B, where our hero grows over the course of the series. That's actually the natural type, and some authors succeed more or less in capturing that change. With John Rain, that's surely there. This John is not the one we meet in the first novel, he's getting older, wiser - and gradually starting to change his world views. Like trust - first novel John wouldn't have trusted his own mother when she told him it was raining. But now? He's letting down his guards.
For some, the distance between who you were and who you have become is unbridgeable, and the dissonance attempted repatriation creates is a constant reminder of the very changes you want so badly to forget.
--In John Rain's own words
And there's the brilliance in suspense, because we readers know he's about to walk into a trap. I'm not afraid for his life, mind you, but I'm afraid for his newborn sense of trust. Will this gentle, young flower start to wither before it has even full blossomed?
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