Fourth in the series (read out of order). Very interesting premise, and a nice combination of action and suspense. Worth looking up the earlier books!

Re-read after reading preceding books (esp. Rain Fall) and raised rating to 5*, with reservations for violent content. Action sequences are top notch!

I have enjoyed previous books about this character by this author. For some reason, I found this one to be quite boring. I kept starting and stopping, never really getting into the plot or the actions of the characters. Perhaps there was too much philosophic musing.

Heaps of action with military strategy and double crossing! You can tell this guy has worked for the CIA.

The book is closer to 3.5 stars, but I rounded up because I think the series is getting better. There is more action and suspense in this book than the last book...that is until Chapter 17 where Rain went down a long path of meandering thoughts like in Book 3 when he can't sleep. I sure hope the author develops another way for Rain to deal with his insomnia.

As for Dox, he is growing on me. I go back and forth on Delilah. I definitely do not like the amount of detail in the sex scenes. For me it's unnecessary and unwanted in this genre. I do like that in the last few chapters the author leaves open at least 2 possible sequels tied to other characters mentioned in this book.

In general, this series follows the typical formula found in the assassin genre so there are times where you shake your head and think that doesn't make sense or that is farfetched, but you still keep reading.

Another extremely good episode in the amazing John Rain series

I’m rereading the whole John Rain series from the beginning, and they are just as good as the first time round. Very very good mixture of character development, lots of well-documented violence of course, some good sex and a pretty incredible travelogue through Asia, Whisky and high-end hotels. Start at book one if Rain is new to you.

"Redemption Games" (formerly "Killing Rain" and "One Last Kill") is the fourth novel in Eisler's John Rain series. Rain is a Japanese-American professional assassin, who has lived in both countries and feels at home in both. Formerly of the Japanese Secret Service, he is now operating as a private contractor, often with a partner Dox. Sometimes he works with the CIA or Mossad. Sometimes he is at cross-purposes with these agencies. Although there have been many secret agent and assassin type novels over the years, the Rain series is among the best well-written and the first few novels were filled with an insider's view of Tokyo and the environs that really took the reader inside Japanese culture. These novels also contain numerous passages giving the readers informative tips about how to assess a dangerous situation, what to look for when you walk into a hotel, an airport lounge, a restaurant, how best to quickly dispose of enemy combatants.

This novel takes Rain to Manila, Bangkok, and Hong Kong. He is working with a partner, Dox, an ex-US Army sniper with a good-old boy manner, loud and abrasive, living large every minute, but who somehow, when he goes into sniper mode, disappears into the woodwork. Rain got a referral for this job through his Mossad contact and sometime-lover, the blonde bombshell Delilah and part of the story, particularly after the job goes sour, is whether he can trust her and whether he can ever let down his guard around her. Often, their goals are similar, but she has allegiances that he ultimately does not have.

Rain is not your typical assassin (as if you know what a typical assassin is like). He has morals and ethics and qualms about killing in front of children, but he is deadly as they come, preferring to work close up and there are few professionals in an agency that are of his caliber. "Killing isn't the hard part," he explains. "Getting close to the target, though, that takes some talent." As does making it look natural, his speciality. The hardest part, however, is living with it after.

There are few secret agent type novels (and, although, Rain isn't a secret agent, the stories are part of that genre) that are this well- written and this accessible. Rain isn't casual about what he does as Bond might be. Rather, everything he does has consequences, largely because he is operating on his own and anything he does might offend an agency, seal his death warrant, or screw up a personal relationship for him. The meat of this book is not just bang-bang, shoot-em-up, but Rain's paradoxical difficulties with dealing with what he does and who he can trust. And, it is a book (or series of books) that really stands out in this genre.

Excellent Read

Like other Rain stories , this book has action, intrigue and a strong plot with complex, interesting character. I would suggest reading the books in order because the plots are intertwined

A good solid John Rain story. The mind mixed with action.

Awesome book

I absolutely enjoy this thriller and the adventure of Rain and Dox. The conversations between them were quite lengthy and some parts weren’t necessary but overall it was good. The relationship between Rain and Delilah was getting more intense and I can’t wait to see what’s happening next. Highly recommended

Reteta este clasica: John Rain primeste o misiune, insa renunta la ea in ultima clipa si trece de partea cealalta. De data aceasta, angajatorul este Mossadul. De ce renunta el la misiune si cum se termina totul ramane sa descoperiti singuri.

Eu pot spune doar ca ador personajul John Rain. Drept urmare, avand in vedere numarul cartilor cu el, mi-am propus sa citesc o data la 2 luni cate o carte cu el.

Abia astept s-o citesc pe urmatoarea! :)

My 1st Barry Eisler/John Rain and I must say I am impressed with the book. Short book, no unnecessary confusing the main plot, straight hitting of the story by the author, meant for a thrilling quick read and delivers to that agenda with a bang!

The story picks up from the last book (which I haven't read) where Rain and Dox became partners in their trade and in this book, they were still trying to establish trust between them. Delilah, Rain's adversary and then love interest from the last book recommends Rain to her employers in Mossad and Gill & Boaz from Mossad approach Rain to do a job on a bomb maker expert Manny, who is Israeli by nationality but selling his art and crafts to some very bad people in the middle east. Since Mossad believes that Manny is being run by CIA, Mossad cannot directly kill Manny, hence the detour via John.

John & Dox follows the target and just before killing Manny, Rain pulls back as Manny's son was with him and Rain doesn't kill women and children (assassin with a conscience!). But before pulling back, Manny's bodyguard and 2 other bodyguards, who were inconspicuously watching Manny gets killed. After that, everyone starts to clean up the mess that's created. Mossad sends Delilah to lure Rain out to them to kill Rain, so that CIA doesn't know of their involvement. Delilah turns after meeting Rain and together they plot to finish the job, kill Manny so that Rain is not hunted. That being the end plot, the book travels at incredible speed towards the final showdown and the finale is riveting and captivating.

I loved the author's writing style, most of the time, the comic sarcasm works well. Moving in between 1-person to third-person style of writing is refreshing as well (not like Lee Child when it becomes very irritating use of I/Me/Myself). The seriousness of Rain with the funny bone of DOX and the beauty quotient of Delilah makes the book a wholesome story and a relaxed easy read, just what I like, without putting too much pressure on the grey cells!

Liked this book and would pick up the series as I go. Only frustration is, the author needs to make up his mind for the book titles as each book seems to have had 2-3 different titles in it's retail lifespan!!

John and his "partner" Dox are contracted by Israelis to eliminate a gun dealer and after ample preparation John freezes and the target escapes causing multiple contracts on his and Dox's lifes. Deliliah makes another appearance and the story is actioned packed great reading thanks