The fourth John Rain installment was the first one that I didn't love. I still liked it. It was slower on the action, but I think Eisler was developing John's character more. He definitely becomes more human in this book. The return of Dox and Delilah were both very welcome, and the tie-in to Midori was a pleasant surprise.

Though I say I didn't love it, I see the direction Eisler is taking John, and I love that. I see this as necessary ground to cover before we can return to the kind of stuff I've enjoyed reading in this series in a much more hardcore fashion.

Three out of five stars.

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I've loved the idea of John Rain since I read the first book all those years ago. The characters are intriguing as always. Dox is such a great contrast to Rain's usual persona, he has quickly become one of my favorites in the series, along with Rain's relationship with Delilah, and Midori always in the back of his mind during his quieter thoughts when he is alone. This series just keeps getting better and better with each book!

Rain struggles to understand himself

Rain begins to trust others and in the process learns more about his own feelings and drivers. Dox is a delight. Delilah is caught between conflicting alliances.

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Killing Rain

Also published as, One Last Kill and Redemption Games
• by Barry Eisler

OVERVIEW:
The Mossad sends John Rain to Manila (capital city of the Philippines) to eliminate Manheim "Manny" Lavi, a rogue Israeli soldier who has been selling his explosives expertise to terrorist groups around the world. Just as Rain moves in for the kill, Lavi's small son shows up and Rain blows the hit. Now on the run in Bangkok, Phuket (Thailand), and Hong Kong, Rain finds himself a target of both the Mossad, which wants to conceal its involvement, and of a rogue CIA operation, which has been running Lavi as an access agent.

With assistance from former Marine sniper Dox (a nickname for being unorthodox) and beautiful Mossad agent Delilah, Rain is able to finish the hit and turn the tables on his pursuers. But in doing so, he makes a mortal enemy of Jim Hilger, the master of the (rogue) CIA op. And Rain learns he has an infant son—with Midori Kawamura, whose father Rain killed—and that his enemies have been watching the woman and the child in hopes of using them to get to Rain.


Begins with John and Dox tracking the target (Manny) looking for the best way to eliminate him without it looking like an assassination. Boaz & Gil, the Israeli intelligence agents who hired him (colleagues of Delilah), insist the kill look as natural as possible. John finally decides on the restroom at the Manila shopping mall where Manny is having lunch in the food court with his son and mistress. When Manny enters the men's room John plans to silently attack, snap his neck and leave him dead from an apparent slip and fall.

At the moment of truth John inexplicably freezes, chokes. He can't move. This paralysis may have occurred when John looked into the target's eyes, humanizing him or maybe because the target's son just entered the restroom. John imagines the kid being traumatized for life, seeing his dead Dad on the restroom floor. At any rate, John is paralyzed into inaction. Alerted, the armed bodyguard, Dox and two gunmen rush inside the men's room. Finally, when Dox is in danger of being shot, John finally wakes up, kills the three gun guys, but Manny and son are long gone.

John Rain master assassin, seems to be having a crisis of conscience. He now mulls over his life and decisions: maybe getting out of the business, making amends for choosing to kill, wondering why God hasn't smote him, or if there is a God and other such philosophical notions.

John's Israeli contact and lover Delilah is sent to set him up for execution by their shooter Gil--wanting no loose ends. Delilah instead tells John of the plan and she keeps Gil in the dark. Jim Hilger the rogue CIA operative has become corrupt as he earned the trust of the terrorists he supposedly is fighting against. Hilger now sends his own specialist to find out who hired John to kill Manny. It doesn't go well. Soon John, Dox and Delilah are on their way to Hilger and Manny's next meeting at the China Club in Hong Kong.

Finally Manny the evil terrorist and father of an innocent boy has his neck snapped in the men's room--mission accomplished and the Israelis are pleased and mollified.

Also at the Hilger-Manny meeting is the terrorists Al-Jib (aka Ali), with plans for nuclear acts of terror. For the Israelis, Ali is a high-value target, a must kill and Delilah goes a little nuts in her determination to kill him ASAP. She even calls Gil which nearly gets John killed--he ducks just in time. After a chase ending on a passenger ferry boat, Ali is shot to death by John and Delilah--his body falling into the harbor.

Jim Hilger shot Gil and escaped. With his terrorist op and team exposed Jim does damage control with his US government contacts and sets up operation in a different city and plots to definitely kill John and Dox. Don't they realize his work is preventing the next cataclysm?

John is handsomely paid for his Manny and Al-Jib kills. The Israelis include a bonus and an apology for trying to kill him. The conscience-stricken John takes the money he earned for eliminating Manny-the-terrorist, flys to the Philippines and gives it to Manny's widowed mistress and son. What? Yeh, I think it's time he retired.

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Mostly entertaining even with John's mopey disposition over his chosen profession and now too much of a conscience for one tasked with eliminating the baddest bad guys on the planet.

A bit risque during the anti-hero's dalliance with Delilah.

The author gives great descriptions of action scenes and the detailed awareness of these professionals.





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The John Rain Book Series
Rain is a Vietnam vet, born in 1952 (?), as Junichi Fujiwara "Jun" a Japanese-American and worked for the CIA.
He now works as a freelance assassin specializing in making deaths look natural. Getting up close to the target takes talent and he's particularly lethal without weapons.
His self-imposed restrictions include never targeting kids or women, nor non-principals (collateral damage).
His love interest is an Israeli Mossad agent named Delilah.
Dox (former USMC) is a war pal who works as a sniper-for-hire.
Midori is the mother of Rain's child. They met when he was hired to kill her father. She's a jazz pianist and wants nothing to do with this killer who'll only endanger her son.


Some books have more than one title. The author changed the titles when he regained the rights to his work.

Rain Fall / A Clean Kill in Tokyot(2003)
Hard Rain / Blood from Blood / A Lonely Resurrectiont(2004)
Rain Storm / Choke Point / Winner Take Allt(2005)
● Killing Rain / One Last Kill / Redemption Gamest(2006)
The Last Assassin / Extremist(2007)
Requiem For an Assassin / The Killer Ascendantt(2008)


Paris is a Bitch (a 50 page short story)t(2011)
The Detachmentt(2011)
Graveyard of Memoriest(2014)
Zero Sumt(2017)
The Killer Collectivet(2019)




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Enjoyed the fourth instalment in the John Rain series, though felt that this was the "weaker" of the series I have read to date. This may have something to do with me reading a couple of chapters a night, before a final "session" to finish it.

I really enjoy the planning for the operations and this book was light on this. That said, the dynamics between the three "assassin" characters was developed in this book and I did feel that this was done in a believable way.

Enjoy the different settings as well.

Looking forward to reading the next book in the series - after a couple of other novels in between.

Another solid entry in the John Rain series. Eisler gets kudos for a strong plot and credible characters. Factor in the exotic locales - Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo - and you have a sophisticated thriller that commands your attention right up to the last page.

While I’ve enjoyed the John Rain books thus far, this one fell flat for me. WAYYY too much introspective navel gazing and dime store philosophizing. Plus the “banter” between Rain and Dox is just sophomoric and lame. And the author tries to imply that Dox’s aw shucks big old boy persona somehow “works” and he remains “undercover.” I suppose this is offered as a foil to Rain’s lack of affect -but it just doesn’t work very well-certainly not professional.

For an action/thriller this book spends far too many pages and paragraphs being dull and boring. The plot is sketchy and relies too UCB on having read the prequel. Why not drop all the amateur philosophy and introspection and either add the remaining pages to the previous book, or actually come up with a new direction and plot?

On a nit picky note-the copy I read was of such poor production quality I have to wonder who actually printed it? The lines of type were wavy in many places and a number of pages had five or ten blank lines between line of text.
It’s sad to see in an age when actual printed books are disappearing that publishers (and authors and editors) care so little about quality control.

I MAY read more Rain books but if the continue in this vein I’m done.

3.5 There's something missing here. Maybe too much brooding and rumination and not enough action and fighting scenes. Actually, I like the previous book in this series Rain Storm more than this one and I rated it 3 stars too so I think I should change my rating there.

Another in the John Rain series. I like how the author is developing the depth of character of Rain. The first book or two he was very much a cold killer, but as new characters are added, the nuance and self-reflection of Rain is adding to this series, making it unique in the assassin/spy thriller genre.

#4 in the John Rain series. APA One Last Kill [2006]. John Rain is a half-America, half-Japanese Viet Nam veteran now living in Tokyo as a freelance assassin.

John Rain agrees to assassinate an explosives terrorist on behalf of the Mossad, a deal brokered by Delilah. With Dox as his partner, he attempts the hit in Manila but it goes wrong and leaves two dead men identified as CIA agents. The Mossad want Rain removed as a possible link to the hit on a CIA asset. Can Delilah be trusted or will she help target Rain and Dox?

Another great installment in the John Rain series.

I have just enjoyed another installment in the John Rain series. While this book could stand alone I recommend starting at the beginning of the series to better understand the characters and their dynamics. He adds a new significant character with each new book. Really good plots woven with connecting threads back to the beginning.

Maybe my favorite so far.

A little bit more depth on character building with the fun of building a team for the battles.

Also, maybe I’m wrong, but at least a little less focus on the moments of ultra-violence.

On to #5 next.