Rating: 
Summary: Character, setting, plot - a winning combination
Review: It's rare to find a three-dimensional character in a thriller novel, but Rain Fall has one. What's more, it's got a setting and plot to match: no cardboard movie facades, but real, if gritty, streets and alleys; no vague, barely imaginable plots to destroy civilization in one fell swoop, but real, if gritty, political machinations. It's a powerful combination of elements that makes for a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Expect Great Things To Come from Barry Eisler
Review: As good as Rain Fall is, the best part came not during the story itself, but on the About the Author section on the back flap of the dust jacket. It states that Mr. Eisler is at work on the second John Rain novel. That's the type of novel this is - you'll immediately be wishing for more as soon as you're done. Rain Fall is one of those rare novels that beg to be read as quickly as possible but will have you wishing you had savored it while you had the opportunity.The title character, John Rain, half American, half Japanese, is one of the more interesting leads that readers will find. A former Studies and Observations Group (SOG) operative, Rain is highly skilled in covert movement and close range killing. After leaving the military, he set up shop in Japan as a hit man whose specialty is making his victims look as if they have died from natural causes. He has also mastered Judo, adding to his already impressive arsenal. He is both vicious (he kills without compunction), selective (no women), and caring (the book centers around his attempts to protect the daughter of a man he killed.) Aside from the fantastic John Rain, the plot of the novel is above average as well, as Eisler takes the reader through the underbelly of Japanese urban life, from whiskey bars to love hotels. Rain is contracted to kill a man, which he does in an extremely cool scene with a PDA with pacemaker control software. His next contract is the daughter of the same man, though he finds himself protecting her against several different enemies. This book has everything a novel should. The violence is well written and choreographed. The romantic involvement between the two main characters is subtle and adds, rather than detracts as is usually the case, from the story. The humor is timely and effective. The plot moves quickly and holds the readers interest and the ending works as well. I'll be buying and reading everything that Barry Eisler writes for as long as he writes it. This book is that good.
Rating:
Summary: rain fall
Review: Rain Fall is full of motion, each scene choreographed to elicit drama and suspense in a sultry atmosphere richly described. This story brings the reader to modern day Tokyo, full of political intrigue and cultural complexities. The sexy and clever hero, John Rain, struggling with the memories of his own bitter past, must confront a reality that he has carefully managed to avoid. A totally engaging read from start to finish, Rain Fall, never lets up.
Rating:
Summary: an enthusiastic two thumbs up!
Review: I could not put this book down. It is well written, action packed, thought provoking and sexy. Eisler is a talented writer..Im cant wait for the sequel!
Rating:
Summary: exciting thriller
Review: American-Japanese John Rain once served in Viet Nam as part of the Special Forces. The military taught him one skill that of the art of the stealth assassin. For the past twenty-five years, John has resided in Tokyo behind the guise of a loner businessman whose core product is murder by natural cause with a 100 % guarantee. John's current target is bureaucrat Yasuhiro Kawamura, vice Minster of Land and Infrastructure. On a commuter train, John completes the hit using a remote device to destroy the pacemaker of his victim. However, nothing else goes right as a Japanese speaking Westerner "robs" the corpse and soon John believes he is he focus of several tails. Working with his only friend, Harry, John learns what is really happening, which leads to his rescuing Kawamura's daughter Midori from some thugs. Everyone wants a missing disk that the deceased possessed with information that would shake the foundations of the Japanese government and global implications as an aftermath. RAIN FALL is an exciting thriller that succeeds because fans will be fascinated by the lead protagonist. The story line is well executed almost as polished as one of John's hits. The support cast provides a taste of modern Japan and depth to the deadly competition, but Barry Eisler's novel belongs to his seemingly amoral antihero who beguiles the audience with his activities so that readers will demand a torrent of sequels. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Very strong first novel - Must read if you love Japan!
Review: I had the opportunity to read a pre-release version of this book, and since I am a big fan of Trevanian, Ludlum, and Le Carre, I jumped at the chance. To add frosting to the cake, I am a martial arts student and love all things Japanese - which just made the book more enticing :-) Rain Fall is very technically correct - from the streets and stores of Tokyo to the details of the martial arts moves, even down to the whiskey that our hero drinks. For me, that makes a story more compelling - I hate nothing more than being dragged out of my suspension of dis-belief by an obvious technical error. I really fell into the story, immersed in the author's Tokyo - once I started reading, I didn't want to put the book down. To me, that is the ultimate test of a book. If you like thrillers with plenty of action, but want dialog with words more than 5 letters long, I say take a look at Rain Fall. If you love Japan, study martial arts, or otherwise enjoy the Asian motif, you will love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A great summer read
Review: In his first novel, Mr. Eisler really brings the streets of Tokyo alive. His characters are fascinating and I couldn't stop turning the pages to see what would happen next. Mr. Eisler's grasp, and description, of both the technology and the action in the story is really quite remarkable, particularly for a first time author. Some parts of the book, for example the relationship between the protagonist and his computer wielding sidekick, felt a bit formulaic, but overall the story kept my interest and kept me turning the pages. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a slightly different take on the thriller genre. Anyone with any experience or interest in Japan must read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A COMPELLING CAN'TPUT-DOWN READ
Review: Few fictional characters burst upon the scene fully realized, more than ready to take their place in the pantheon of unforgettable protagonists. Add one to that meager list with the creation of John Rain in Barry Eisler's dynamite debut "Rain Fall," In fact, Rain, an accomplished assassin , doesn't just burst upon the scene - he steamrollers into it. "I insist on only a few questions," Rain notes in describing himself and his occupation. "Is the target a man? I don't work against women or children. Have you retained anyone else to solve this problem? I don't want my operation getting tripped up by someone's idea of a B-team, and if you retain me, it's an exclusive. Is the target a principal? I solve problems directly, like the soldier I once was, not by sending messages through unresolved third parties like a terrorist......I'm not a mercenary, although I was nothing more than that once upon a time. And although I do in a sense live a life of service, I am no longer samurai, either." The son of an American mother and a Japanese father Rain served with Special Operations in Vietnam. For the past two decades he has led a life of scrupulously guarded anonymity aided by only one other person - Harry, a likeable computer whiz who fears he might be located by his electronic signature so doesn't use any unnecessary electrical appliances. To Harry, a refrigerator and air conditioning are easily expendable. Rain's latest assignment is to dispose of Kawamura, a highly placed government official. A short circuited pacemaker makes quick work of the official; it is a death that appears to be from natural causes. What puzzles Rain is to see a man searching through the dead man's pockets. A petty thief? Or, is there something more to this assignment than Rain realizes? Complications arise when Rain meets Midori, Kawamura's daughter, a beautiful jazz pianist. Romance is never on his agenda but the attraction between the two becomes undeniable. When Midori is endangered by those who believe she has information belonging to her father, Rain finds himself fighting not just for his life but hers as well. His cover has been blown, and he has only hours. The enemies he faces are rabid and relentless: a treacherous old foe from Rain's war years in Vietnam; a no-holds-barred figure from the nether world of Japanese corruption; and a won't-quit detective. Eisler has crafted an intense, can't-put-down read rich with scenes of contemporary Japan and gasp inducing action. Word is that he's already working on a follow-up - this reader can't wait.
- Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Great Book but slow at first
Review: This book once it got going kept me until the end. Barry Eisler at times did a little too much detail at times, but since this is the first book in the series I can understand it and know why. Great character development and a great plot. Be prepared to not put it down toward the end chapters as it picks up quickly.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, realistic thriller!
Review: While I don't normally read this genre, several of my friends kept telling what a wonderful series Barry Eisler had created so I finally broke down and bought one. Once I picked it up, I literally couldn't put it down, finishing the entire volume in one weekend. I bought the rest of the series the next day!
Rain Fall is an exceptionally well-written, gritty, and realistic thriller. The setting is accurate, the martial techniques are legitimate, and the aftereffects of violence hauntingly real. The character is complex but not sappy. The action is intense but not overdone. Surveillance detection runs and other tricks of the trade are accurately described and interestingly written.
John Rain is an intriguing character, half Japanese, half American, yet apart from both worlds. A professional assassin with some scruples (no women, no children, and no acts against non-principals), he comes across more like a samurai than a ninja. I love the realism in this book. This (anti) hero is no super spy, just an aging soldier doing what he does best, killing people in way that do not look like murder (e.g., manipulating a pace maker or modifying an AED to create a heart attack).
Rain dispatches a government bureaucrat just before he can leak vital information to the press that could bring down the sitting LDP government leadership. Ironically he then falls for the dead man's beautiful jazz singer daughter. What follows is a thrilling three-way struggle to recover the missing information. Taught action, superb pacing, and ghosts from the past come together in this highly entertaining thriller. Heartily recommended!
|
