Customer Reviews

Extremis (previously published as The Last Assassin)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been following Barry Eisler's books ever since Rain Fall. There have been some ups and downs but with a Jack Rain novel one received a huge entertainment check that never bounced. The half American-half Japanese ghost of international assassins, martial-arts expert, able to kill anyone - and make his death appear natural if needed.

The prose is flowing, the imagery detailed and the rhythm takes the reader on roller-coaster ride he does not want to end. Second only to the first novel of the series, the LAST ASSASSIN is one the best. Rain is trying to save his son and secure their future from his mortal enemy while trying to untangle a dangerous love triangle at the same time.

My only gripes are that, the endgame is somewhat anticlimactic. I am not going to ruin it for everyone but I could do without the last twist if it meant for his archenemy to meet a more deserving fate .
Moreover, contrary to his myth, Rain is rather reacting than taking the initiative in this one. As a result, his loyal wise-cracking sidekick, Dox, at times appears more competent than him. Then again, he does not have to decide between Delilah and the mother of his child while taking on both the Yakuza and the Triads!

All in all, a GREAT novel. I cannot think of anyone not enjoying it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Extremis
Ok book, not as good as Eislers previous. But see more depth to the characters. Bit to much detail in some parts

In 2002 Barry Eisler's first book in the amazing John Rain series, "Rain Fall," was a phenomenon. The author had performed the intriguing task of creating a hero who was a contract killer yet gave readers cause to root for him all the way. Rain is clever, complicated, compelling, and appealing.

In my review of that book I wrote, "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 on to it."

The same held true in Eisler's following titles, "Hard Rain" (2003), "Rain Storm" (2004), "Killing Rain" (2005), and it more than holds true today with the stellar "The Last Assassin." Realism is one of this author's many attributes and it shines with his latest as he evokes the steamy street and haunts of Tokyo as well as the sparkling city of Barcelona. His fight scenes raise goose bumps and his love scenes are....well, read for yourself.

Readers may recall that Rain is the he son of an American mother and a Japanese father. He served with Special Operations in Vietnam and now, for years, has led a life of scrupulously guarded anonymity aided by one other person - Dox, an extremely likable ex Marine sniper who has an eye for the ladies and the eye of an eagle when his finger's on the trigger. He covers this skill with a country drawl, a wide grin, and an unstoppable sense of humor. Dox is the man who walked away from a five million dollar payday" to save Rain's life. He's there in an instant when Rain needs help, and the once self-sufficient assassin needs a great deal of help now.

After learning that his former lover, Midori, a beautiful jazz pianist, is living with their son in New York City, Rain has hopes of reconciliation. At the very least he wants to see his son, Koichero. However, he well remembers that she swore hatred after learning that he had killed her father, a Japanese politician.

In addition, Rain's arch enemy, Yamaoto, wants him dead. This is a man who will stop at nothing to kill Rain, and that includes using Midori and Koichero as bait. Rain knows they are being watched, killers are waiting for him to appear.

Yet, he calls Dox to meet him in New York and takes the chance. After seeing them he yearns to change, to be able to establish a life with them, but that becomes impossible when he's forced to kill one of the men watching Midori.
Rain and Dox manage to dispose of the body but that's just the beginning as Rain realizes he must kill all of his enemies, including Yamaoto in order to be free. He's aided in this by his former enemy, Tatsu, who is now a Japanese FBI agent, and wants to bring down Yamaoto almost as much as Rain does. In order for their plan to work as it should they need one more person - it is, of course, Delilah, the beautiful Israeli intelligence agent with whom Rain has been having an off and on affair.

Once again Eisler has crafted an intense, can't-put-down read rich with a winning supporting cast and gasp inducing action. Just when you think this author can't get any better, he does.

- Gail Cooke

Eisler is writing a great series featuring John Rain,assassin for hire.Be careful how you buy them,as the publishers have switched the names of each book ,so you may find 2 books with the same story and different titles!Why they do this is anybody's guess,but make sure you read the synopsis of the story,nicely provided by amazon,BEFORE you purchase.There are 5 books,but more than 5 titles,so be careful.This book gives us Rain's reactions to finding out he has a son,by a woman who hates him.At the same time, the closest thing to a father figure in Rain's turbulent life,the Japanese policeman Tatsu(whose own son died many years ago) is dying,and he asks Rain for a favour before dying.Apart from the adventure side,Eisler really writes well of the relationship between fathers and sons and what drives them.Naturally Dox,Rain's marine sniper buddy halps out,and Delilah a lethal Mossad agent with confused feelings about Rain also plays a key role.Taking place in Barcelona,New york and Tokio,the story evolves at great speed.
These books are exciting and well written,and Rain is a sympathetic character in spite of his job.Well worth buying.

Let me start with a piece of advice; The Last Assassin is a great thriller but if you've never read one of Barry Eisler's novels featuring John Rain before do not start with this one. Go back to the beginning and his debut, Hard Rain, and read all his previous works in order before picking up his latest. It will make reading the Last Assassin a far more satisfying experience.

The reason for this is because, unlike some series of novels featuring recurring characters, each book in the Rain series is not a standalone story that can be appreciated in isolation. In every case a knowledge of what had gone before is vital to understanding the events that unfold and the characters' motivations, and this is especially true in the case of the Last Assassin, where several long running plot strands are tied up. It is also one of the joys of Eisler's books; watching not just John Rain but other supporting characters such as Tatsu, Dox and Delilah develop and grow over time and each book. This is something that is lost if you come in halfway through the series.

If you're an Eisler officianado however, you can dive straight into The Last Assassin without concern, and you will not be disappointed when you do. All the elements that make Eisler's books so entertaining and exciting are present and correct, including blistering action, taught and intelligent plotting, surprising twists, emotion, well developed, complicated, human characters and a real feel for atmosphere and place.

Once again Barry Eisler has proven himself to be one of the best contemporary thriller writers at work today. If you already knew that to be the case then pick up a copy of The Last Assassin now. If not then buy Hard Rain immediately and find out what you're missing.

Don't get me wrong I love John Rain and the series overall is great (I have read and enjoyed them all). But by the last 2 books it was a bit like - ok here we go again, John makes sure he is not followed, uses his homemade bugger detector to make sure his contact is clean, does some neck crunches etc

I wont spoil the plot so I wont go into specifics and there are a couple of bits where it is hard not to cheer (thanks Barry I really did like the reunion), but overall I think Mr Rain needs to retire and make way for Barry's next hero. I look forward to reading his next book and hope that it feels "fresh".

Not as good as the ones before, but still awesome. I simply like John Rain.

This is the first time I have heard of Barry Eisler. It was the title that caught my attention. I thought it would be full of action and suspense. I wasn't disappointed. If you're a fan of Andy McNabb or Chris Ryan then this is for you. The author draws heavily on his time in Japan and alot of Japanese words and names are in the book. This caused me a few problems with pronunciation. The main character, John Rain is quite a complex guy which the author puts across very well. The story line is complex at times and has a lot of different characters that can be hard to follow on occasions. On the whole a good book and well worth reading.