thrillers

Eisler hits the ball out of the park with his debut. It's a spy thriller set in Modern Tokyo, capturing the ambiance of the neo-future Metropolis sprouting above and ancient culture.

There are three main selling points for the book. First is the main character. John Rain is part James Bond, part Trevanian's Nicolai Hel, and part Blade Runner. He's both complex and interesting. His "voice" comes off as an old friend with a shady path.

The second stellar point is the ability of Eisler to capture Tokyo. It's a Tokyo that many expats will recongize. The places, style and feel of the city are brought to life with excellent prose. I truly felt like I was back in Roppongi and Shinjuku. The flashbacks really brought me back to a great place.

Lastly, the book has a gripping "can't put it down" quality. Expect to read the book in one sitting. Don't start it unless you have time to finish it. You'll find yourself looking at the clock at 3am thinking, "Where did the time go?"

Well done on an outstanding novel!

RAIN FALL is a terrific debut about a Japanese-American hit man who works his profession under cover of being a "market-entry consultant" in Tokyo.

The atmosphere of modern Tokyo shines in RAIN FALL. I lived in Japan for seven years and read this book on a recent trip back. Barry Eisler, who was based in Japan for many years, worked for the US Government and earned his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center in Tokyo. This is a rare book set in Tokyo that gets the details of setting and mannerisms correct. Too many Japan themed efforts are sloppy and just plain wrong. Your reviewer lived and worked for seven years in and around the exact places described in the novel. The book was read and this review written around the corner from one of the coffee shops described in the book. And another rare feat by Eisler ' a Japanese-translated version of RAIN FALL was published in Japan to rave reviews from the local media.

John Rain is an efficient killer who will take on any assignment where the death needs to appear natural. But he's a killer-for-hire with particular rules of engagement ' he only accepts contracts to eliminate principal parties and he will not touch women or children. The plot starts quickly when Rain 's technologically fascinating killing of a Japanese Government official on a subway train goes wrong. There are other people who come from the shadows of the subway car suddenly interested in the contents of the corpse's suit pockets. As his fee is deposited into a secret account the next day, Rain steps up his caution. But he finds himself hanging out with a jazz pianist who just happens to be the daughter of the government official. And Rain's old CIA buddies from Viet Nam are mixed up with the dead man somehow and come after him. In great mystery tradition, he doesn't know who to trust and there seems to be no way out for Rain.

Putnam Publishers says Eisler is at work on another novel featuring John Rain. If he gets the sophomore book to work as well as the debut, we have a major talent to look forward to.

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.