Requiem for an Assassin [Paperback]

This is the sixth in the series on the assassin John Rain (of mixed American and Japanese heritage). I'm giving it five stars because I've hugely enjoyed the series, although this volume is probably a four star book because it doesn't have such a strong sense of place (and culture) or the intricacy of the other books.

The plot revolves around the kidnapping of Rain's friend Dox (Dox is another great character and the bewildered humour is wonderful between Rain and Dox). He is kidnapped by nemesis Hilger to blackmail Rain into supposedly carrying out three kills. A straightforward plot but for me what makes this book and the others is Rain's characterisation and Japan (sadly only a little is set in Japan this time).

The action is always gripping (if you don't enjoy violence then these books aren't for you) and the plots interesting, plus I always enjoy the inclusion of a 'love interest'. However, for me what gives the books the edge is the way as the series progresses the reader experiences Rain's cold, barren killer personality unravelling. The first volume makes for slightly uncomfortable reading until Rain begins to question himself (for this my favourite book is 'One Last Kill' (UK)/'Killing Rain' (US)). In 'Requiem for an Assassin' Rain has tried to push aside that cold side of his character(his 'iceman' personality though the name didn't quite gel with me and felt contrived) and Rain has tentatively begun to trust more people - giving trust is something Rain finds frightening, unnerving and leaves him feeling exposed. Plus Rain discovers he has to accept 'iceman' when he is forced to kill again. The other side to Rain is very effectively shown when he is filled with fury and despair in New York.

Without the characterisation and a strong sense of place this would be just another readable thriller series, albeit one that seems especially accurate in it's depiction of undercover operations and the world situation (the author uses his background and contacts to ensure in-depth research).

I started the series with the second volume (in fact I still prefer it to the first), though to get the full impact of the series I think it's best to read them in order because characters reappear and you can fully observe the character development.

The series begins with 'Rain Fall', then things get confusing with different titles and the 2nd volume is: 'Hard Rain' (US) or 'Blood from Blood' (UK), 3rd volume: 'Rain Storm' (US) / 'Choke Point' (UK), 4th volume: 'Killing Rain' (US) / 'One Last Kill' (UK), 5th volume: 'The Last Assassin' (at last the UK publisher stopped changing perfectly good titles and confusing everyone!), and the 6th volume is: 'Requiem for an Assassin'. I sincerely hope there will be a 7th volume soon, especially if it is set in Japan (the insight into Japan is fascinating and I never realised the corruption that exists).

I have followed John Rain's saga from the very first book. Sure, the road had its ups and downs but it was totally unforgettable. Barry Eisler knows how to create a cool yet deadly character that will stay with you forever. The problem is, can he keep him cool and deadly while exploring fresh storyline ideas - and his character grows older?

In this latest installment Rain is forced out of his retirement in Paris. An old nemesis had abducted his friend Dox and unless he performs three naturally-looking assassinations, his friend pays the price. Is the deal just bad or is it doomed from the gates and both Rain and his friend will end up shark bait?
The clock is ever menacingly ticking; the stakes keep getting higher and higher; the locales keep changing from Thailand and Vietnam to LA, from Singapore to Rotterdam; and Rain, uncharacteristically, has to accept unsolicited help from old friends that had actually once been older foes.

The problems with this book actually started from the previous installment of the series (The Last Assassin) and they can be summarized into this phrase: Rain started having doubts. Having an alienated kid and a steady love interest has dulled his edge and diluted his determination.
Character development and fancy literally footwork aside, I think that, in the end, Barry Eisler tries to morally save his character - and in the process is corroding him to the core. A cold-blooded assassin may have his inescapable reasons to have turned out that way - but he cannot exist on a moral high-ground no matter what. And if he is no longer the cool cold-blooded assassin, he is no longer John Rain.

Having said that, I want to make clear that this is one of the best fiction books I read in years. I enjoyed both its tactics and action as well as its reasoning and detailed descriptions.

RECOMMENDED!

Requiem for an Assassin is a great example of an author trying to find a way out of a characterisation cul-de-sac that he has gotten himself into and only being partially successful in his attempt at doing so.

At the end of the previous John Rain thriller, titled The Last Assassin in the US, Eisler's half-American/half-Japanese assassin had finally put behind him the never-ending (and slightly tedious) saga of his affair with the Jazz pianist Midori and returned to the arms of his Israeli lover Delilah. With an affirmed friendship with ex-Marine sniper Dox in place and the death of a dangerous old adversary it appeared that Rain was finally changing his self-imposed isolated lifestyle for a more normal one with long term human relationships, even if he wasn't giving up the business of killing.

With Requiem for an Assassin however, it appears that Eisler somewhat regrets humanising Rain in this fashion. Although when we pick up his story he is still with Delilah, living in Paris, it is rapidly revealed that Rain is having difficulty dealing with his new lifestyle. When Dox is kidnapped by another face from his past, ex-CIA spook Hilger, in an effort to coerce Rain into undertaking some wet-work, it is the perfect excuse for the old, emotionless killing machine (the Ice Man as Rain refers to that side of himself) to resurface and get back into the action.

All of which feels like something of a cop out. Over the previous novels in this series Eisler has managed to slowly humanise John Rain in a way that has always felt real and logical. There's been no road to Damascus conversion; the man has always remained a killer, but in increments Eisler has allowed Rain to grow and form long term attachments. With Requiem for an Assassin however, it feels like Eisler regrets allowing this to happen and has sought a way to bring back the Rain of old; the one man killing machine of the earlier novels. The result is not only a somewhat contrived set-up but also a step back in terms of character development.

Admittedly by the book's denoument the pendulum has swung firmly back the other way for Rain, but this just makes Rain's initial reversion back to his old emotionless self feel all the more unrealistic. Its as if Eisler wants to have it both ways, with Rain as both a one man army and as part of a larger team of supporting characters. The result is both narrative and characterisation that feels disjointed and doesn't tie up with what has happened in previous books.

Despite this however, Requiem for an Assassin is still an enjoyable read. The details of Rain's tradecraft are fascinating as always, and the action is hard and uncompromising. The sudden jumps from first person narrative by Rain to third person story telling for the other characters is a little jarring, and Rain's inner monologue lays on a little too much self-indulgent introspection at times. On the whole however, the dialogue is suitably punchy and the supporting characters arrayed around Rain provide some welcome moments of light relief.

With a denoument that, whilst low key, is satisfying this latest installment will no doubt please established Rain fans. Its not the book to choose as an introduction to the series for many reasons, but its a solid enough chapter. It must be hoped however, that for Rain's next adventure Eisler has the confidence to move Rain and his world forward again and not be tempted to step back and try to recapture past glories.