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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A TERRIFIC DEBUT, 18 Jul 2002
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.
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by Barry Eisler
by Barry Eisler
by Barry Eisler
by Barry Eisler
by Barry Eisler
