The Last Assassin:

Elite Japanese American assassin John Rain shockingly learns from respected colleague and fatherly mentor Tatsu, a high ranking member of the Japanese FBI, that he is a parent. A son had been born from a romantic interlude with Midori, daughter of a Japanese minister, Rain had liquidated on a previous assignment. The manipulative Tatsu realized that Rain would become obsessed with seeing his son and Midori, a noted jazz pianist now living in New York. This attempt by Rain to connect with his previously unknown family would provide the basis for Barry Eisler's latest thriller, "The Last Assassin". The wily Tatsu suspected that Midori was being watched by enemies of Rain, in a desire to expose him and ultimately eliminate him. Rain reconnoiters Midori's apartment and eventually gains entrance and meets his young son Koichiro in a tender and poignant scene. Rain is willing to leave his profession in order to form a family unit but Midori is doubtful. Rain's bliss is shattered when he is forced to kill two Chinese gangsters spying on him and working for a criminal triad called United Bamboo. They've been collaborating with Rain's arch enemy, Yamaoto, a powerful Japanese political manipulator and supreme Yakuza boss. This sets up a chain of events leading to a battle fueled by Tatsu's cunning machinations between Rain and Yamaoto. Rain recruits his partner, Dox, a boisterous yet efficient ex-Marine sniper. He also utilizes the skills of his sometimes paramour, Delilah, a gorgeous blonde Mossad agent, in whose arms he was when learning of his son's existence. Rains meticulously sets up his campaign to try to eliminate Yamaoto as a threat to Midori and his son once and for all. As added incentive, Rain learns that Tatsu is gravely ill and is depending on Rain to dispose of Yamaoto, a large thorn in his side. While "The Last Assassin" falls slightly short of some of the previous Rain action thrillers it is still a more than worthy effort. Rain seems to be a kinder and gentler mellow version of himself. Eisler fails to be as detailed in his descriptions of Rain's plotting and stealthiness in setting up his assignments. What was well done however was a peek into Rain's inner psyche as he struggles to allow those close to him entrance into his private secretive world.

This is the fifth book in the John Rain seriesmand it is another winner.The hero of this series is John Rain a Japanese- American former Special Forces soldier.He is now a specialized freelance assassin whose assignments lokk like death by natural causes. Thanks to his friend Tatsu Rain discovers that he has a son by his former love Midori.Rain had assassinated her father in the first book.She is being watched by Rain's arch enemy Yamaoto in hopes of catching Rain.She is now living in New York.By the use of information provided by Tatsu Rain decides to eliminate his arch enemy Yamaoto.Rain finds out about a huge narcotics deal involving Yamaoto and the Yakuza and the Chinese Triads.He hopes to provoke a war between the two rival criminal empires who are now doing business.If his plan works he will be rid of Yamaoto and can enjoy life with his new son.He has to call upon the services of former Marine sniper Dox and Mossad agent Delilah. All of this plotting and planning by the forces involved makes for a very exciting read.The action is nonstop. The series of Rain books has been an excellent read that I have enjoyed.Don't miss the "Last Assassin".

Like nearly everyone posting a review, I'm a huge Eisler/Rain fan. I put "Eisler" and "Rain" together because in my mind the two are inseparable. The latest installment reads as a great mix of drama and high-octane action. John Rain is once again drawn into a situation regardless of his own wishes to "retire." The story picks up right where the last novel left off, Rain deciding to go and see his old lover Midori and their child Koichiro. It is clear that his current lover, Delilah is none too pleased with his decision. A scorned lover is one thing, but when she's part of the Israel intelligence service, it's something else all together! It is in fact the characters that make this novel work so well. We are finally coming to know Rain, Dox, Delilah, Tatsu, and even Midori to some degree. For me personally, this is the best written of Eisler's works, even if it has more drama than action. I was also glad to see that Eisler took care of the loose ends, Yamaoto for one. This book was a very satisfying read. Author of "Process of Elimination" - a sexually-charged thriller that pits a martial artist against a world-class sharpshooter out to shape the next Presidential election.

I have simply devoured all the John Rain books. THE LAST ASSASSIN arrived in the mail yesterday; as always, I couldn't put it down and finished it tonight, disappointed I'd reached the end. John Rain is an assassin you get attached to, and even begin to understand. Another reviewer is apparently disappointed in the way Rain has evolved over the course of five books. However, the changes are simply evidence of Rain's maturing process. A couple of books ago, Rain met a woman, unwillingly fell in love, and now finds out he has a son. The emotional impact of these developments have forced him to start wondering if it's even possible to live a different kind of life, out of the "business" he's worked at for so many years. But in order to leave that life and ensure his son's safety, many obstacles must be removed in the only way Rain knows. Barry Eisler is a gifted writer who has created wonderfully believable characters and scrupulously researched stories. The locales he describes are so easy to visualize, I almost feel like I'm there while I'm reading. And his knowledge of spycraft is fascinating. He's made a cruelly efficient, paid assassin actually likable, a man the reader can relate to, despite the viciousness of his world. Although each John Rain novel can be read as a stand-alone story, I do recommend starting with the first, RAIN FALL, and following with HARD RAIN, RAIN STORM, and KILLING RAIN. Each story is edge-of-the-seat reading, and seeing the evolution of John Rain from the beginning is very satisfying. I'm just hoping that the title, THE LAST ASSASSIN, isn't Barry Eisler's way of telling us he's taken John Rain as far as he can.

This is an excellent action-adventure novel that rips you from Barcelona to New York to Japan and back again, while the protagonist must contend with the Japaneze Yakuza, Chinese triads, the anger and bitterness of an ex-love, the jealousy of his current flame, and most difficult of all, the unaswerable questions in his own heart caused by the revelation that he has an infant son in New York. This is the fifth in Eisler's wonderful series featuring John Rain, the half-American half-Japanese professional assassin. This novel ties up some of the loose ends created in the first four outings and once again delivers a dose of the most convincing and lethal action scenes to be found between book covers. If you are an action fan, but also like clear, entertaining, and super-intelligent prose, then this series is about as good it gets. The author obviously does his homework and studies close quarters combat (CQC) in detail in order to write believable, harrowing, and shocking combat scenes that are absolutely thrilling and riveting. Guns, knives, explosives, fists, feet and the everyday objects of life are used to write incredibly detailed and smart fight scenes. John Rain is perhaps as lethal a man as there is in literature, but he is also an intensely believable character because he is rational, intelligent, and above all else cautious and paranoid in amounts I have never seen before. Rain would spend hours doubling back on his trail and using tradecraft to insure there is no one on his tail simply to get out and get a whiskey. A man truly fond of single malt scotch and good jazz music, but who also flies to Barcelona five days ahead of his scheduled rendevous with his amour in order to scope out all the alleys and exits and ensure there are no enemies there first. While absolutely lethal in close quarters combat, Rain prefers to assassinate people by staging heart attacks or accidents for them so that no one even suspects they've been assassinated. When he does have to resort to using his fighting skills it is generally because he has made a mistake, one that makes him furious with himself. With his troubled and unsure heart, wondering what role he should have as a father for a son he was unaware of, Rain does make a few mistakes in this novel and he and his faithful friend Dox are suddenly plunged into a vicious war with Japanese and Chinese thugs. This book is a rocket-ride, so intelligently crafted, with such incredible actions scenes and fiercely believable characters, that it's both a joy to read and super fun at the same time. When you finish you're left wondering: why doesn't everyone write like this?