Requiem for an Assassin

by Barry Eisler

Book Overview

If you had to kill three people to save your best friend's life, would you do it? When John Rain decides to get out of the business, his hand is forced by rogue CIA operative Jim Hilger. Hilger kidnaps Dox, Rain's trusted partner and closest friend, and offers Rain a choice: carry out a final assignment, or bear the responsibility for Dox's murder. For a professional like John Rain, the choice ought to be easy: Do the job-a series of three hits-then...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399154264
• ISBN13: 9780399154263
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Putnam Adult
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.2" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I enjoy his John Rain series

You will not be disappointed in this book, well-written and engaging.

Character Reigns with Rain

Hilger a CIA operative Rain had crossed in a previous operation holds Dox captive, demanding that Rain complete a series of hits, or his friend dies. Rain realizes he is the intended target and plots his moves to turn the tables. My first experience with a Barry Eisler novel was a pleasant surprise. In a time when some of my favorite thriller writers are turning to sparse prose; Eisler's John Rain novels plumb for depth of character, inner exploring conflict, character, and motivation. Sure, Requiem for an Assassin is tightly plotted. It isn't so much suspenseful as it is gripping. You have a sense that Rain can handle his own and get through any challenge he undertakes, no matter the stakes. The writing is rich and a rewarding read.

Excellent!

Requiem For An Assassin is a fast-paced, thrill-a-minute novel with modern day happenings all woven together to produce one hell of a book. The book is about assassin-extraordinaire, John Rain, and his tug-of-war battle within himself regarding his profession and the role his friends play in his life. In the beginning of the book, Rain is living a somewhat quiet life in semi-retirement in Paris, not far from his girlfriend, Delilah. As Rain is starting to accept his new life, his best friend Dox (a sniper colleague) is kidnapped. The kidnapper, an old enemy of Rain, tells him that he has to kill three targets, and then Dox will be set free. Rain knows he is lying, but he has to buy time to help his friend. Rain slips back into the life without any problems, and he goes about doing whatever is necessary to help his friend, even though he knows he might be being set up to be eliminated. Will Rain and Dox survive, and if Rain survives, will he forever be lost to himself and the darkness that is within? This book has it all: romance, action, adventure, cool gadgets and great characters. The plot is tight and the dialogue is excellent - funny in one scene, and cold/ruthless in another. Rain's emotional, internal struggle is palpable. If you want intense, pulse-pounding action mixed with a fair share of angst, this is the book to buy. I've read quite a few books this year, and this is definitely one of my favorites. I give Requiem For An Assassin my highest recommendation.

A Thriller That Shines with Authenticity

Most thrillers seem like fables of super heroes straight out of the comic books. While those tales are fun, they lack a credible connection to reality that can make a story more gripping. Authenticity was part of the appeal of the Ian Fleming books about James Bond when they first appeared. Not since those Bond books do I recall a thriller as solidly based in real places, actual tradecraft, accurately presented martial arts, and the psychology of killing as Requiem for an Assassin. This is my first John Rain book and I expected to be a little bit lost because I hadn't read the first five. But Mr. Eisler does an excellent job of referring to past developments and characters enough to make this story work just fine as a standalone. Naturally, having liked this one so much I'm sure to go back and read the earlier books as well. A lot of the action in those books is referred to in Requiem for an Assassin; if you don't want those stories spoiled for you, it may be a good decision to start with the beginning of the series. The order of the series is Rain Fall, Hard Rain, Rain Storm, Killing Rain, and The Last Assassin. As this story opens, former CIA agent and rogue operative, Jim Hilger, has assembled a team in Bali to kidnap John Rain's friend, Dox (said to be short for "unorthodox" . . . a characterization tied to his service in Reagan-era Afghanistan). The purpose? To black mail Rain into performing three assassinations. Hilger has been an arch-foe of Rain's in prior books. Dox isn't fully on his guard and is easily captured during a routine shopping trip. A little Bush-style torture quickly "persuades" Dox to contact Rain for Hilger. John Rain is increasingly relaxed while living both with and apart from his love, Delilah, in Paris where she works for the Mossad. He hopes to escape working as an assassin and live a "normal" life . . . whatever that can be for someone with the finely honed instincts and skills of an assassin. The contact from Hilger comes as a most unpleasant surprise. Rain immediately senses that Hilger's agenda probably includes killing both Dox and Rain. Feeling he has no choice, Rain agrees to kill three times on targets of Hilger's choice. Knowing what a dangerous person Hilger is, Rain is immediately on guard that there may be some greater danger from Hilger's plot than to the three targets, Dox, and himself. Rain turns down Delilah's offer of help, but does reach out to one old friend, Kanezaki, who can help with intelligence and weapons. From there, the story develops along the lines of Rain trying to foil Hilger's plot while killing as few people as possible. Under extreme duress, Rain feels the urge to do more killing than is necessary. He finds himself drawn into an internal debate about what the ethics of his situation are. Those who like action-only thrillers will be disappointed by the self-doubt, but I thought it added a lot of texture and interest to the story. Here is a man pois

Rain unable to escape "the life"

Harboring excessive emotional baggage, a by product of his lucrative profession, affluent, elite assassin John Rain is attempting to retire from his trade. He's struggling acclimating himself to a peaceful existence living with his gorgeous girlfriend Israeli Mossad agent Delilah in Paris. Any notion that his stressful former lifestyle can be put behind him is suddenly shattered in Barry Eisler's latest outstanding novel "Requiem for an Assassin". The anitsocial Rain is alerted that one of the few people in the world he considers a friend, burly, wisecracking ex-Marine sniper and former associate Dox has been kidnapped. His captor, former nemesis Jim Hilger, a rouge ex-CIA agent is now running his own private intelligence enterprise. Hilger and his well trained cabal snatched Dox to coerce Rain into performing three assassinations which will assure his trusted friend's release upon completion. Not certain of the veracity of the deal, Rain however must play along after receiving a proof of life. Rain is conflicted in sharing his burden with the few people he trusts but ultimately must recruit the aid of Tom Kanezaki, a Japanese FBI agent and protege of Rain mentor, the now departed Tatsu. His lover Delilah convinces him to ally himself with lethal Mossad agent Boaz who also has no love for the deceitful Hilger. With all these additonal resources Rain hopes to discover the location where Dox is being held before he completes the three sanctions. Rain after completing two of the killings realizes that he himself will actually be the third victim. Being a cool calculating tactician, Rain is able to decipher the reason that Hilger is forcing him to kill. Hilger's nefarious plot is designed to pose a serious worldwide threat, being set into play by virtue of the assassinations. Amazingly, the talented Barry Eisler is easily able to evoke empathy for unconventional but likeable anti-hero John Rain, a professional killer. Eisler is able to get inside Rain's psyche and allow us to feel the turmoil that resides within as he struggles with his identity and his desire to change his life. In this action packed, stirring, globe trotting novel, Rain strives to reinvent himself while trying to save his friend's life.

A great character indeed!

Requiem for an Assassin is the latest in the John Rain series by Barry Eisler. Rain combines the Eastern mind of Trevanian's killer Nicolai Hel with the cosmopolitan aura of James Bond. A great character indeed! The formula is similar to the Last Assassin - John Rain wants out of the killing business. Two things drag him back in: his inner drive, and blackmail over someone close to him. This time the scenery changes: Palo Alto, Singapore, Vietnam, and even Rotterdamn. As usual, Eisler writes from experience. He lived the life of a CIA operative, and is writing about the locations and tactics from experience. One part of John Rain is certainly based on Eisler's life experience. The book leaves several loose ends open. We can only hope Eisler will keep to his "1 a year" schedule, so we won't have to wait too long for him to close them.