Requiem for an Assassin
"John Rain may not like being an assassin... but he is bloody good at it!"
Synopsis:
Half-Japanese, half-American contract killer John Rain is still trying to get out of the business. Currently living with his girl friend, the beautiful Mossad agent Delilah, his peaceful existence is shattered when his long time enemy and rogue CIA agent Jim Hilger kidnaps his closest friend, former sniper, Dox.
Hilger agrees not to kill Dox if Rain agrees to undertake three assassinations on his behalf. As much as Rain wants to ensure that Hilger does not carry out his threat, he is under no illusions about Hilger's behaviour. Furthermore, the act of killing someone simply to free his friend does not hold any fear for Rain. Despite the fact that he wants to get out of the business Rain realises that this is one time that he is going to have to trust others to help him resolve the situation. As he undertakes the first two killings he discovers that the third killing was supposed to be him...
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Review:
Requiem for an Assassin is the latest in the series featuring Barry Eisler's assassin, John Rain. While the previous books are written from a first persons point of view with the occasional point of view from others as well, Requiem for an Assassin treats the reader to the thoughts of John Rain - but also, increasingly, from multiple viewpoints as well. Rain is certainly a contradiction. On the one hand he is concerned about the fact that he does not have enough contact with his son whilst on the other he will quite ruthlessly plot the death of another. As usual, Rain finds himself going to exotic locales as he endeavours to track down and rescue his friend Dox. This is certainly a book that will keep you on the seat of your pants. It is a high octane mixture of intrigue, sex, martial arts and the world of spies, offering heart-pumping action that is difficult to put down. The manner in which Rain manages to resolve the issue will delight any avid reader of fast-paced thrillers. This is a fantastic series and while it is sensible to read them in order so that you can appreciate the nuances of the character of John Rain, this book can quite easily read it as a standalone thriller as well. Tension and excitement are the best things about Requiem for an Assassin and the author seems to manage to write about them both so effortlessly. Eisler always knows how to write a page-turner that will leave you wanting more. John Rain may not like being an assassin... but he is bloody good at it!