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Summary: Thrills with a Real Plot
Review: I read the first book in the series, 'Rain Fall', and enjoyed it tremendously. So when I picked up 'Hard Rain', Eisler had some serious expectations to live up to. My lesson learned -- I didn't set my expectaions high enough. Eisler kept the action going and infused Hard Rain with twists and turns while telling a wonderfully realistic and intriguing tale. If you are looking for good action, a real plot and some fine writing, then Hard Rain will surpass your expectations as well. I recommend it highly.
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Summary: Hard Rain...You Gotta Love This!
Review: I've never reviewed a book here before, but having just returned from a long plane trip I had to say how Hard Rain made my flight! From beginning to end I was hooked. For anyone who likes thrillers set against colorful backdrops...you gotta love this.
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Summary: Not just for Men
Review: I've read both of Eisler's books, and the most enjoyable aspect for me has been his female characters. They aren't dumbed down and they don't run & cry when difficult situations are presented. They're smart, sophisticated & solid. Midori is great in Rain Fall, though in Hard Rain, she really wins my heart. The honesty presented in her conflicting emotions is so true to life & messy. Not just a compliment to the women in the books is John Rain. An extremely likeable, well-educated, heart in the right place, feet in the wrong, kind of guy. We get to explore his psyche throughout and I found I could actually relate to a lot of the emotions he experiences. Eisler's characters are beautifully sculpted. A nice surprise for this genre.
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Summary: Raining Harder
Review: If you enjoyed Eisler's first book, Rain Fall, you'll enjoy Hard Rain even more!
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Summary: Another great thriller from Barry Eisler!
Review: If your idea of a good read is The Secret Life of Bees, Hard Rain probably isn't the book for you. But as a hard core thriller fan who prefers action and lust to complex character development - I loved it! Eisler manages to bring a certain polish to his prose that isn't typical of most books centered around an assassin. Couple this with his amazing knack for describing places, tastes, smells, and even martial arts techniques at a visceral level - and you have a must-read book. Plan to read it on a long airplane trip, or over the weekend, otherwise you will be up all night. This isn't an easy book to put down once you get started...
Rating: 
Summary: Solid Thriller Set In Japan
Review: In HARD RAIN we get the strong impression that the life of an assassin would be a very harrowing existence. The mental strain that it would place on you would be enormous, but there are other considerations that would have to be dealt with. You need to remain anonymous; your movements must be undetected; you must remain unobserved; you must be aware of your enemies and the possibility that you will be tailed. Personal relationships are another difficult area because of the possible weakness in your defenses they might expose. It's a lonely, harrowing existence and that's exactly the way John Rain lives.
John Rain is an assassin living in Japan who has a special talent for killing people in such a way that it looks as though they died of natural causes. He was introduced in RAIN FALL and this is the second book in the series featuring this most unusual protagonist. The story opens with Rain about to close the deal on his latest contract, a steroid enhanced enforcer from the Yakuza (the Japanese mafia). This opening job establishes two aspects that will be reinforced throughout the book. First, Rain is incredibly effective at what he does and second, his preparation before taking action is exhaustive.
After the initial excitement and action that comes with killing a man face to face, the mood quickly settles down to one that is more sedate. The background of John Rain is explained including how he came to be an assassin and the careful daily routines he must go through to ensure his own life is not in danger. It's during this down time that Rain is approached by his contact, a Japanese FBI agent named Tatsu, with details of another job he wants done.
The next job is the main focus of the book. The man to be killed is another mafia killer, a man who is feared for both his sadistic ruthlessness and for his innate instinct for survival. This particular job will pose an incredible challenge for Rain, so much so that he strongly doubts he wants the job. But then it becomes personal and he throws himself completely into preparing to take down the Yakuza heavyweight.
One of the strongest features of the book outside the tension of the assassination attempt was the way in which Japan was depicted. The settings, the customs and history were all integrated into the storyline in a way that was both informative and interesting. Where possible Barry Eisler gave us the Japanese terms and then followed them with the English translations. When John Rain visited a place of interest he included relevant background and he describes customary behavior whenever traditional Japanese methods were used, for example, when dining or when visiting a sento, a public bath. It's obvious that Eisler has spent a lot of time in Japan and has introduced me to a setting that I rarely read about.
As a sequel to the outstanding RAIN FALL, this book excels in the development of the John Rain character. We get a real sense of the loneliness and self-doubt that surges through him, even when on the outside he appears bullet-proof. We understand more fully his thoughts, fears and regrets and also his limits. It's not quite as fast paced as the first book in the series, settling into a more brooding, predatory mood as it carefully hunts us to the moving finale.
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Summary: Hard Rain - Outstanding followup in the ongoing Rain Saga
Review: In most series, the first book in the series is the best. Not so here. Eisler delivers in Hard Rain a fantastic followup to his first book, Rain Fall! Not only does it continue the engaging John storyline, but Hard Rain stands on its own as a great story in its own right.As always, Eisler captures a view of Tokyo that is unique. He draws us in to a Tokyo that few residents, much less visitors, fully experience. Having lived in there for a few years, and having some familiarity with the, shall we say, less than polite parts of Tokyo, I can attest that Eisler's portrayal is dead on. I look forward to continuing to follow Rain's life and adventures. My only question is, when will we see these characters on the big screen as well???
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Summary: The character stays with you...
Review: Like a good glass of wine, the character John Rain stayed with me after I finished the audiobook. Rain is an assassin with ethics and a highly developed sense of paranoia who specializes in natural-seeming kills and hand-to-hand engagements, and who seems to live only in hotels. The fight/kill scenes are exciting and intensely cinematic, and also seem very authentic. The Tokyo portrait is graphically, contextually beautiful. But what really intrigues me is the conflict between Rain's need for isolation that keeps him safe in a highly dangerous environment and the way he is drawn into emotionally connecting relationships that could kill him or his friends/lovers. I will definitely read Rain Fall (I wish it were out in audio) and look forward to the next sequel. I want to see how Eisler treats Rain's aging (Vietnam era) and future relationships. And hopefully there will be an equally strong female character who challenges him out of the safety zone of isolation for more than the length of a (well-written) sexual encounter.
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Summary: Outstanding, realistic thriller!
Review: Like book one of the series Rain Fall, Hard Rain is an exceptionally well-written, gritty, and realistic thriller. The setting is accurate, the martial techniques are legitimate, the characters believable, and the aftereffects of violence hauntingly real. The action is even more intense than the first one, the plot more intricate. Eisler offers intriguing insight into how men of violence live apart from every day folks. His characters, dialog, and plot are fabulously fun and very exciting. His martial arts experience and time spent in Japan really bring this novel to life.
All the major players from the first book are back: Tatsu (the crusading policeman), Yamaoto (the shadowy powerbroker), Harry (the computer hacker), and Midori (the beautiful jazz musician). To save himself and his friends Rain must delve deep into the underworld where exotic dancers seduce secrets from unwary business and government leaders and yakuza hit men face each other in mortal combat at underground fight clubs. Murakami the assassin is a dangerous and elusive adversary, Rain's toughest opponent yet!
This is a great read. Once I picked it up, I had a very hard time putting it down. Read all 362 pages thing in three days. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: Make sure you have a good block of time, because once you get started, you will not put it down. Barry Eisler has done it again! This book has it all - thick characters, complex interesting plot, martial arts, government corruption, the CIA, and oh yes, there's the matter of 'Crepuscular'. I will reveal the origins of the name of the great CIA/Japan storyline. It's from Travanian's book Shibumi. An apt allusion...this book is in its league. Enjoy!
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