Rating: 
Summary: A successful thriller and a compelling murder mystery
Review: Mim Bracca, member of a famous rock and roll band and damages soul, returns home after alcohol takes over her life. However, as the past in the form of her estranged father shows up on her doorstep she makes no progress in giving up her drinking. On top of that she is being stalked by someone who appears to want more than just money.
Greg Rucka departs from his Atticus Kodiak series of thrillers. In this stand alone he explores the character of a woman living on the edge. Both a successful thriller and a compelling murder mystery, A FISTFUL OF RAIN reveals the prodigious writing talent of the author. A problem, however, is that the author cheats on the solution. The murderer comes completely out of left field. However, the book as a whole is a pleasant enough diversion.
Rating: 
Summary: Tense action-packed thriller
Review: Songwriter and guitarist Miriam (Mim) Bracca has been on tour with her band for the last year. Unfortunately, she has a severe problem with alcohol that causes her to have blackouts. After falling off the stage at one of the shows with no recollection of it, the band decides to replace her. On the way back to Portland from Australia, Mim holds true to form and drinks excessively on the flight. She arrives home not feeling very well, confronted with a man with a gun outside her door. He has her strip, puts her in the backseat, drives her around for a while, and then brings her back to her house. She calls the police to report the incident, but she can tell they don't really believe her. Shortly thereafter, pornographic pictures of Mim circulate on the Internet. Mim also has some family problems. Years earlier, her mother was run over by her father's truck. Her father got fifteen years in prison, but was just released on parole. Her brother is a drug dealer. Life seems like it can not get worse, but it does.When I started this book, I was not sure I would like it. A story about a hard rockin', messed up chick really didn't appeal to me. I have to say within a few pages I was hooked. Mim is a total mess, but she is a fully fleshed out emotional being. I felt a real connection to her. At times, I felt real stress while reading the story. It was a fast-moving, page-turning novel. Don't start it unless you have a chunk of time to devout to it. Rainy Portland, Oregon provides ideal imagery to Mim's life and sets a dark and somber mood. There was a really good surprise twist at the end.
Highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: A different perspective than the Kodiak novels
Review: This is not an Atticus Kodiak novel. But don't let that deter you. It's still filled with Rucka's smooth prose and lightning-fast pacing. It's a real page-turner. I read through it in two sittings. Considering my usual easy-to-distract manner, that's high praise. The biggest difference that I see from this book as opposed to the Kodiak novels is that this protagonist isn't in control of everything and doesn't have the same strengths as Kodiak. Atticus is cool and knows what he's doing. Mim is on a downhill drinking binge, has been kicked out of her band, and is facing a couple of horrifying issues back at home. There is a lot going on around here, but she's in no shape -- either mentally or physically -- to handle them. Yet she has a Never-Say-Die attitude that propels her through the events of the book towards its climax. She's not a victim. She's a survivor. In the end, this book is more a character study of a troubled woman than the more plot-driven thrillers of the Kodiak books. If you can't wait the year or two it'll take for the next Kodiak book to come out, give this one a try. You'll recognize the straightforward prose, but delight in something new outside the usual sphere of personal protection and natonal politics.
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