John Rain is a Japanese-American professional assassin living in Tokyo, performing freelance jobs for the CIA and other various government organizations. He has a complicated past that explains how he got into the business and what motivates him, and unlike many other literary characters in this line of work, John Rain does have morals. His ground rules: he will not kill women, children, or non-principals. He’s quite cerebral, and enjoys the finer things in life, like high-end scotches and fine wine, fashionable clothing, and good jazz. So he appreciates a certain quality of life, while being hired to kill people. Which he does very well. He is graceful and strong, employing moves from various traditional Japanese fighting techniques he’s learned over the years, and he’s very intelligent and VERY smooth. It’s quite something to read as Rain prepares for and executes his target – we learn all about implementing anti-surveillance techniques, reading body language to anticipate moves, using all sorts of cool gadgets for detecting this or that, and planning the whole thing so that it looks like “natural causes”, which is Rain’s professional specialty.

Each book in Eisler’s six-book series has its own personality so they are quite distinct, unlike some series where the books all run together. I do recommend reading them in order, because the characters are introduced and developed as you move along. Most of them take place in Asian locales, and Eisler has a real talent for incorporating cultural tidbits into his storyline. The action takes place in teahouses, or old authentic Japanese noodle houses, or gyms where martial arts is practiced. The plot hurtles along at break-neck speed and keeps you pinned to your seat. So if you’re looking for an action/adventure/thriller novel with a little more depth, try the John Rain series.

The first book is Rain Fall, and the subsequent books are: Hard Rain, Rain Storm, Killing Rain, The Last Assassin, and Requiem for an Assassin. ~ Hilary