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The Detachment (John Rain #7)

by Barry Eisler (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 1,317 ratings · 189 reviews

John Rain is back. And ?the most charismatic assassin since James Bond? (San Francisco Chronicle) is up against his most formidable enemy yet: the nexus of political, military, media, and corporate factions known only as the Oligarchy. When legendary black ops veteran Colonel Scott ?Hort? Horton tracks Rain down in Tokyo, Rain can't resist the offer: a multi-million dollar...more

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Published (first published September 15th 2011)

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Nov 01, 2011 Simeon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thrillers

If you're new to John Rain, you don't need to read the older novels to enjoy this one, though it helps with returning characters. It's brilliant, realistic, and relevant. Eisler is a master of tension who takes great care in building subtle, memorable characters, through multiple perspectives, battles of will, a transformative killer's conscience, and so on. Superb spy thriller.

If you want details: four of the most dangerous badasses form a detachment. And then the the mayhem begins.

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Oct 12, 2012 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERALL RATING = 4 & 1/2 Stars

ANALYSIS: The Detachment is Barry Eisler’s ninth book and the first one to combine both his previous book characters. When the book was announced, it was also announced by the author’s move to the Indie side of publishing. This alone precipitated a heady mix of discussion and still is. For me while his move was intriguing from the business point of view as explained in his interview, it was more exciting to return to...more
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERALL RATING = 4 & 1/2 Stars

ANALYSIS: The Detachment is Barry Eisler’s ninth book and the first one to combine both his previous book characters. When the book was announced, it was also announced by the author’s move to the Indie side of publishing. This alone precipitated a heady mix of discussion and still is. For me while his move was intriguing from the business point of view as explained in his interview, it was more exciting to return to the world of John Rain, last seen in 2007’s Requeim for an Assassin. This book would also pick up the plot threads from Inside Out which was # 5 in my top 10 books of 2010. I was anticipating top notch action, clash of personalities and much more, I’m glad to say The Detachment delivers that and much more.

The Detachment begins by re-introducing John Rain who has been living a retired life of sorts but is still proficient enough to notice that there are people tailing him. Turns out that Daniel Larison and Ben Treven and two others have been asked by Colonel Scott Horton to recruit Rain for a particular mission. Rain accepts but not before showing why he’s being considered for a mission. The other person who is sought by them, is Dox and after Rain’s acceptance, he blindly agrees. The plot has them unite due to Horton's plan and they truly don't know whether he's telling the truth or just playing his games. Thus they set out to finish their tasks not knowing exactly whose goals they are advancing.

The book starts with a terrific premise and then rushes to give the reader an excellent thrill ride all the way. What I loved about the book was its characterization not only does it feature the return of John Rain but also has him mixing with Daniel Larison. With Larison & Rain, Barry has created two enigmatic and deadly individuals and it was a sheer pleasure to see how they would react to each other. To add to the mix there's Dox as well as Treven and this detachment becomes as stable as old dynamite. They are all lone wolfs who have to act as a team as they are given a substantial amount to do so and are told to kill three people to foil a plot which aims to derail the America as we know of it today.

Another highlight is the character interactions as they showcase the psyche of each individual which is a bonus for ever Eisler fan to read. Through out the story the reader is shown a tremendous glimpse in to the life of a covert operative both official and mercenary. The action in this book is almost nonstop as the author lays about his set pieces and in between them gives the reader dollops of character intrigue. The plot-twists can be a bit predictable however do not detract much from the read. They however will have the reader turning pages to see how it all ends, as for me I read the entire book in one sitting on the day I received it. The prose is very tight and does not waste the reader’s time in extra details however it isn’t so spartan as well not to develop the complete picture. While on the subject of details, it can safely said that the author did his research very well and all the minute facts add to the strength of the subject matter.

For fans of Rain & Larison, this book is a goldmine as we get to see them collide with each other and I'm not telling how it all ends, Ben Treven the protagonist of two previous books gets a more secondary role but I'm not complaining as this was a bit expected. He however still plays a crucial role in certain events which sway how the chips line up. Overall the way things end it does seem that there might be further books written about this cast and I for one will be glad to read them.

While this book deserves the praise it gets, there are some points which cannot be overlooked, the biggest plot hole was the lack of a perceivable enemy and while the book does explain a lot in the end. I felt that the author is definitely trying to link some real life happenings within the fictional nature of this plot. While this was done very smoothly, I’m sure there are readers out there who do not appreciate such subtext. The climax of the book is something which will cause fans to have differences of opinion in regards to the path taken by the author however to discuss it, would be a huge spoiler. Personally for me it felt right so I don’t think it was a wrong move on the author’s part but again some readers might beg to differ.

CONCLUSION: If you like thrillers with action, terrific plots and great characters then The Detachment is the book for you. Even if you are a newbie reader who’s a bit hesitant to start out with this book, don’t be worried as the author gives enough of the back story about the characters for all newcomers to understand their complex psyche and enjoy the book at the same time. The Detachment managed to give me a terrific thrill ride while at the same time overcoming my anticipation for the book. In this regards you can’t ask for more from any author. Give it a try if you find yourself bored reading the same thrillers over and over again.(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Will Wittmann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another great book in the Rain series, and an enjoyable read. That being said i found this book to be a bit of a let down compared to the last three books. My complaints are that this book seemed to be a bit preachy, and while i enjoy politcal thrillers/assassins (i.e. Mitch Rapp)this seemed more like Eisler wrote the book to make a point. Also this book lacked that classic John Rain rampage moment that has become his trademark.

IMO this is in the bottom 2 or 3 books of the series

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Mar 12, 2013 Mark Chisnell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first became aware of Barry Eisler after the controversy surrounding his decision to turn down a serious amount of money from a traditional publisher, in favour of bringing the books out himself. Subsequently, he accepted a deal with one of Amazon’s publishing imprints, and hasn’t looked back. Meanwhile, I became a fan of his blog; his writing on book marketing, the publishing industry and politics is always engaging, entertaining and usually right on the money.

I’m not sure why it has taken me...more I first became aware of Barry Eisler after the controversy surrounding his decision to turn down a serious amount of money from a traditional publisher, in favour of bringing the books out himself. Subsequently, he accepted a deal with one of Amazon’s publishing imprints, and hasn’t looked back. Meanwhile, I became a fan of his blog; his writing on book marketing, the publishing industry and politics is always engaging, entertaining and usually right on the money.

I’m not sure why it has taken me this long to try one of his thrillers – I think it was the lack of availability as a reasonably priced e-book, something that Eisler is planning to fix. But having finally got to it, I’m happy to report that Eisler deserved every penny of whatever money Amazon threw at him – The Detachment is an excellent book.

Eisler has been writing about the assassin John Rain for a while, and this is the latest of those books. I guess it’s not an ideal place to start as I came into it with none of Rain’s backstory – but it didn’t matter. The book works perfectly well as a stand-alone thriller, while the writer still encouraged me to go back and read the earlier ones by making some adroit references to Rain’s previous adventures.

Barry Eisler’s bio says he worked for the CIA in a covert position, and it shows. Or, at least it shows as far as I – a civilian – can tell. The book has an incredibly authentic feel, that’s the first thing. The second is that it rips along at pace, with a rock solid and all-to believable underlying conspiracy at the centre of the plot. John Rain, the conflicted killer is a terrific central protagonist, and the other characters that make up The Detachment are all well drawn and keep you guessing. My pulse was racing in the final set-piece shoot up – only the denouement of Argo has matched that recently. I hope we see more of Rain, and the other characters in The Detachment, but I will most certainly be reading more Eisler either way.
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Feb 10, 2013 Kaje Harper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: intense, mystery, romance-m-f

Barry Eisler manages a difficult challenge in his "Rain" books, almost like keeping a knife balanced on its edge. His MC, John Rain, is an assassin. And although Rain has his limits (no women, no children) he is a brutal and cold killer. As the book opens, he casually kills two men for the sin of following him and representing a potential threat. No questions, no investigation of who they might work for, just snap - dead. And yet I like Rain and he remains a sympathetic character. That's skillfu...more

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Oct 10, 2012 P.D. Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Barry Eisler book I read and I had high expectations! As an author, I’d heard a lot about Eisler with the ebook debates and his subsequent signing with Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer. Knowing his protagonist was an assassin/ex-assassin was an added incentive to read his books (because I’d just released a book with a female assassin), plus I knew his books were extremely popular. Done deal.

Anyway, The Detachment did deliver. Although it’s book seven in his series (and I generally...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Alain Burrese rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Detachment" by Barry Eisler brings back assassin John Rain and the former Marine sniper, Dox, from Eisler's first six popular novels and pairs them with the covert operator and hero of Eisler's last two books, Ben Treven, and the deadly Larison from Eisler's most recent "Inside Out." These four, all expert and experienced operators and killers, are thrust together to form a detachment to stop a coup that's being launched on American soil. Black Ops veteran Colonel Scott "Hort" Horton from p...more "The Detachment" by Barry Eisler brings back assassin John Rain and the former Marine sniper, Dox, from Eisler's first six popular novels and pairs them with the covert operator and hero of Eisler's last two books, Ben Treven, and the deadly Larison from Eisler's most recent "Inside Out." These four, all expert and experienced operators and killers, are thrust together to form a detachment to stop a coup that's being launched on American soil. Black Ops veteran Colonel Scott "Hort" Horton from previous novels brings the four together for the mission, but it's up to the four to figure out just what the mission is, if they can, before being killed, or killing each other. The premise makes for an exciting fast paced yarn that is fun to read and keeps you wondering what is what and who is who throughout.

I'm a friend of Eisler's, and was looking forward to him writing about Rain and Dox again. As a former Army sniper, I have a kindred spirit for the former Marine. I really liked his part in this story, and it was great to see him back in action, as well as providing some of the comical relief when things get tough. Who says a tough guy can't have a sense of humor? The way the four men interacted with each other moved the talk along well, and the trust, or lack of it, element of the story kept it interesting. Sometimes these interactions were as full of "action" as the actual action scenes, just a different type. The way the characters have developed over the series, and the camaraderie between them, and a look into their psyche, enables the reader to better understand these men, their lives, their pains, their insecurities, as well as their strengths.

As a writer, Eisler did another thing I found interesting. When focused on Rain, the narration is in first person, but when writing about Dox, Treven, and Larison, it is in third person. I found this interesting, and it really makes the story a John Rain thriller as the title suggests, rather than a Ben Treven book. And Rain is the primary character, even though the others all play important roles. Eisler, as always, is in top form when writing about covert ops and keeps his locations accurate and realistic. His experience and research pays off.

"The Detachment" is a terrific thriller with John Rain and Dox back in action. The addition of Treven and Larison added to the excitement and I'm looking forward to seeing where this detachment of special op professionals goes next.
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Jul 20, 2012 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, espionage, thriller

Barry Eisler knows how to write spooks. First with the John Rain series and again with the Ben Treven books, Eisler proves that he is a master at describing the crazy world of the assassin. Surveillance and counter-surveillance, the logistics of travel, and the loneliness of being a lone wolf could be sheer tedium in the hands of a hack writer, but Eisler never fails to write exciting yet grounded scenes.

In "The Detachment," Eisler brings together his four favorite anti-heroes in a book reminisc...more Barry Eisler knows how to write spooks. First with the John Rain series and again with the Ben Treven books, Eisler proves that he is a master at describing the crazy world of the assassin. Surveillance and counter-surveillance, the logistics of travel, and the loneliness of being a lone wolf could be sheer tedium in the hands of a hack writer, but Eisler never fails to write exciting yet grounded scenes.

In "The Detachment," Eisler brings together his four favorite anti-heroes in a book reminiscent of the Magnificent Seven - it's not every day so many lethal folks join forces (in an admittedly loose alliance). John Rain - the half-Japanese assassin who specializes in causing death "by natural causes." Larison - the murderous loner who kills as easily as he breathes. Ben Treven - the young, still reasonably idealistic government man. And Dox - the bumpkin-sniper with a heart of gold.

These four men are united by the mysterious intelligence man Hort, who holds a lot of cards yet needs their help to make a few key threats to the U.S. government disappear. Hort, however, has his own agenda known only to him, and "the Detachment" is about to learn how intricate Hort's webs are.

This is all first-rate stuff . . . except for Dox. I appreciate the need for Dox as Rain, Larison, and Treven are all pretty grim guys. Dox is supposed to serve as comic relief in addition to serving as the group's dedicated sniper. Unfortunately, for all Eisler's skills as a writer of thrillers, he's just not that funny. (Eisler is similarly handicapped when it comes to writing tortured romance - John Rain's plaintive "I can change - I know I can!" from an earlier novel still jars - but fortunately there is virtually no romance in "The Detachment.") His jokes are flat and never rise to the reception they receive in the book.

I appreciate the need for some humor in this type of novel - otherwise it risks getting too heavy. But Dox is not the vehicle for it, and the man needs to have an industrial accident. I'm sure Larison can arrange it. (less)

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Jul 06, 2012 Robert Rosenthal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, a disclosure: I thought the original Rain series, or at least books 3-6, were hands down the best I'd read in the espionage-thriller genre. So I approached Rain's return with excitement . . . and a bit of dread. What if this was a disappointment? After all, when an author decides to turn away from a successful franchise, it can only mean s/he's grown tired of the characters and/or run out of plot lines. Fortunately, neither is the case with The Detachment. Eisler not only returns us to th...more First, a disclosure: I thought the original Rain series, or at least books 3-6, were hands down the best I'd read in the espionage-thriller genre. So I approached Rain's return with excitement . . . and a bit of dread. What if this was a disappointment? After all, when an author decides to turn away from a successful franchise, it can only mean s/he's grown tired of the characters and/or run out of plot lines. Fortunately, neither is the case with The Detachment. Eisler not only returns us to the world of Rain and Dox, he works in the protags from his post-Rain novels, Treven and Larison, for a Magnificent Seven -- okay, make that Four -- quality tale. Dox's quips and repartee are if anything even better than in the first Rain novels, leading to many a laugh out loud moment and to welcome respite (albeit brief) from the suspense.

Yes, there is the usual tight pacing and the action set-pieces that seem to follow one on another without ever feeling hurried or contrived. Yes, there are the expected plot twists and turns and the more than plausible threat to life-as-we-know-it. But what this book delivers in spades that very few others in the genre manage is a series of conflicting motivations among the 'Magnificent Four' protags that are complex but never murky; and totally believable, flowing naturally from each character's temperament and history. This creates an undercurrent of tension throughout -- like a car with bad tires hurtling down a curvy, treacherous road, we're just waiting for something or someone to blow. This complexity of motives reaches its epitome in the character of Hort, who's ever ready explanations are so convincing that, like the four protagonists, we're truly left not knowing what to believe.

On the negative side, there is perhaps a touch too much sentimentality played out in the trope of the dangerous gunman growing older and increasingly susceptible to guilt over his past, trying to set things right and earn some restitution for his sins (think Shane, or again, the Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai). But even here, Eisler is for the most part convincing and guides us to a resolution satisfyingly different from most thrillers.

If you're unfamiliar with the characters from previous novels, you will miss a lot, more in the way of color than depth. But I suspect the novel will still prove compelling and enjoyable. So my advice -- read it! Read them all! In order if possible.

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Jan 13, 2012 Carey Parrish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Rain has returned. New York Times bestselling author Barry Eisler has crafted a new thriller featuring his popular protagonist that is impossible to put down.

Perhaps the most exciting entry to date in the Rain series, The Detachment brings a mixture of elements together which provides more action that any James Bond film can boast. When John Rain is approached by former black ops veteran Colonel Scott Horton, with the notion of bringing about the demise of a trio of powerful players who ar...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, america, five-star-fiction, suspense-thriller

Yeah baby. It's love. Once I got past the preliminaries this was can't-put-it-down good for me. The end was a little too pedestrian, but the story still has enough going for it that I want to give it five stars.

This is a hybrid, a sort of harmonic convergence of characters from two series, although they don't always converge most harmonically. John Rain and his buddy Dox team up with Ben Treven and Larison at the behest of Colonel Horton, who offers them a pay-off they can't turn down.
The dyna...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Douglas White rated it 4 of 5 stars

John Rain and Doz are back, and this time working with Treven and Larsion from Eisler's previous two books. While there are some differences between the first Rain books and this one, if you are a fan of Rain, you should enjoy this story.

What are the differences, first, I think that The Detachment is much more of a political thriller than the original books. This fact did not bother me, since I feel that was the way the Rain stories were trending, and since this story merges the Rain books with...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Wanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Eisler's novels. You just fall into them and don't ever want to come up for air. They always end too soon.

John Rain and Dox have a unique and not entirely easy partnership, at least from Rain's Point of View. Partnerships are not the norm for these operatives, but in "The Detachment" the partnership with Larison, Trevan, Dox and Rain is an entirely new experience for all of them. At one point Rain thinks, "I ever work with a team again, just kill me, and then had to stifle a crazy laugh b...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rain is as fun... and deadly... as ever. Dox is, well, Dox. This was a fun read and it was nice to return to the Rain universe. I've never liked Treven's character, not even in Fault Line. He's too much the loyal super-soldier and the books with him seem much more like good but formulaic spy thriller stuff whereas the Rain books have always seemed more as if they could be real and be describing a real operator. There's also at least one point in this book where Treven should have been shot.

This...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Tdewhirst rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“The Detachment” by Barry Eisler is the first John Rain book since 2007 and seventh book in the series.

Eisler brings together the Ben Treven series (“Fault Line” and “ Inside Out”) with John Rain in this masterpiece of political maneuvering and manipulation. Treven and Larison are asked by Colonel Scott Horton (of the Treven series) to track Rain and Dox down so that the two pairs can team up to make some necessary “adjustments” to the current administration who are out to terrorize the America...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Detachment is pretty detached, it is flat and cerebral and my heart never beat a little faster. I actually skipped whole pages, a first for me in a John Rain novel. It's as if wanting to tell the political scariness of contemporary America is so important, and so dry, and so hard to say clearly that the story must be told via individuals and places are just running around in sere fields surrounding a faraway school with barely glimpsed bouncy lives of children. John Rain, where are you? How...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Kendell Watts rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was Eisler's best work of the last few books he has produced. It was good to see him get back to his roots with the inclusion of Rain and Dox.
However, as with his last few attempts, there are several spots in the story where he goes way overboard with his leftist agenda trying to force feed his opinions to the reader. Two, out of the blue, references to George Bush are just an example.
As far as characters go, I love the way he rounded out Larison as well as the usually antics of Dox--who r...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Mark Rubinstein rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, favorite-books

I’ve read all the John Rain thrillers over the last few years. They are extremely engrossing. The details of Tokyo and Japanese culture are incredible. Eisler paints pictures of the city and other locales (Europe and the United States) in such a colorful way, it makes you feel you’re actually there.

His descriptions of John Rain’s precautionary methods, his shadowy lifestyle, and how Rain carries out his killing assignments are chilling, ingenious, and believable. His relationships with CIA rogue...more I’ve read all the John Rain thrillers over the last few years. They are extremely engrossing. The details of Tokyo and Japanese culture are incredible. Eisler paints pictures of the city and other locales (Europe and the United States) in such a colorful way, it makes you feel you’re actually there.

His descriptions of John Rain’s precautionary methods, his shadowy lifestyle, and how Rain carries out his killing assignments are chilling, ingenious, and believable. His relationships with CIA rogues, renegades, and other assassins are drawn with skill and complexity.

Even more complicated are John Rain’s relationships with his lover Midori and with his Mossad agent-lover, Delilah.

In these novels, Eisler got me to experience something I wasn’t certain could happen: I cared deeply about a paid assassin who is a loner and a man without a country and seemingly without a conscience.

I recently read The Detachment, the latest John Rain novel, and Eisler managed to keep up the same level of tension and suspense as in the previous stories.

I’ve read all the John Rain thrillers over the last few years. They are extremely engrossing. The details of Tokyo and Japanese culture are incredible. Eisler paints pictures of the city and other locales (Europe and the United States) in such a colorful way, it makes you feel you’re actually there.

His descriptions of John Rain’s precautionary methods, his shadowy lifestyle, and how Rain carries out his killing assignments are chilling, ingenious, and believable. His relationships with CIA rogues, renegades, and other assassins are drawn with skill and complexity.

Even more complicated are John Rain’s relationships with his lover Midori and with his Mossad agent-lover, Delilah.

In these novels, Eisler got me to experience something I wasn’t certain could happen: I cared deeply about a paid assassin who is a loner and a man without a country and seemingly without a conscience.

I recently read The Detachment, the latest John Rain novel, and Eisler managed to keep up the same level of tension and suspense as in the previous stories.

-- Mark Rubinstein, author, Mad Dog House (October 2012)(less)

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Jan 12, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I started The Detachment, I suspected it would be one of those macho, blood-soaked punch fests. Not that there's anything wrong with those. If there's enough to engage me, I'll read any kind of book through to the end. That just wasn't the case in this installment of Eisler's series featuring covert assassin John Rain. I stopped in Chapter 8.

I was listening to the audiobook performed by the author himself. Eisler has one of those agreeable, slightly scratchy baritones. He does a reasonable...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Larry Hoffer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Into everyone's life, a little John Rain should fall. John Rain is the deadly yet sensitive assassin who has been the protagonist in six of Barry Eisler's previous novels. He finally returns after a hiatus of several years, during which Eisler wrote two stand-alone novels. Happily, Rain—and Eisler—are at the top of their form yet again.

After deciding to get out of the life as an assassin-for-hire, Rain has returned to Tokyo and resumed his old habits of martial arts training, listening to jazz,...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: assassins-as-protagonists, assassins-for-hire

All right, so I appear to be hunting for a specific character: from Jack Reacher (Lee Child), to Jonathan Quinn (Brett Battles), onto John Rain (Barry Eisler). From ex military, to cleaner, to assassin.

How do we as readers gain empathy for a killer? Simple enough, join John Rain in his voyage from assassin for hire to conscientious killer (kill bad guys) to wanting to get out of the business...but unwilling to leave his perspective of the world (no worries, this transformation takes place acros...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Mysterious Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, crime

#7 in the John Rain series. Professional assassin John Rain and long time associate, Ex-Marine sniper Dox, are joined with the characters from Eisler's Ben Treven series #2, Inside Out (2010), that had Ben Treven searching for Daniel Larison under the direction of Col. Scott "Hort" Horton.

John Rain series - John Rain tries to avoid life as an assassin until approached with an offer difficult to refuse. Colonel Scott Horton wants the group to assassinate three targets who are attempting a coup. R...more

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Jul 04, 2012 David Bergsland rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just read this book I'm ashamed to say. Worse, I enjoyed it. I got into it and wanted to see what happened to the characters.

But the characters were four amoral, slightly conflicted, beasts of men with enough humor and compassion so you could vaguely hope that they would finally make a right decision in their sorry lives. They were made slightly appealing by the fact that their governmental bosses were nastier and had less character than they did.

Supposedly the person who hired them was saving...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Tyson Adams rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit that this was my first Barry Eisler book. Sure, I've read plenty of his comments about writing, e-books, the rise of the independent authors, his love of internet memes; but this was the first time I've been able to grab one of his books to read.

Before I comment on the book itself, I just wanted to say that this was a library book that I borrowed. Yes this point is significant. With the current turmoil over Amazon becoming a publisher there was a lot of talk about boycotting and...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Joe Robles rated it 3 of 5 stars

This super crossover was like the justice league of Eisler characters. This was so much better than the last politically motivated thriller he wrote. I unfortunately felt it was still lacking. The characters each thought too much alike to make it too exciting. Every character arrives at the same conclusion way too often. I loved the action sequences and the Rain parts, but Larison and Treven I could have done without. Though I was happy to see that every character grew in this book. Overall, I j...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Lorin Cary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Rain, an assassin, is a formidable protagonist and Barry Eisler has created a imaginative tale here. Imbued with a conscience about his past deeds, Rain is drawn into a plot to prevent a coup from overthrowing the US government. Suffice it to say that there are plots within plots. Rain links up with three other men in the same line of work here. What is marvelous about the book is how Eisler has drawn upon recent events to craft a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, one with edges of it-could-ha...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been a couple of years since I last read a John Rain book - about the same length of time John Rain's been away from his line of business. He's a little rusty - missed the major plot twist that was foreseeable almost from the moment he agreed to take his first assignment in more than two years.

Other than that, I very much enjoyed this latest instalment in the crazy lives of John Rain and Dox. Their new "partners" - Trevin and Larison - add another layer of complexity to the story and every...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Giovanni Gelati rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a huge of Barry Eisler’s work, I make no bones about it, and so I am going to keep it short. In this novel he tackles many things, melding the thoughts and feelings of four different killers, four different Alpha males, four totally different viewpoints and even more agendas in this novel and he does it seamlessly. The read is taunt, moving and intense. It was hard to separate myself from the read until I finished it.
I was fortunate enough to interview Barry Eisler on my blogtalk radio sho...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Clyde rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, suspense-thriller

John Rain hasn’t killed anyone for four years. He gets recalled from retirement to stop an attempted coup against the US Government. But this job is too big for Rain. Under the guidance of a black-ops specialist and veteran, Colonel Scott 'Hort' Horton, he puts together a four-man team of killers.
Eisler surprised me in this story. Of course it has lots of suspense and action, including some stone-cold killing -- wouldn’t be a John Rain story otherwise. But, just when I thought the story had sett...more

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Dec 20, 2011 Ken Cady rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barry Eisler seemingly wanted his character John Rain to retire quietly, but readers were not happy as Eisler produced new books with new characters. So now they are all back, in one suped up adventure to save America. Eisler is saving the real America, not the phony flag waving kind where people give their rights up readily in order to feel protected from terrorism. He creates a suitably believable threat, throws in deceit, treachery, and death, and entertains us at the same time he shows us ho...more

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About Barry Eisler

Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center along the way. Eisler's bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year, have been included in numerous "...more

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Books by Barry Eisler

Extremis (previously published as The Last Assassin (John Rain, #5))

Redemption Games (previously published as Killing Rain/One Last Kill (John Rain, #4))

Winner Take All (previously published as Rain Storm/Choke Point (John Rain, #3))

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12045448-the-detachment?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328302601l/12045448.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12045448-the-detachment?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Detachment by Barry Eisler[/url]

The Detachment (John Rain #7)

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