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116th out of 438 books
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1,532 voters
A Lonely Resurrection (John Rain #2)
by
Barry Eisler (Goodreads Author)
Previously published as Hard Rain and Blood from Blood
All John Rain wants is to get out of the killing business. But with his discretion, his reliability, and his unique talent for death by "natural causes," no one is willing to let him just retire. So when an old nemesis from the Japanese national police force comes to him with a new job--eliminate Murakami, a killer even...more
All John Rain wants is to get out of the killing business. But with his discretion, his reliability, and his unique talent for death by "natural causes," no one is willing to let him just retire. So when an old nemesis from the Japanese national police force comes to him with a new job--eliminate Murakami, a killer even...more
Kindle Edition, New Edition, 352 pages
Published
February 5th 2013
by Barry Eisler
(first published June 15th 2003)
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How does a killer live his life? He is cautious in the extreme.
Enemies could be anywhere, friends are scarce, love is a hazard.
John Rain had one love, and one only—Midori. But he could no longer see her. She lived in another country altogether, and Rain was getting older, planning to retire.
Even so, he knew he could not retire in Midori’s arms. She thought he was dead.
And so he was. Each job, however, did not seem to be bringing him closer to retirement. Instead, he seemed to be finding his wa...more
Enemies could be anywhere, friends are scarce, love is a hazard.
John Rain had one love, and one only—Midori. But he could no longer see her. She lived in another country altogether, and Rain was getting older, planning to retire.
Even so, he knew he could not retire in Midori’s arms. She thought he was dead.
And so he was. Each job, however, did not seem to be bringing him closer to retirement. Instead, he seemed to be finding his wa...more
Full disclosure: I could accurately be labeled a 'gorehound' when it comes to movies. Give me viscera and splatter realized through practical effects, and I will crow with happiness. I've lost count of how many times I gave a resounding YES! in the middle of movie theater while others cringed from the gory spectacle on screen (the last time was during, oh yes, "Prometheus").
All of this said, there were moments when "Hard Rain" disturbed me.
I'm not sure what it was. I have read gobs of scenes in...more
All of this said, there were moments when "Hard Rain" disturbed me.
I'm not sure what it was. I have read gobs of scenes in...more
Listened to this audiobook, read by Dick Hill who does a terrific job with pronouncing Japanese. At least it sounds authentic. Not having any clue, I wouldn’t know, but the perception of authenticity is as good as reality. And, of course, I’ll misspell all the names.
Eisler recreates an authentic Japanese world and culture, at least the seamier side -- apparently, as again, I have no experience with reality. But then, the book is a chimera, and creates a duality from contrast of Japanese culture...more
Eisler recreates an authentic Japanese world and culture, at least the seamier side -- apparently, as again, I have no experience with reality. But then, the book is a chimera, and creates a duality from contrast of Japanese culture...more
I liked the scenarios and Rain himself better in this one. The writing is overall more intense. Rain uses everything in his box of tricks. He doesn't mind acting like a fool or suffering a little humiliation if it gets the job done. He's not uber-cool all the time. He's direct and doesn't put on unnecessary airs. His assessment of danger and opponents is logical and focused from a lifetime of experience. His ability to be such a normal person means that one of his greatest assets is that people...more
The book is not well paced. In fact it sort of drags. Eisler enjoys using metaphor for describing the scenes around him. He does have a nice touch for it and you do get a good feeling for Toyko as he describes it to you. And he describes it a lot. I would have preferred less of background description, but that is a matter of taste.
Eisler occasionally writes in excruciating step by step detail the various movements of his character. On the one hand, it is in keeping with the character who is an...more
Eisler occasionally writes in excruciating step by step detail the various movements of his character. On the one hand, it is in keeping with the character who is an...more
The publisher backed at least 5 John Rain books for publication, and this one has a high enough Goodreads rating that I feel like I missed something.
At one point, a cop and John Rain are talking. The cop asks Rain if he knows what "pride fighting" is.
Normal conversational answer: "The mixed martial art? Sure."
Book answer: "Sure," I said. The Pride Fighting Championship is a mixed martial arts sport, based in Japan, with televised bouts held every two months or so. The idea behind the so-called...more
At one point, a cop and John Rain are talking. The cop asks Rain if he knows what "pride fighting" is.
Normal conversational answer: "The mixed martial art? Sure."
Book answer: "Sure," I said. The Pride Fighting Championship is a mixed martial arts sport, based in Japan, with televised bouts held every two months or so. The idea behind the so-called...more
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
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
Jan 14, 2012
Lance Charnes
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of the series, fans of espionage stories
Shelves:
fiction-mystery-intrigue
The second installment of Eisler's John Rain series offers more of the same, but less. The hit man-antihero is once again embroiled in the corruption and crime omnipresent in Eisler's portrayal of Japan, once again caught between yakuza on one hand and the CIA on another, and once again finding inventive ways to kill the people who become threats. There is much double- and triple-dealing, skulking about in dark shadows, and conspiracy enough to spare. This is the good stuff.
Where Hard Rain falls...more
Where Hard Rain falls...more
I'm torn between "liked it" and "really liked it" but as I gave the first book in the series 3 stars I've acquiesced and thrown this a 4. Like Rain Fall Hard Rain is an experience in cultural musings from an American/Japanese contract killer. Interspersed with these reflections on Japanese culture are brutal and mortal confrontations that leave the reader/listener in awe of Rain's capacity for calm in the face of circumstances that would leave the rest of us in knock kneed terror.
Eisler does a b...more
Eisler does a b...more
An entertaining, easy read.
John Rain returns as a reformed assassin-for-hire who still plies the same trade but for more personal - and more noble - reasons. "Noble" might be a stretch... suffice it to say our slightly amoral protagonist never kills anyone the reader wouldn't be okay with seeing killed. Add to that Rain's excellent taste in Scotch* and you've got a hit man that won't alienate a reader's sensibilities overmuch.
The overall story was interesting but ultimately unremarkable, leaving...more
John Rain returns as a reformed assassin-for-hire who still plies the same trade but for more personal - and more noble - reasons. "Noble" might be a stretch... suffice it to say our slightly amoral protagonist never kills anyone the reader wouldn't be okay with seeing killed. Add to that Rain's excellent taste in Scotch* and you've got a hit man that won't alienate a reader's sensibilities overmuch.
The overall story was interesting but ultimately unremarkable, leaving...more
I found Hard Rain a lot better than the first book. Somehow, it felt more personal for the main character, John Rain (who is a half American half Japanese hired assassin).
Instead of just being hired out, he also does a little side investigating of his own. One of his friends, Harry, who is a tech genius, has gotten together with Yukiko, a hostess. John doubts that Yukiko is sincere about the relationship, and suspects that she may have ulterior motives. However, he has to do it quietly, as he d...more
Instead of just being hired out, he also does a little side investigating of his own. One of his friends, Harry, who is a tech genius, has gotten together with Yukiko, a hostess. John doubts that Yukiko is sincere about the relationship, and suspects that she may have ulterior motives. However, he has to do it quietly, as he d...more
The second John Rain book and the action keeps on rolling. I love the John Rain character, a half American half Japanese killer for hire disillusioned by his time in both cultures. He is a realist and a killer, yet has not lost his humanity or a deepset sense of justice. I really enjoyed how this book piggybacked the end of the first in the series and continued to follow the loose ends left in the first book. The thing that stands out the most for me in Eisler's writing is the descriptive nature...more
I like Lee Childs's Reacher series, and I've been looking for something comparable. John Rain's adventures are an enjoyable read...
But in the end I can't say I like the character. Rain has his philosophical moments, but he's too amoral for me. Throughout the first and second books, I kept expecting him to rethink his code as an assassin: he won't kill children; he won't kill women; he'll kill only principals rather than commit a murder that just sends a message. And he ends up breaking his rules...more
But in the end I can't say I like the character. Rain has his philosophical moments, but he's too amoral for me. Throughout the first and second books, I kept expecting him to rethink his code as an assassin: he won't kill children; he won't kill women; he'll kill only principals rather than commit a murder that just sends a message. And he ends up breaking his rules...more
Terrific story! The author, Mr Eisler has done an incredible job of research in writing the book. He makes you feel you are in Tokyo or wherever the story takes you. And the frequent use of Japanese and other languages adds a great deal - he almost always interprets so the reader is well informed. You can tell I enjoyed it and I must admit I went out and purchased three more of his books in the Rain series. I am reading the second book now, (actually the first in the series) having also read one...more
Oct 23, 2012
David
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
body_parts,
brutal_reality,
corruption,
doomed_lovers,
frisky,
japan,
life_as_a_battle,
murder,
spy
Eisler’s Rain novels are action-packed page turners that make you feel as though you’ve actually visited Tokyo. As an assassin, Rain is cold-blooded, but as a narrator he wears his heart on his sleeve. Despite the fact that the plot of this one is a bit muddled, it still moves like a Bourne film and you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat. It’s best to read the books in the order they were written, but it’s not essential (this is book #2). I look forward to the day when one of them actuall...more
*3,5 stars*
Podem ler a opinião completa em português, no blog Floresta de Livros.
After reading the excerpt (+80 pages) I was really into the story and wanted to read the rest. It took me almost a year to be able to buy the book, so I'm guessing the time apart wasn't the best. Maybe if I'd read this all from the start, I would've enjoyed it even more.
The book has a good story, complex and not always predictable. Fleshed-out characters, that aren't good nor bad (and this is good for the reader tha...more
Podem ler a opinião completa em português, no blog Floresta de Livros.
After reading the excerpt (+80 pages) I was really into the story and wanted to read the rest. It took me almost a year to be able to buy the book, so I'm guessing the time apart wasn't the best. Maybe if I'd read this all from the start, I would've enjoyed it even more.
The book has a good story, complex and not always predictable. Fleshed-out characters, that aren't good nor bad (and this is good for the reader tha...more
Dec 02, 2010
Kelanth, numquam risit ubi dracones vivunt
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
action-thriller
Secondo episodio del killer di professione "John Rain". Ancora amabilmente ambientato nei sobborghi e nei quartieri più affascinanti di Tokyo, ritroviamo il nostro personaggio alle prese con un nuovo "incarico" che non ha richiesto personalmente. Il libro inizia quasi dove finiva il precedente e possiamo dire che ne è la diretta conseguenza; ritroviamo il nostro John che ha dovuto trasferirsi a Osaka per far perdere le proprie tracce e con il pensiero di inscenare la propria morte per poter scom...more
#2 of the Rain series- I am definitely on the fence on this one. First, the good things…Eisler is a master at describing fight scenes so that it’s almost like watching it on a TV screen. He walks thru moves like a color commentator. I enjoy reading about Japan, it’s culture, the language. You would think the author is a native. He is American. What bothers me is what happens with a lot of authors who write series. They don’t give recaps about the history of the series. This is frustrating for th...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
In this second in the series, John Rain is trying to get out of the assassination business, but circumstances and people prevent him from doing so. I really like the series ~ it's a great premise and makes for exciting reading ~ but the constant refrain of universal corruption in governments and politicians is a bit depressing (though I don't doubt it's mostly true (is that like "mostly dead"?)) ~ so I think I'm going to wait awhile before picking up the third in the series. I mean, a little Rai...more
May 24, 2013
Darrell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2013-reading-challenge
This series is about the highly conflicted assassin, John Rain. In this story he is still in Japan but has left Tokyo after the events in book one. In this story he is making plans to leave Japan but is asked to help on a case with the Japanese FBI. He must infiltrate the Tokyo underground fighting scene but along the way he must face the issues of his past and try and help a close associate/friend.
This story is fast paced and filled with action but the most enjoyable, for me, is the Tokyo cult...more
This story is fast paced and filled with action but the most enjoyable, for me, is the Tokyo cult...more
This is the second book written in the series and is a sequel to the first. I found it too similar to the first to be really enjoyable. In fact, I almost quit reading it when I was 90% done because I was just getting tired of the same text repeated over and over with little variation. I'll try a third one by Eisler, bur if it's more of the same that will be it. One in the first 2 in the series is a good read, but the two together makes reading the second tedious.
Excellent followup to what was a slow start to the series. Loved it! The plot to this book and these types of books are right up my alley. It's the culture around delivering the plot that makes or breaks it for me. I love to have the author deliver a lot of factual cultural reference that shows he or she really did some homework and put the effort in to make it as realistic as possible. Eisler definitely lived up to that expectation with this series
This book takes us once again into the John Rain series where we meet a jazz fan
a malt connoisseur and an honorable assassin. Once again John is dragged out of
retirement by blackmail aand revenge. Many of the characters in this book where
brought to life in Rain Fall. Again we go into a world of spooks, double crosses
and expert terminations.. Another page turner from Barry Eisler.
a malt connoisseur and an honorable assassin. Once again John is dragged out of
retirement by blackmail aand revenge. Many of the characters in this book where
brought to life in Rain Fall. Again we go into a world of spooks, double crosses
and expert terminations.. Another page turner from Barry Eisler.
I enjoyed this book, but really it was just more of the same as the first book. Yes we know he is good at slipping from those trailing him, we know it because he does it once a chapter, in great detail. I imagine he does it in the third book as well. There is maybe 4 chapters of new material in this book. The action scenes are well written, in fact the book is well written and an enjoyable read, just a lot of the same.
Having reread "Rain Fall" (2002), the first of the series of six novels, I've finally gotten around to the series. John Rain, the child of a Japanese father and an American mother, grew up in two cultures, but was never a part of either. Largely as a result of that isolated state, he has worked as an assassin, though one with rules (no women, children, or collateral targets). "Hard Rain" (2004) places him in the middle of a war among the CIA, the Japanese crime world, and the police, and it revo...more
eu já tinha lido, há algum tempo, o primeiro livro desta série, que achei mais ou menos. acontece que, mesmo não tendo achado o livro ótimo, ele foi um livro que deixou mais recordações que o normal, e eu vivia lembrando dele, com vontade de ler mais da história -- então me rendi, e comprei o volume 2 pra ler. adorei, adorei! este livro é bem sperior ao primeiro! tudo flui tão bem que li tudinho em dois dias bastante movimentados, em filas, em taxis, em esperas, no cabeleireiro, e à noite na cam...more
This Japan-set tale from the point-of-view of a Japanese American hit man is an entertaining distraction. John Rain is an anti-hero who thinks nothing of bumping off annoying mobsters . . . I found the book an entertaining departure from reality (I hope!) and enjoyed the cultural complexities. Very violent, but so far removed from reality that it was just all part of the tale. I'll look forward to reading more in this series.
Another trip though Southest Asia with assassin struggling for solace John Rain. I missed Tokyo in the sequel, which takes place in other Asian cities, but the love interest was vibrant and the villains nasty. Loved how we could feel the malevolence of the villains, and of course, the justice brought to them. Great fight scenes, great details, excellent work.
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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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“— E acabei por ir a casa dela para lhe configurar o sistema todo.
— Harry, «configuraste-lhe o sistema todo»? — perguntei, arregalando
os olhos e fingindo-me pasmado.
Baixou o olhar, mas não conseguiu esconder um sorriso.
— Tu percebeste.
— Não vais... penetrar as seguranças dela, pois não? — perguntei, incapaz
de resistir.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
— Harry, «configuraste-lhe o sistema todo»? — perguntei, arregalando
os olhos e fingindo-me pasmado.
Baixou o olhar, mas não conseguiu esconder um sorriso.
— Tu percebeste.
— Não vais... penetrar as seguranças dela, pois não? — perguntei, incapaz
de resistir.”
Feb 26, 2011 07:03pm