Killing Rain

The idea of a tough-guy freelance assassin with a conscience seems farfetched. The protagonist of Eisler's series, John Rain, obsessively questions his work and the consequent rising death toll, all the while continuing to do what he does best. But Michael McConnohie is adept at pacing and suspense, and Eisler's plot has enough twists to maintain interest. The setting of exotic Manila adds to the drama. McConnohie is credible in his presentation of the Japanese-American Rain, who has been hired this time by the Mossad to take care of some Asian problems. The story's dialogue generally rings true, though the continual switching of point of view is especially challenging on audio. K.A.T. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

May 16, 2005
At the start of Eisler's taut and compelling fourth thriller to feature John Rain (after 2004's Rain Storm
), the freelance assassin's latest employer, Israeli intelligence, has sent him and his longtime associate, Dox, to Manila to kill weapons dealer Manheim Levi. Just as Rain is about to make his move, however, Levi's young son suddenly appears on the scene; Levi's bodyguards wind up shot while Levi and his son escape. The dead bodyguards turn out to be ex-CIA; and Jim Hilger, the renegade Company man with whom they were also working, is upset enough to ask his own specialists to exact revenge. Trying to find a way to complete his mission, Rain contacts Delilah, a fellow intelligence agent with whom he's been involved. But her Mossad colleagues, who have lost their trust in Rain's reliability, are setting up their own plan to take care of him. The plot has enough twists and turns to satisfy, and Eisler is an adept hand at pacing and suspense. The dialogue generally rings true, though the switching back and forth between first- and third-person narrative can be distracting. Various exotic Asian locales add to the appeal. Agent, Nat Sobel
. 20-city author tour
.