Reviews for Killing Rain

The average rating for Killing Rain based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-08-16 00:00:00 John Hagerty RATING: 4.75 PROTAGONIST: John Rain SETTING: Manila, Thailand, Japan SERIES: #4 of 4 The one thing that you must do if you are a paid assassin is to learn how to remove any emotional elements from the act of killing. Each target should be viewed as goal to be accomplished, devoid of any feelings about the person or the deed. Thus, when John Rain is hired by the Israeli intelligence organization "Mossad" to kill Manheim Levi, an Israeli explosives expert, he is amazed to find himself hesitating when Levi's young son comes into the picture. Rain relates to the position of the son after having lost his own father as a youth. But he's not supposed to have these feelings; in fact, what has made him successful in his chosen career is his ability to stage a killing that looks natural and leaves him later with no remorse. His reputation impugned, Rain must complete the assignment both for himself and for the organization for which he is working. Partnering with a flamboyant American by the name of Dox, who helped him out of a bad situation previously, and Delilah, the intelligence agent who referred him to the Mossad, Rain goes on a global chase to meet his objective. Hindered by twinges of conscience, Rain still hasn't lost the skills he has honed over the years. Facing danger, both to himself and his colleagues, he is able to pull out his bag of tricks and dig into the organization that was fronting Levi. KILLING RAIN succeeds on many levels. The plot is complex and fast moving, and the various Asian settings add another dimension to the narrative. It's fun to see the impact of the rambunctious Dox on the very serious Rain; at times, John even lightens up and makes a joke or two. Delilah, the Israeli agent and love interest, is multi-dimensional and unpredictable. The action scenes are superb; the art of spying with all of its paraphernalia is fascinating as well. The only weak area for me was the reintroduction of a previous love interest toward the conclusion of the book, in a scenario that felt improbable at best. But to me, where Eisler really excels is in how he portrays the psychological stresses that Rain is going through as he matures. Certainly, having any hesitancy or doubt about what he is doing is going to end in a very bad result for Rain. But he is finding that he needs to justify his own behavior; and as he does so, the reader becomes involved in Rain's moral dilemma. Yes, Rain is killing people; however, don't they deserve to be killed? By eliminating subversives and terrorists, is not Rain eliminating vast harm to the general public? I fell in love with Rain in the first book in the series, RAIN FALL, and am a big fan of international thrillers. By adding in Rain's struggles with his conscience and his ability to trust his erstwhile partners, I felt that KILLING RAIN had a sense of humanity that is often missing in books of this type. Other readers may see this as a sign of weakness in a strong character; to me, it added another dimension and made the book all the more enjoyable.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-12-25 00:00:00 Neil Price Another good entry in the John Rain series. He spends a little too much time dwelling on his morals or personal philosophy, but it does make a good point - do the means justify the end? Even some of the 'bad' guys have good reasons for what they do. A very slippery slope & where to draw the line is something the reader has to figure out for themselves. 3.5 rounded up to 4 for great narration & such a thought provoking theme. Plenty of good action, too.