Requiem for an Assassin
John Rain series #6

by Barry Eisler

John Rain has wearied of the life of an assassin. He'd like to live like normal people live and to deal with the mundane headaches that normal people deal with, instead of the bone chilling existence of a paid killer who faces death in every heartbeat. Along with Mossad agent Delilah, his lover, he has taken up residence in a quiet neighborhood in Paris where he contemplates moving on to a less violent chapter of his life. But his past refuses to die without a struggle.

Jim Hilger, former CIA agent, kidnaps former Marine sniper "Dox," one of John Rain's few trusted friends. Hilger demands that Rain commit three assassinations or Dox will be killed. John Rain knows Hilger well enough to realize that Dox will only remain alive as long as Hilger needs Rain. He knows that the only real salvation for Dox will be if Rain can somehow get to Hilger before he completes his three contract killings. The challenge will be to locate Hilger and Dox.

The chase takes the cast from Paris to Saigon to New York to Hong Kong . It's a big world and the quarry could be hiding almost anywhere. John is forced to call in all available resources and go against his survivalist nature in trusting outsiders. It's not a comfortable situation for John. And then Delilah wants to bring Israel's Mossad, who have a price on Jim Hilger's head, into the fray. Rain is not used to interacting with others when he's on a mission. He knows that he must maintain operational control. It's a delicate balance as he tries to stay one step ahead of everyone else while picking their collective brains for information. The key has to be in the victims that Hilger has designated for death. There must be a common thread; but what is it?

This is only the second Barry Eisler offering that I've read and he continues to impress me with his mastery of prose. He can go effortlessly from a tender love scene to a violent murder. Barry's work is easy to read, his plots and characters are quite believable, and the action never stops.

When I interviewed Barry a few months ago, he indicated that the John Rain series might soon have run its course. I hope he's changed his mind.