Rain Storm

by: Barry Eister

Published by: Signet by New American Library

Reviewed by Bob Pike CSP, CPAE-Speakers Hall of Fame

John Rain is a CIA assassin. And he's dead. For 25 years he's sharpened his skills and used his Japanese looks, skill with the martial arts, plus knowledge of several languages to do what others couldn't or wouldn't do--cripple plots to destroy freedom and eliminate enemies of the United States.

But he became too good and got too close, and some of those he called his own, "burned" him. If he hadn't planned for the day, he'd really be dead. Now the man, John Rain, is no more. The place he called home in Japan is no more. The alter ego he developed, Yamada-san, now lives in Brazil and has spent six months mastering Portuguese so he can fit in. Once again he is alone. People he loved are dead, but he is not.

In this fast-paced novel, Eister puts the viewer on the same roller coaster as his protagonist. Feeling safe, Rain contacts an old relationship that could become love. Suddenly his old agency tracks him down with a job. Did Naomi betray him? How else could he have been found? And there's the implied threat that if Yamad-san doesn't take the job in Macau, Naomi could be at risk. But why should he care?

From Brazil to Macau to Hong Kong, then Japan and back again, Rain engages in a deadly game. Along the way he meets another assassin named Delilah. Their target is the same. Can they cooperate, or must one be eliminated? And why does the agency want Bakrahzi dead? And why is is so important that the cause of death look entirely natural?

If you've been to these places, you'll recognize them from the descriptions.

Armchair Interviews says: Once you start reading you won't want to stop. Look up "page turner" in the dictionary, and you'll find this book.