Barry Eisler: Graveyard of Memories

Click to see in Amazon

Birth of an Assassin
John Rain is a legendary assassin created by Barry Eisler. This time, similar to other authors who have created legendary fictional heroes (Lee Child/Jack Reacher, Daniel Silva/Gabriel Allon, Vince Flynn/Mitch Rapp) Eisler takes us back to the early days when the hero was learning his "trade". In 1972 John Rain was just twenty and trying to find his way in a world that found it difficult to accept a part Japanese/American who was  fresh from the killing fields of Indo-China.

Settling temporarily in Tokyo he takes a job for the CIA delivering cash to corrupt parts of the Japanese administration. In his spare time Rain learns Judo to black belt level to augment his already considerable wrestling skills. One day one of his bag swaps goes wrong and he is confronted, and defeats some thugs and comes up against vengeance from most powerful gang in Japan, the Yakuza. Things get worse when the Yakuza send one of their most skilled Judo operators to eliminate Rain.

Rain goes into hiding in a back-street "Love Hotel" and meets Sayaka, a tough, beautiful enigmatic ethnic Korean woman confined to a wheelchair. To survive he makes a pact with the CIA to take out a high-profile target in exchange for information about his pursuers. Rain is resourceful and dangerous but still immature and sensitive and has not yet acquired all of the tradecraft and skills which will keep him alive in his newly found dark profession. As Rain tangles with the Yakuza and the CIA, with Sayaka's life is in danger Rain has to cope with more than he is prepared for.

What I really liked about this book was Barry Eisler's absorption of the story into the rapidly changing post-war world of Tokyo in the early 70's. We lived for a couple of years in Tokyo in the early 80's and I could identify closely with a lot of the environment that still survived at that time, especially in the backstreets. The places, the people and the urban landscape were so familiar to me and so well drawn.

I have read a lot of books about fictional assassins but John Rain is one of the most thoughtful, sensitive and personable characters in that kind of dark world. Some of the early days stories by other authors I mentioned at the start of the review were no more than sidetracks to keep the character alive. This one was essential to tell us more about where Rain came from and how he evolved into the complex character he eventually becomes. If you like this kind of thriller then it is a must read.

Barry Eisler: London Twist

Click to see in Amazon

This is another short novella by Barry Eisler that sizzles in more ways than one. We are introduced once again to Delilah, a beautiful Mossad seductrice who I last met in "Paris Bitch" where covert operatives John Rain and Delilah outsmart an attempted kidnapping of Delilah by people working for a Saudi Prince who she left in the lurch after she had got the information she needed.

After MI5 takes permanent care of the dangerous Saudi Prince, Delilah feels obliged to help them infiltrate a terrorist network that is planning poison gas attacks on the UK population. The difference this time is that the target is Fatima, a beautiful emancipated Middle Eastern woman whose hatred stems from one of her brothers being killed by an US drone. Making friends with a woman to get information, especially one as beautiful, defensive, clever and committed as Fatima is a very different challenge to those normally faced by Delilah.

The politics and terrorist themes area most contemporary and compelling. It is an interesting and different spy book, especially as it was written by a man and finishes up in a tasteful but very steamy and descriptive girl-and-girl situation which has an unexpected emotional impact on Delilah.

I really enjoyed this short book and look forward to reading more about Delilah and more of Barry Eisler's well written and exciting action thrillers.

Barry Eisler: Paris Is A Bitch - A Rain/Delilah Short Story

Click to see in Amazon

What do a couple of covert operators, independent part-Japanese John Rain and lovely Mossad honey-trap agent Delilah, do when they want to have a quiet meal at a great restaurant in Paris? Firstly they check around the area for escape routes, case the restaurant for escape routes and the best place to sit to observe what is happening both inside and outside. And last but not least they arrive separately, having made sure that they are not followed. What a great start to a romantic evening.

Despite all precautions by the end of the meal things start to go wrong and the action quickly becomes fast, furious and dangerous - just a normal day in the lives of covert operators.

Barry Eisler has written an exciting, albeit a bit too short, novella that is a great introduction to a couple of his key characters, John Rain and Delilah. I really enjoy the espionage/covert operator genre and somehow I haven't read any of Eisler's books. I am currently reading London Twist: A Delilah Novella which is even more exciting and challenging and look forward to reading more of his books.