REQUIEM FOR AN ASSASSIN
Barry Eisler
Putnam Adult
Thriller
ISBN-10: 0399154264
ISBN-13: 9780399154263

• About the Book
• Critical Praise
• Read an Excerpt
• Author Interview -- May 25, 2007

REQUIEM FOR AN ASSASSIN is by far the best of the six John Rain novels and easily Barry Eisler's most ambitious work. In retrospect it is obvious that Eisler, over the arc of the five previous installments in this series, has been building slowly toward the events that come to pass in this latest book, namely what happens when Rain attempts to leave his deadly life --- and part of himself --- behind.

Rain is just coming to grips with the fact that he may be able to achieve a level of happiness with Delilah, his lover, when he receives a cryptic call from an old adversary, telling him that Dox --- perhaps Rain's only true friend --- will be killed unless Rain agrees to complete three assignments. Without hesitation Dox walked away from a fortune in cash to save Rain's life; Rain, therefore, can do no less.

After abruptly leaving Delilah, Rain embarks on a whirlwind mission that takes him from one end of the United States to the other, and around the world. He commits two seemingly unconnected murders, but is unaware that his own death is the third task. Meanwhile, Dox's life hangs in the balance. Rain discovers that, in order to rescue Dox, he must save himself as well, even as the dark side of Rain's personality threatens to overwhelm him. How can he abandon his deadly persona when he needs it to survive?

As always, Eisler is a stickler for detail, painstakingly showing how the tradecraft involved in surveillance and assassination is carried out in the sunlight and in the shadows. He also continues his practice of taking his readers into the nooks and crannies of the world's greatest cities, wandering off the beaten path a bit to describe exotic locales from a native's point of view. And suspense? You'll be doing a balancing act on the edge of your chair from the first page practically to the last.

However, REQUIEM FOR AN ASSASSIN is much more than an exquisitely written spy thriller. It is also, as with the best work of the genre, a psychological study, an up-close-and-personal illustration of the battle between light and darkness that is carried out on scales large and small on a day-by-day basis. This novel has something for everyone, and is required reading for Summer 101.

   --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

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