A Clean Kill in Tokyo

A half Japanese, half American Viet Nam war veteran John Rain is an assassin with the knack for making his kills look like natural causes. A Clean Kill In Tokyo is the first of Barry Eisler's Rain novels and it's a tough, intelligent thriller with an unusual, interesting protagonist.

Set in Tokyo around the turn of the century, Rain is an assassin for hire, a man living in the shadows of the Japanese world, of it and yet not. And when the killing of a Japanese government official has unexpected repercussions, Rain's life is turned upside down. He is drawn into a web of conspiracy involving high level corruption, the Yakuza and the daughter of the man he's just killed.

Eisler knows Japan, having lived and worked there and his descriptions of Tokyo are grounded in personal experience, with a little creative licence thrown in. Rain is a complex creation, haunted by his Viet Nam experiences, yet cultured and intelligent, a Jazz fan and connoisseur of Whiskey. He has created a carefully hidden life in Tokyo which allows him to appear as a legitimate businessman while carrying out his more lethal activities. Eisler is a good writer and keeps the story moving at a pace while allowing for character development. The story is punctuated by visceral bursts of violence which are all the more effective for being brief and to the point.

By the end Rain has gone through quite the journey and Eisler has effectively set up an ongoing series. A great read. Recommended.