Extremis

A John Rain Novel

By: Barry Eisler

Narrated by: Barry Eisler

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Even for an average citizen, a love triangle is dangerous business. For assassin John Rainn - "one of the most compelling lead characters in the genre" (USA Today) it's going to be downright deadly.

When Rain learns that his former lover, Midori, has been raising their child in New York, Rain senses a chance for reconciliation, perhaps even for redemption. But Midori and the child are being watched by Rain's enemies, and Rain's sudden appearance puts them in terrible danger. To save them, Rain is forced to use the same deadly talents he had been hoping to leave behind. With the help of Tatsu, his one-time nemesis in the Japanese FBI; and Dox, the former Marine sniper whose good ol' boy persona masks a killer as deadly as Rain himself, Rain races against time to bring his enemies into the open and eliminate them forever. But to finish the job, he'll need one more ally: Mossad operative Delilah, a woman for whom Rain's hopes with Midori represent an altogether different kind of threat....

©2014 Barry Eisler (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Unable to Not Kill

No sooner had John left the mother, Madori, of his son, expressing his determination to stop being a mercenary, the man watching her home was seen by John walking toward him. The man walked up toward John on the sidewalk in front of Madori's home. John killed the man and although he had told Dox, his partner, that he wouldn't need help, Dox had lingered nearby. Together, the dead man was thrown into the dumpster, carefully. John needed to convey his message to the man in Korea who held such animosity toward John. The man's name was, Yamayoto, who dealt in the illegal drug trade.

Yamayoto had crossed paths many year's before, whereby John and his good friend Dox, had interfered with his drug trade. Many of his men were killed and he lost millions of dollars on the drugs that were emptied into the waves splashing against the boat.

The same type of interchange was to happen again. John's very good friend, Totus, wanted this man dead before he passed. John visited Totus in the hospital and the last request he made to John was to eliminate Yamayoto. Until that occurred, Totus would not be able to go in peace. Totus had assisted John throughout the previous year's with information and weapons through the FBI office in Tokyo. John would not refuse his friend.

The book Extremis, tells this most compelling story. The narrator, the author himself, Barry Eisler, does a great job. The John Rain series has held my interest since reading the first book. I came to know some of the character's in depth with each successive book that I've read. This is the second series of John Rain books that take place when he begins to get older. The first time that John Rain had killed was when he participated in the Vietnam War. He has never stopped. There is always someone who calls him when he has tried to discontinue his job as a mercenary. However, John has acknowledged to himself, that killing is what he is best at. There is action and suspense throughout the book. There are many scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat. The books continues at a fast pace. The end of this book and I've already purchased the next one. I've enjoyed each book, therefore, I'm sure I'll enjoy the next. The books are great listens and I'm sure that if this is your genre of book you definitely will not be disappointed.

A very, very strong story.

Incredibly rich story. Action, tension, strong feelings and a masterfully constructed story. A long conclusion to the book that was so very, very strong.
Add to that Eisler's stellar narration and no other rating than 5/5/5 is possible.

This was an excellent book!

I am really enjoying this series. This has been my favorite book of the series so far. I would highly recommend this series. I am really looking forward to listening the rest of the books. I was pleasantly surprised by what a great job the author does as the narrator.

Fantastic

Would you consider the audio edition of Extremis to be better than the print version?

Yes

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

An amazing story with so many angles to cover.

Have you listened to any of Barry Eisler’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, as always the best for his books.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very close.

Any additional comments?

This series is fantastic. The characters are strong and not without mistakes.

excellent

as always Barry Eisler does an excellent job at not only bringing the half Japanese assassin John Rain to life but the complex emotions that drive even the coldest people.

another hit for mr Eisler!

i have loved this series to the point of listening to the whole thing a few times, but I'd forgotten how much this book made me feel. there are a lot of laughs mixed in with the seriousness of what John does. like when Delilah is at Whispers with Yamaoto and Big Lou. when Y asks about how Chan died and Big Lou says, 'kill with knife. find Chan. he very stabbed.' yea, that made me lol and bookmark=)
there were also tears, cause i can't hold them back if i try, the older i get. a lot with Tatsu; not Midori, but with Koichiro; for Delilah; and definitely the most, for John. for everything he has to do just to stay alive. and for everything he learns about what it means to Live. thanx, Barry! sometimes all you need is a little Rain...
💗💗💗

A lot going on here

I have enjoyed all of the installments in this series. John Rain is up against his nemesis one more time. There are a lot of twists and turns and the action scenes are fast paced. A lot of fun to listen to and the author does a good job with narration to keep to story moving….

I'm addicted!

Brilliant series - absolutely compelling. Well done to the author, excellent read. Love the geographical details included in the story.

Thoughts

One, the author does a superb job reading his works. Each character has their own unique voice. The stories take the listener into the heads of different characters. They do a good job of showing some of the complex thoughts/feeling going on. Start at the beginning and go through the series it is a fun ride. I’m approaching 1/2 way through for the second go around. Better this time than the first. Oh find a list of the books the app will lead you astray on the correct order.

Rain Hopes To Get Out Of The Business

Probably not a full-fledged 4 stars but when I'm invested in the protagonist (even though he does stupid things) I rounded up to 4 stars. I decided if the story stays with me when I'm not reading the book then the author has created characters who are memorable.

It could have been a 4+ star book if the author had stayed away from a love triangle and held true to the actual genre. Unfortunately, he added an unnecessary situation which made the story weaker and detracted from a decent assassin plot.

Dox and Tatsu were the strongest characters in the story. I like how Kanezaki is emerging as a stronger character with Tatsu's traits.

Overall, I'm invested in the protagonist and the secondary characters who are becoming more interesting than Rain.