Rain Fall – Barry Eisler

A fast moving novel set in Japan featuring a misanthropic hit man who enjoys single malt whisky – what could be better? Barry Eisler's launch of his John Rain series is an excellent break-neck read set against the back streets (and bars/clubs) of Tokyo. It follows the chain of events as this compartmentalized individual's life becomes increasingly complex when he executes a hit and then realizes he may have been used and ends up falling in love with the dead man's daughter.

Rumor has it that all of the whisky bars and clubs that Eisler mentions in his books are actual locales that one can visit (the Scotch Chix need to go on a field trip to find out). It wouldn't be surprising. Eisler is a whisky fan. Scotch shows up often in his books, and his web site features his top ten single malt whiskys. There is, unfortunately, an error in Rain Fall, where Caol Ila is spelled Cao Lila. From his web site it appears that Barry Eisler knows his whisky, so we blame the editor rather than the author.

Rain Fall is the first of 6 John Rain novels, and it is by far the best. While none of the other books are exactly bad, John Rain just doesn't have the raw edginess that makes Rain Fall such a great read. It is well worth exploring as part of the series or on its own.