Thin plot. Thin characters. Gratuitous, explicit sex. Cheap, dime store novel not worth a serious read.

There are few authors out there today who can get my pulse racing like Barry Eisler, especially when it's one of his John Rain thrillers. These books are the perfect balance of excellent character development, crackling action, and heart-in-your-throat tension, and I honestly cannot get enough of them. Why these books aren't as well-known by the general public as some more-mediocre series is beyond me.

I'm happy to report that Eisler's newest John Rain thriller, Zero Sum, is equally as fantastic as its predecessors. This is another book which recalls Rain's earlier days, tracing the rise of this lethal-yet-complicated mercenary. It's 1982, and Rain has returned to Tokyo after a 10-year absence working in the Philippines. When he meets with an old friend in order to find some murder-for-hire work, he discovers that the assassin business has been monopolized by an upstart—Victor—half-Russian, half-Japanese, all psychotic, with a chip on his shoulder and the belief everyone should fear him.

Victor has cornered the market on all murders for hire, upsetting even the crime families. Rain is determined to find out how he was able to get such a toehold in the system so quickly, and find out where his support was coming from. Despite warnings to the contrary, Rain gets hired by Victor, who presents him with an interesting challenge: kill a government minister or face bloody death at the hands of Victor or one of his henchmen.

Although the job should be easy for someone with Rain's skills, Rain isn't one to take the easy path. He's more interesting in stalling in order to get Victor riled up, which would give Rain an opportunity to take him out. But what Rain doesn't count on is Maria, the government minister's beautiful Italian wife, who awakens passions that Rain has tamped down for far too long. Getting mixed up with the wife of the man he's supposed to murder certainly complicates things, and the more he finds out about the forces that brought Victor into play, and what they really want, the higher the stakes get for Rain—and everyone he cares about.

"When you live a little longer, you see the world as it really is. And yes, even then it can be shiny and bright, but also you know it has sharp edges. And sometimes what's shiny is exactly what's sharp. If you want to get close to it, it means you get cut."

Zero Sum moves at a lightning pace, with lots of fantastic action, although the violence gets a bit graphic and gruesome, so if you're bothered by that, this might not be the book for you. There are political conspiracies, psychotic killers, introspection, and some pretty hot sex thrown in for good measure. Eisler and John Rain are once again truly at the top of their game, and it is always so great to be back in Rain's world. (As much as I love his John Rain books, I'm hoping Eisler will write another book with one of his newest characters, Livia Lone, who featured in her own eponymous book last year.)

While Eisler has had a few bestsellers, interestingly enough, they tend to be his more modern thrillers rather than his John Rain books. But truly, these are fantastic, because there's so much to them beyond suspense and action. These are smart, well-written, and, dare I say, even sensitive. Here's hoping there are more John Rain stories to tell!

NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I've read all of the John Rain books. I haven't been the biggest fan of Eisler's newest books because they scare me too much. God's Eye View was a mirror to reality that was too clear. Livia Lone was extremely brutal.

Here, we get to see a younger John Rain. There are several layers to this. One of the themes is not to trust governments or puppet masters. He always has a strong Japanese flavor to the John Rain books, which is present here. It has the same brutal logic present in every John Rain book, but I loved it. I will read this book again.

I’ve read all the John Rain books & “Graveyard of Memories” remains one of my favourite books of the last few years. Like that one, this features an older, wiser Rain reliving an episode from the beginning of his career as a hitman.

It’s 1982 & Rain has just returned to Tokyo looking for work. When he gets in touch with old contact & friend Miyamoto, it’s immediately clear things have changed. Miyamoto is now an important man in the government & in Rain’s absence has been forced to use a violent & sociopathic half-Russian named Victor Karkov. To the young & cocky Rain the solution is obvious…..he’ll get himself hired on to Karkov’s crew & kill him. Miyamoto will be out from under his thumb & free to send any jobs Rain’s way. Simple, right? Well…..

Eisler is a gifted writer & one of the things he excels at is creating plots that resemble an iceberg. On the surface is a basic premise, a single act that sets it all in motion. But as the chapters fly by, the complexity of the story becomes apparent as the scope of what was hidden is gradually revealed. In this case, there are many more players than Rain or Miyamoto could have known. And the people actually pulling all the strings make for a wry commentary on US-Japanese relations.

That’s all I’ll say about the plot. It’s much better if you go in blind & stumble along with the MC’s. What has always made this series stand out is the literary style of prose & fully realized characters. Yes, there is graphic violence. But as you spend time with Rain & learn his back story he only becomes more compelling & you begin to care for this damaged man.

Rain is the product of a Japanese father & American mother. As a child, he grew up in both countries but was fully accepted by neither. His “gift” was honed by military tours in Viet Nam & it was there he finally found a place to fit in. But a lifetime of slights has left its mark & you sense that little boy who was shunned by 2 cultures is never far below the surface. At this point, he’s only beginning to think about long term repercussions & the things he will never have…..companionship, someone to love, children. Because of his choices, he has consigned himself to a life of being alone.

This is a relatively short, fast paced read that you’ll whizz through to find out who is left standing at the end. It’s a snapshot of a young John Rain, hitman/budding philosopher, that pushes him a little further down the path of the man he will become. Highly recommend this series.

Having never read anything by Eisler before, and having not read any other books in the John Rain series, I was a little dubious when I first settled down to read this. I needn't have been. The writing is clear, to the point and vivid, which is just what I like - I can't stand books with long descriptions or extended scene settings, so this style of writing is perfect for me. The story itself is action-packed and tense - I don't usually read novels with quite so many action scenes, but I was pleasantly surprised and happy to say that I enjoyed these scenes immensely. Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys fast-paced action novels and intriguing characters with questionable morals!

My bad for requesting this- while Eisler writes well, I just can't get behind the basic premise of the novels. Would note that CIA does not train or employ assassins. I did not finish. I'm certain that thriller readers will find this an exciting novel,

As do all the Rain novels, this one includes clever and complex plot twists with an authentic feel. This novel is billed as being an early Rain story…a return to the beginning after the author has progressed far into the future of his character’s life. That translates into a Rain in Zero Sum who is a bit more tentative about who he is and what his life is going to be about. There’s also more emotional content than usual, with Rain becoming involved with a woman and letting that distract him.

Although this wouldn’t rank as my favorite Rain novel, it delivered much of the same entertainment value of Eisler’s other Rain novels. For sure, Eisler does an outstanding job of creating a plausible and appealing character. No easy feat considering Rain’s role as an assassin for hire.

After a stand-alone title (The God's Eye View) and the introduction of new series heroine (Livia Lone), Barry Eisler returns with a new John Rain thriller, his ninth, a prequel title that picks up a decade after Graveyard of Memories.

This time around, Rain is tasked with eliminating a Japanese politician after taking a job from Victor, a Russian crime boss who has been displacing the Yakuza. Why Victor wants the politician dead and who he answers to are Rain's central mysteries, and after becoming romantically enmeshed with the pol's Italian wife and with his own life on the line John doesn't have a lot of time left with which to operate.

After last year's Livia Lone, I can almost imagine Eisler turning back to his series staple with a degree of relief. There's a comfortable familiarity to a John Rain book, even as we venture back in time to see a younger, less experienced, less seasoned assassin, and it doesn't have the brooding darkness and emotional torment that Livia brought along with her. While Rain is still an emotionally complex figure, and the author continues to find neat new facets of the character to explore, there's also a certain sense that Eisler is happily unfettered from having to explore the psychological repercussions of long-term abuse and the grisliness of sex crimes that predominated Livia Lone. In fact, there are several moments where this book feels downright fun.

Zero Sum is a leaner, breezier adventure with some great action scenes and a bit of tenderness thanks to Rain's relationship with Maria. It's interesting to see him romantically outclassed by an older woman who takes him to school more than a few times, and who leaves an indelible mark on his development that long-time reader's should appreciate.

Mostly, it's just good to have John Rain back again. I'd love to catch up with him in the present-day, post-The Detachment, but I'll take whatever I can get.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

Zero Sum (John Rain, #9)
by Barry Eisler (Goodreads Author)

Lou Jacobs's review Jun 19, 2017 · edit
it was amazing

This is the 9th "John Rain" novel ... Barry Eisler has built a formidable ethos for the sympathetic assassin. Just like in "Dexter" you find yourself rooting for the "kill" to be accomplished without the assassin being uncovered.
John Rain, born Junichi Fujiwara, is half Japanese (father) and half American (mother) .... he has served in the Special Forces in Vietnam and later recruited by the CIA .... proficient in not only the kill through martial arts but also the silent undetectable "natural causes" elimination. After Vietnam he honed his skills as mercenary and assassin. However, he does have his scruples .... and will not terminate children and women ... and insists on a valid motive for elimination of the target.
In this novel ... he has tired of 10 years of mercenary work in the Philippines and returns to his beloved Tokyo of 1982. He turns to his previous associate and friend, Miyamoto in attempt to re-enter the "killing business". Unfortunately any target termination now is under the strict control of the ruthless, sociopath, Victor (half-Russian & half-Japanese) ... who has eliminated any competition.
Victor's backstory unfolds as the plot complexity unwinds. I envisioned Victor as the consummate villain: "Oddjob" ... from James Bond - "Goldfinger" fame.
For the right to enter into the "killing business" - he must assassinate a government minister who stands in the way of the cabal behind the scenes. In his quest to gain intel on the target ... he accidentally becomes infatuated with the minister's gorgeous Italian wife. Ultimately the quest becomes to extinguish Victor . This engenders a high action sequence of events with twists and turns and an unexpected ending.
Zero Sum .... like the other John Rain novels will appeal to fans of espionage and action thrillers ... and given the Asian backstory ... also, to readers of Eric Van Lustbader's : Nicholas Linnear series.
Look forward to John Rain's next convoluted , high speed action adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what an amazing read! I didn't know what to expect, having not been familiar with this author's work. I was really impressed.

A very different sort of book where all the players are bad guys- just some worst than others- maybe? At first I thought this is not a book I want to read when the "hero" is a paid killer but the author had my attention and I had trouble putting it down. Not sure what this says about my mind!! The story has a lot of twists and suspense along with lots of action and blood. Not for the faint at heart!

Eisler returns to his popular Rain series with a trip back in time to a younger, but not necessarily more innocent John Rain. Back in Tokyo in 1982 after doing some shady work as a mercenary in the Philippines. The city is now run by a half Russian, half Japanese psycho who gives Rain the option of killing a government official or being killed himself. To get to the official, Rain works his way into the man’s wife, Maria’s life, but that puts him on the wrong side of the Russian mob. Surrounded by people who want him dead and a woman he has come to care for, Rain will have to choose what matters most – his life, or his honor. Eisler is the kind of author that appeals to people who love to read just as much as he does to people who “don’t see the point in reading”. His writing captures readers and non-readers alike