The Detachment

A John Rain Novel

By: Barry Eisler

Narrated by: Barry Eisler

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

John Rain is back. And “the most charismatic assassin since James Bond” (San Francisco Chronicle) is up against his most formidable enemy yet: the nexus of political, military, media, and corporate factions known only as the Oligarchy.

When legendary black ops veteran Colonel Scott “Hort” Horton tracks Rain down in Tokyo, Rain can’t resist the offer: a multi-million dollar payday for the “natural causes” demise of three ultra-high-profile targets who are dangerously close to launching a coup in America. But the opposition on this job is going to be too much for even Rain to pull it off alone. He’ll need a detachment of other deniable irregulars: his partner, the former Marine sniper, Dox. Ben Treven, a covert operator with ambivalent motives and conflicted loyalties. And Larison, a man with a hair trigger and a secret he’ll kill to protect.

From the shadowy backstreets of Tokyo and Vienna, to the deceptive glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and finally to a Washington, D.C. in a permanent state of war, these four lone wolf killers will have to survive presidential hit teams, secret CIA prisons, and a national security state as obsessed with guarding its own secrets as it is with invading the privacy of the populace. But first, they’ll have to survive each other.

The Detachment is what fans of Eisler, “one of the most talented and literary writers in the thriller genre” (Chicago Sun-Times), have been waiting for: the worlds of the award-winning Rain series, and of the best-selling Fault Line and Inside Out, colliding in one explosive thriller as real as today’s headlines and as frightening as tomorrow’s.

©2011 Barry Eisler (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for the author's narration of Inside Out: "Barry Eisler is ...an exception to the rule that writers should not be allowed to publicly declaim their own prose." ( The New York Times)

I was floored!

This was my first exposure to Barry Eisler and John Rain, but I'm hooked! I'm still relatively new to audiobooks, and I'm generally feast or famine -- I gorge on them, then forget about my Audible account. But I'm back again to download more Eisler and Rain. As a narrator, he's really great, with each voice distinct and believable. He moves smoothly between them. John Rain is a hugely complex character, and he's written extremely well. Eisler has a great way of giving you a ton of information in a intriguing, but succinct way. A great listen!

Jack Reacher - Lite

Uneven is the word that springs to mind. While a reasonable listen and there were some useful hints at how to be safe at the end of the 'book', I came away feeling that this American author can be really paranoid about homeland security. Except for Women and Children, and even then he still kidnaps a woman, John Rain is an amoral assassin. There is lots of 'beware' and conspiracy theories but upon reflection I think the moralising is shallow and inconsistent. Early Lee Child and his Jack Reacher novels are more to my taste. That said I bought it on sale, not a bad listen.

OK

It was OK but I found the plot was weak in places to the point where I said:"C'mon Man"!

Nothing seems to change.

Although published in 2011 this book is so relevant, so contemporary, so thought provoking. Manipulation is the name of the game. Hair-trigger malevolence & action keep one on edge to the end. Brilliant by Far!! A must read or listen to.

Double double cross

John Rain and some old buddies on the run amid a double cross.. Great plot.

great series

don't listen to them all No 1 through 8 a very good series well-thought-out meticulous and well done

Author’s commitment

I liked the suspense and realistic approach to what easily could have become Mission Impossible or James Bond fantastic.

When It Rains, It Pours

If you could sum up The Detachment in three words, what would they be?

Over the top.

What did you like best about this story?

Fast-paced story with interesting, intelligent characters, even if some are a bit psycho. The story is very creative, complicated, and compelling. When I finished the story, I was a little surprised that I liked it so much -- while driven to save American from a fate truly worst than enemy defeat, Rain and his team seem to kill a little too easily.

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

I enjoy Eisler and Rain; good combo; I've listened to several; this one is high on intrigue: How will all of this work out?

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction ... enjoyed it.

Any additional comments?

Long but intriguing book. Go for it!

They keep getting better and better.

I've read all the John Rain novels, as Das as I can tell they tell a long-term story so while one could read one on its own, I think they fit together better read in order.

The audible version is as good as the text. I alternated between reading and listening, completely seamless. I couldn't tell you which parts were which, it just flows either way.

A departure from the normal Rain books

OK, I have to say that the book was good. But I have a few complaints some big some small.

First one of the reason I have always like the John Rain books is that he is just an average citizen. He does not have access to high tech toys, or massive amounts of classified data. In past books he has used Google maps to plot his movements and escape routes. One time he hooked up an iPhone and a bank of D batteries to setup a make shift tracking device. This sort of thing made the books interesting and different from other action adventure characters from other authors. In the Detachment he hooks up with some upper government guy and he provides them with tons of government tech. So to me that is a big let down. To a smaller degree having Rain work as part of a team is kind different and it in of itself has its pro's and con's.

In this book the author really lets his political views come shining through. Some of the past books there were hints and slight nuances. But in this book it is right in your face! If you agree with the author's view it probably will not be a big hang up for you. If you disagree with the author's views it can make for some long boring reading in those sections.

Over all it is a good book, but it really does an almost 180 degree from the normal John Rain book you have come to expect.