RAIN STORM

New York, N. Y., U.S.A.: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Signed by author on title page in black fountain ink. Third thriller in author's "John Rain" series about a half-Japanese, half-American assassin whose victims all look as if they have died of natural causes. John Rain has disappeared in Brazil to escape the killing business and the enemies encircling him in Japan. But the CIA isn't willing to lose its premier "natural causes" contract killer, and they force Rain to take on a high-risk assignment: eliminate a ruthless arms dealer operating in Southeast Asia. The upside? Financial, of course, along with the possibility of moral redemption. But first, Rain will have to survive the downside: a second assassin zeroing in on the target; an alluring and dangerous woman with an agenda of her own; the possibility that the entire mission is nothing but an elaborate setup. From the gorgeous beaches of Rio to the glitzy casinos of Macau to the gritty back streets of Hong Kong and Kowloon, Rain becomes a reluctant player in an international game far deadlier and more insidious than any he has encountered before. Barry Eisler is a former CIA operative who lived in Tokyo for four years, and this is a great series. Winner of the 2005 Barry Award as Best Thriller. As new, first edition, first printing, in fine, mylar-protected dust jacket. (This title, in its original jacket, is also known as Choke Point in the U.K.and was republished in the U.S. as Winner Take All.) [Not remainder-marked or price-clipped] M50/M76