The Killer Ascendant

A John Rain Novel

By: Barry Eisler

Narrated by: Barry Eisler

Hunted and finally cornered, John Rain faces his deadliest enemy ever: himself. For Rain, "the most charismatic assassin since James Bond" (San Francisco Chronicle), getting out of the life was never going to be easy. But with a new identity in Paris, and the help of his lover, Mossad agent Delilah, he was beginning to leave the killing business behind. And then he receives a message from rogue CIA operative Jim Hilger: we have your friend Dox. Do as we tell you, or he dies. For a professional like Rain, the choice ought to be easy: do the job - a series of three hits - and save his friend and partner. But how does Rain know Hilger won't kill Dox, anyway, once the assignment is complete? How does he know each of the hits isn't simultaneously a setup for Rain himself? Most of all, how can he control the killing rage Hilger's lethal game of extortion reignites inside him? From the deceptively tranquil beaches of Bali, to the backstreets and boulevards of Paris, to the urban canyons of Silicon Valley and New York and the old killing fields of Vietnam, Rain must grapple with his age, his enemies, and, most of all, with the killer inside himself in a battle not even Rain can hope to survive intact.

©2007, 2013 Barry Eisler (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

another great in the John Rain series!

Dox, in trouble yet, is still lol funny and the things John must overcome this time around are at once sensitive and devastating. good stuff! book 7 here i come!

awesome, I love the series,

Rain needs psychological help lol , maybe his friends can help kick his arse together

Not only entertaining but also educational!

I absolutely love to listen to these books. I love that the author is the narrator. To me, it makes it even more entertaining! Well done!

Barry Eisler narrates perfectly

What made the experience of listening to The Killer Ascendant the most enjoyable?

In this book Dox made it really great! His character is so humorous. I love the sense of humor attributed to him. Even through his brutal interrogation he maintains his sarcastic and cutting remarks. I truly hope there are no plans to kill him off anytime soon, he is a great addition to this series.

What does Barry Eisler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The tones and inflections he intends when he wrote it.

Any additional comments?

Having Eisler read his own works was the best thing he could have done. I had tried listening to this series previously and was not impressed with the narration and gave up. When I started listening again now that Eisler has redone them all, I've been on a marathon and have listened to 5 in a row. I plan to repurchase the one I have only now with Eisler narrating. This really is such a good series, I am so glad I decided to give it another try.

Another 5 star John Rain.

It would be great if more authors had the ability to narrate their own books. It allows them to express the characters as they created them. As an example, no one could bring Dox to life like Barry Eisler does. One of my favorite series.

Yet another very well done book in the series

Yet another great book in the John Rayne series these books are very well written and keep you engaged enjoy this

Great Book

This book has to be by far one of my favorite books in this series! You will not be disappointed at all!

The Iceman

John Rain is a complex human being. He, the Iceman, or both are cold. He’s in personal turmoil. Not the side of him that has been seen. The fighting scenes are not as graphically detailed as some other novels. But the reader gets the picture.

Never Enough

Another " Page Turner " - and I love listening to Barry read his own book - really get a feel for HIS emphasis, emotion etc. listening to him.

Action, adventure, love and moral dilemma.

Excellent read! Eisler has experience in the subject matter. His writing paints a full drawn picture. I loved this book!