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)

Exciting Assassin's novel!

A exciting story with plenty of twist and turns to keep the reader engaged! Well worth the read!

Author as perfect reader!

Loved it. Fun and surprisingly intellectual read. buying more of his stuff. There ya go!

My favorite john rain novel thus far

Barry Eisler put together the dream team of hard core b@dasses in this one. Not a complaint, but Dox needs a series of his own.

My favorite series

Another hit!!! Such a good listen. A few new characters were introduced and I hope to see them in future books. Great story!!

Fast paced read...

Fast pace book which is read by the author. Loved the book. Love the author.

I did rate the peformance with 4 stars to indicate that he is not really professional reader. He performs many of the characters very well but a few of them it gets confusing which character is speaking. I might also say I graded very hard...

This is a continuation of the John Rain character which started in the book Rain Fall. This book stands on it's own, but I recommend that your start with the first book.

Excellent diversion from typical John Rain story

What made the experience of listening to The Detachment the most enjoyable?

The author narrates this book and does an outstanding job. I have listened to 5 John Rain books and up until this read, the first, Rain Fall, narrated by Brian Nishii was by far my favorite experience. But Barry Eisler does an amazing job of bringing the five main characters alive.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot flows nicely and there are enough unexpected twists and subplots to keep the story really interesting.

Which character ??? as performed by Barry Eisler ??? was your favorite?

Dox was spot on. However he did a very good job of narrating all of the characters.

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

I laughed out loud several times. Usually at the witty and ironic observations of Dox.

Any additional comments?

Note to Eisler and Brilliance - one narrator for a series. It is grating to hear a favorite character in a new voice. No one will match Eisler's

Solid Entertainment - Good Narration

What did you love best about The Detachment?

The storyline was decent and the continuous action helped make the overall read very entertaining.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course the lead protagonist John Rain makes the storyline flow, but Dox added a lot to the overall entertainment value.

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

Most author narrated books I've listened to have been disappointing. Barry Eisler did an outstanding job of reading his own work. I would not hesitate to listen to more of Eisler's narration.

Love the series & this, too, was great- with some reservations

I picked up the first John Rain book on sale & without great expectations, but Eisler's writing and - happy surprise- his narration, were great. Pulled me right in & the series has built upon the character dimensions in fantastic form.
With this type of book, one expects to suspend disbelief a bit. But this is the first book where in more than one area I found myself thinking ," Rain wouldn't be that stupid" or wondering why he didn't record his conversations with the antagonist or take other measures to protect himself, especially with all the foreword, layered thinking he is known for. I got past it, & still enjoyed the book, as well as the character developments, but it was the first of the series where I was taken out of the story to think about errors. If you enjoy the series though, it's a no-brainer. Of course give it a listen.

A perfect addition to the " Rain " series

What did you love best about The Detachment?

Whether you are a conspiracy theorist or the lover of a good twisted suspense novel you will love this. I am not given to spoilers so you will have to read or listen to the story to find out what happens. I will say that it's thought provoking in that it warns us that our greatest enemies are often within our own society's borders.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dox is the winner.

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

I have read many of Barry Eisler's books. They have become more thoughtful. The action is good and the characters are full. Maybe a touch less violence but only compared to the rest of the "Rain" series. I really like them all.

Rain is back! Yaay!

Who would have thunk it? Barry Eisler is a great thriller writer, no question. I have read very few books where the action (martial arts, gunfights, knifefights) is so well described, is like watching a movie in high definition, slow motion, 360 degree, simultaneous birds-eye and first person view. I usually don't buy books where the authors narrate their own works as nine times out of ten its a disappointment especially when there are pros out there who do it so well. We surprise, surprise, Eisler is the one of out of ten. The narration is crisp, all the characters instantly recognizable, even Dox is funny. Eisler is indeed a man of many talents. Buy this book and all his other books on audible and you will not be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one.