And Speaking of Winners, Barry Eisler Has Done It Again Too

There are a few authors that I read automatically.  There's Jodi Picoult and Daniel Silva and Harlan Coben and John Hart and maybe a couple of others.  Well, you can add Barry Eisler to that list!  I know that every book will be good.  I might like some more than others, but it's comforting to know that regardless of what the book is about, I will like it.  And Barry's latest, Livia Lone, is right up there with his best (remember what I thought of The God's Eye View?).  I've already told you what Barry had to say about this book; that he was so caught up with the character of Livia Lone that he put John Rain #9 on hold.  Now, normally, I would be disappointed with that decision.  I mean, after all, I'm a big John Rain fan.  But I have to say that I am NOT disappointed at all.  I got to read a very good book AND still have Rain9 to look forward to.

This is a pretty complex storyline.  So I'm going to rely on the back flap of the book to give you the plot:

Seattle PD sex crimes detective Livia Lone knows the monsters she hunts.  Sold by her Thai parents along with her little sister, Nason; abused by the men who trafficked them; marooned in America...the only thing that kept Livia alive as a teenager was her determination to find Nason.
Livia has never stopped looking.  And she copes with her failure to protect her sister by doing everything she can to put predators in prison.
Or, when that fails, by putting them in the ground.
But when a fresh lead offers new hope of finding Nason and the men who trafficked them both, Livia will have to go beyond just being a cop. Beyond even being a vigilante.  She'll have to relive the horrors of the past.  Take on one of the most powerful men in the US government.  And uncover a conspiracy of almost unimaginable evil.
In every way, it's an unfair fight.  But Livia has two advantages: her unending love for Nason -
And a lifelong lust for vengeance.

I have to think that this is not your everyday protagonist!  Here's what else I think:

1.  A book has to be well-written to get a high rating.  And Barry writes very well.
2.  He not only writes well, he also constructs a story well.  He blends a lot of pieces into a very cohesive, easy-flowing, easy-to-follow read.
3.  Livia Lone is a great protagonist for a series.  I will be one of the 1st in line for book 2 (late 2017).
4.  I like the way the past alternates with the present; and how the past closes in on the present until...
5.  I enjoyed a quote from one of the main characters in the book, who is a Portland police officer:  "You don't just childproof your guns.  You also gun-proof your child."
6.  There are graphic descriptions of some pretty gruesome acts throughout the book.  But here's the thing - Barry also knows when NOT to be explicit.  That takes a lot of self-control, in my book.
7.  Do you want to know the 4 safety rules for using a gun?  I thought you might:
     a.  "Always assume a gun is loaded until you've checked it yourself."
     b.  "Never let the muzzle cross something you wouldn't be willing to harm."
     c.  "Finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire."
     d.  "And know your backstop-what a bullet would hit if it were to miss or go through your target."
Are these actually real?  Beats me.  Don't care.  They sure sound legit, don't you think?

Did I like Livia Lone a whole bunch?  Uh, yeah.  Please read it.