Rules of Deception
by Christopher Reich
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Book Reviews of Rules of Deception
Book Review: Whiz-bang, gee whiz spy thriller with little punch
Summary: 3 Stars
A young do-gooder, a doctor with an organization that delivers free medical services to hot spots around the globe, needs a vacation. He and his gorgeous young wife go skiing where she promptly breaks her leg and then falls deep into a crevice. Brokenheartedly as he goes through her belongings he finds mysterious items. From there he finds money, lots of it and a secret identity. soon mysterious people are chasing him, and the fate of the world as we know it hangs in the balance.
Sound familiar? Well it should. Secret identity spy thrillers have been around for a long time. what makes this one mildly interesting is that all the hot button elements of the global war on terror are presented in one book. We get agency assassins, microbot drones, Swiss and Bahamian bank accounts, large drones, G-8 meetings, and lots of backstabbing and treason.
What is troubling about this book is that the characters are so flat and so unmemorable. The plot may be hoary, but Christopher Reich does a pretty good job playing with the big toys-the weaponry available to modern spies that exceeds anything Q ever dreamed up for Bond. The plot gets a little overwrought as well and the pacing is sometimes too slow and at times too fast. Unfortunately this reader found himself being willing to settle for an explanation as to the true identity of the doctor's wife.
I wanted to like this book, but in the end I couldn't get enthusiastic about it. I suspect you will have the same problem.
Book Review: Disappointed with this One
Summary: 2 Stars
RULES OF DECEPTION is the third novel I've read by Christopher Reich. I didn't care much for his prior efforts, THE PATRIOTS CLUB and THE FIRST BILLION, which I thought suffered from cardboard characterization and overly convoluted plotlines. Unfortunately, the same shortcomings are present in this follow up.
My major problem with RULES OF DECEPTION is the lack of a genuinely interesting protagonist. Characterization is not Reich's strong suit, and the hero of this novel, Jonathan Ransom, struck me as bland and colorless. This novel also contains far too many different characters, with Reich constantly shifting the point of view from one person to another. The end result is a novel with a large cast of two-dimensional characters, which is a recipe for a tedious read.
Reich's storyline contains some well written action scenes, but I found his political conspiracy plot too complicated for its own good. RULES OF DECEPTION has so many twists and turns and subplots that it was hard for me to keep track of what was going on. It doesn't help that this book becomes rather overblown and silly toward the end, once the nature of the conspiracy is revealed.
RULES OF DECEPTION has been heavily hyped, so your reaction to this novel may differ from mine. But if you place a high value on decent characterization and straightforward plotting, my guess is that you will find this novel to be a disappointment.
Book Review: Rules of Deception
Summary: 5 Stars
In this first book of a new series, you will find everything a great thriller needs, international intrigue, travel, romance, murder and mayhem. Yet through it all our main character attempts to keep his head above the murky waters of intrigue and false accusations that surround him. Even though at many points in this book, he will feel like he is going down for the third time, Dr. Jonathan Ransom keeps on believing in the goodness of his wife, a woman he has come to find out is a spy but for which country he doesn't know. All he knows is that he loves her and wants to prove her innocence while at the same time trying to prove his own innocence and keep a maniac from bringing down an Israeli airplane over Switzerland.
This book will make you feel out of breath yourself with its non-stop action. You almost plead with the author to give the characters a break and a chance to rest so that you the reader can rest also. Unfortunately, in our fast paced society, time waits for no man and apparently even more so with those who threaten our very lives and society.
I very much enjoyed this book and also its sequel Rules of Vengeance which picks up 6 months after this book ends and also takes you on the same roller coaster ride of suspense and action. If Emma Ransom intrigued you in this book, you will get to know her even more in this next book. You can't read one book without the other.
Book Review: Moscow Rules Not Deception
Summary: 3 Stars
Straight out: buy Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva and take a pass on Rules of Deception. That is my rule.
Reich is a great writer. Unlike the authors who deliver treats once a year, Reich forces us to wait a while longer. Thus, one is left with a longer period to anticipate greatness. Sadly, Rules of Deception fails to deliver.
Here we follow reluctant hero Jonathan Ransom as he tries to find out who the woman he married really is: wife or spy? A series of subplots are drawn to the inevitable meeting at a woeful conclusion. In the past Reich was a master at weaving these subplots into the fabric of a great story. In Rules of Deception the weak subplots combine to weaken the whole.
In the past Reich was able to provide sufficient character development, usually surrounding an unwillling hero who rises to a great challenge. Perhaps it is just that Reich has become too formulaic. We have seen this story before in the same venues. Are there any other countries beyond Switzerland in which to be chased?
To be able to deliver consistantly great thrillers without falling victim to formula is a great challenge. Reich was able to successfully march rhough the minefield in the past. Sadly, Rules of Deception demonstrates that even a master sometimes fall short.
Book Review: Following the "Rules"
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first book I've read by Christopher Reich, and it is very good. I was prompted to buy it by all the critics and famous authors who compare it to Ludlum, Follett, Forsyth, Trevanian, etc.--all my favorite writers of globe-trotting espionage. RULES OF DECEPTION closely follows the formula set down by those masters, with the idealistic doctor/mountain climber being drawn into a frightening, ever-growing conspiracy and racing the clock to find his enemies and beat them, with plenty of fights, chases, and surprise revelations along the way. I read the book in a matter of hours, and I think most thriller fans will, too.
My one reservation that keeps this from being a 5-star recommendation is the fact that RULES seems to resemble a lot of other big thrillers a bit too much--Reich never quite seems to make this material his own. He has clearly been "inspired" by EYE OF THE NEEDLE, DAY OF THE JACKAL, THE EIGER SANCTION, and the complete works of Robert Ludlum. But, hey, that's a small complaint from a reader who counts all those as faves. If you're looking for a fast, satisfying summer read along these lines, RULES follows the rules as well as any book I've read in a long time. Try it.