Dr. Jonathan Ransom, world-class mountaineer and surgeon for Doctors Without Borders, is climbing in the Swiss Alps with his beautiful wife, Emma, ...
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Sep 06, 2008
Doug
rated it: 
I enjoyed reading this book and read it fairly quickly. However. I decided to give it three stars instead of four because even though it kept me going and entertained, I felt it was a bit too contrived. Here are some of my observations:
1. The book reads like a Dan Brown or Ludlum novel. Very short chapters, moving from one key player to another and back again. We see things happening simultaneously from three or four different perspectives. However, there are some surprises thrown i More...
1. The book reads like a Dan Brown or Ludlum novel. Very short chapters, moving from one key player to another and back again. We see things happening simultaneously from three or four different perspectives. However, there are some surprises thrown i More...
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Sep 25, 2008
Sarah
rated it: 
You should probably never read fiction based on your job. It annoys you when they get things wrong and it distracts you from the plot - making you wonder what else the author got wrong. I'm only half way through - thumbing through it listlessly before bed every night. It is very Dan Brown - esque; right down to the useless facts thrown in there that are supposed to explain sentences that the author just said - and given my understanding of all the errors that he made with MSF, I REALLY don't tru
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(6 people liked it)
Feb 05, 2009
Critics largely agreed that Rules of Deception is a smart, timely, and page-turning thriller. Filled with high-profile politicos, fake identities, and a nuclear arms conspiracy, the novel is so adeptly composed that readers were unable to quickly discern the good guys from the bad. Although one critic panned Ransom's characterization, reviewers generally agreed that the doctor-climber is the quintessential classic espionage protagonist—a believable, compelling man, even if he does possess near-
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Aug 20, 2011
Tim
rated it: 
Rules? We have no stinking rules in this thriller. Throw out any player’s rule book or any company’s policy manual. Anything that seems normal…isn’t.
Deception is afoot everywhere, including the novel’s twisted deployment:
•A seeming butterfly (actually a micro-airborne vehicle) morphs into a full-blown drone that carries a nacelle containing 20 kilos of Semtex plastic explosives.
•An adrenalin-seeking Doctors Without Borders physician, Jonathan Ransom, is duped into th More...
Deception is afoot everywhere, including the novel’s twisted deployment:
•A seeming butterfly (actually a micro-airborne vehicle) morphs into a full-blown drone that carries a nacelle containing 20 kilos of Semtex plastic explosives.
•An adrenalin-seeking Doctors Without Borders physician, Jonathan Ransom, is duped into th More...
Jul 31, 2011
Patrick
rated it:
An entertaining if fanciful espionage thriller.
It has enough twists and turns to keep the most staid reader engrossed. The only problem is that in respect to reality it is off the chart.
Regardless, it is a fun read as Mr. Reich pulls out all the stops. In essence, It is a story with multiple plots and characters all intertwined in a general tale of engineering a war with Iran by shooting down an Israeli airliner with an Iranian drone. It pits the CIA against the U.S. De More...
It has enough twists and turns to keep the most staid reader engrossed. The only problem is that in respect to reality it is off the chart.
Regardless, it is a fun read as Mr. Reich pulls out all the stops. In essence, It is a story with multiple plots and characters all intertwined in a general tale of engineering a war with Iran by shooting down an Israeli airliner with an Iranian drone. It pits the CIA against the U.S. De More...
Jun 06, 2009
Toni
rated it: 
Jonathan Ransom, book1
This is an exciting thriller, it has everything: a likable hero facing enormous amounts of danger and scuttling out of it, exotic locals with amazing settings, an over the edge story that will keep you turning page after page.
The prologue is slow to start, then, what appears to be a butterfly flying around a high-security compound is discovered to be a mechanical device…the alarm is sounded…..
Next we meet Jonathan Ransom and his wife Emm More...
This is an exciting thriller, it has everything: a likable hero facing enormous amounts of danger and scuttling out of it, exotic locals with amazing settings, an over the edge story that will keep you turning page after page.
The prologue is slow to start, then, what appears to be a butterfly flying around a high-security compound is discovered to be a mechanical device…the alarm is sounded…..
Next we meet Jonathan Ransom and his wife Emm More...
Apr 18, 2009
Nancy (Hrdcovers)
rated it: 
Reich is one of those authors whom I feel I discovered all on my own. More than ten years ago, when he was making the rounds plugging his debut book, Numbered Account, I saw him on one of the morning shows and was immediately interested in him. He had an investment banking background and had lived for quite awhile in Switzerland where he got the inspriration for that first book he wrote. After Numbered Account, there came The Runner....a book that proved he was no flash in the pan. Here was the
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Oct 23, 2009
JoAnn/QuAppelle
rated it:
I struggled to finish listening to this book....it was so improbable and almost ridiculous in its "convolutedness".
It was so "out there", so preposterous........two battling organizations are the Dept. of Defense and the CIA??? That was the point at which the story lost ANY believability/credibility. It is just ludicrous to posit or think that no one in these organizations would "blow the whistle" on these terrorist plans. I just could not buy into this More...
It was so "out there", so preposterous........two battling organizations are the Dept. of Defense and the CIA??? That was the point at which the story lost ANY believability/credibility. It is just ludicrous to posit or think that no one in these organizations would "blow the whistle" on these terrorist plans. I just could not buy into this More...
Dec 15, 2009
Fatkidchuckles
rated it:
So I needed something to read on the way home from Saudi Arabia. The book sufficed in that it did hold my attention for a good chunk of the flight, although sometimes that wasn't such a good thing.
First and foremost, Christopher Reich really needs to learn how to cut out the copious amounts of purple prose. I got queasy every time I had to read such cliched similes as "like a knife in the back" or "he felt it slipping through his hands like sand slipping through hi More...
First and foremost, Christopher Reich really needs to learn how to cut out the copious amounts of purple prose. I got queasy every time I had to read such cliched similes as "like a knife in the back" or "he felt it slipping through his hands like sand slipping through hi More...
Nov 23, 2008
Thomas
rated it:
Any review should acknowledge what this book is, and intends to be: a way to pass a few hours on the beach, or on that airplane. Having started with that, allow me to say that I could have found many other books with which to pass those hours.....
This is, at best, a run-of-the-mill thriller. I spent much of the book imagining my high-school english teacher yelling at Mr Reich, demanding that he stop using so many cliches in his writing (opening the book to a random page will allow More...
This is, at best, a run-of-the-mill thriller. I spent much of the book imagining my high-school english teacher yelling at Mr Reich, demanding that he stop using so many cliches in his writing (opening the book to a random page will allow More...
Jul 09, 2011
Lynda
rated it:
I won this book from first reads from goodreads. For a really thick book this was a really quick read. Full of action, suspense and of course deception. It was about secret agents, government officials, terroists, bombs...action on every page. you will not be able to put the book down. I am looking forward to reading book #2 Rules of Vengeance in the near future.
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Jul 28, 2010
CJ
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 19, 2009
John
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Oct 02, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Dr. Jonathan Ransom and his wife Emma are moutain climbing. After they reach the summit there is a storm and they need to get off the mountain quickly. Emma skis down first, but crashes and breaks her leg. Jonathan goes to get help and when he returns finds a trail that leads to a crevasse and Emma's body. The next day he opens a letter for Emma that is a blank page and luggage claim tickets. When he goes to claim the luggage he is accosted by two men that turn out to be cops. He goes on the run
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Jul 08, 2011
Andreea
rated it:
******Full Disclosure**** This was an ARC copy, that was received through the GoodReads Advance program. I am grateful for the chance to have read this novel, which I might not have purchased otherwise.
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The premise of the story is that after a ski accident, Dr. Jonathon Ransom suddenly discovers that his wife lived a double life, the alternate life being much more interesting than the one they shared. Before he knows it, he finds himself trapped in a whirlpool of political More...
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The premise of the story is that after a ski accident, Dr. Jonathon Ransom suddenly discovers that his wife lived a double life, the alternate life being much more interesting than the one they shared. Before he knows it, he finds himself trapped in a whirlpool of political More...
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Dec 06, 2010
Suzanne
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Mar 04, 2010
Pat
rated it:
The main problem with this book is that the plot tries too hard to be clever and thus becomes overly complicated and convoluted. There is more than one set of villains and keeping so many players juggled means that we don't spend enough time with Ransom, who is easily the most involving character. There's such a large cast of bland characters and I was always struggling to remember who they were and where they fit in to the story. The plot also has some major plot holes that simply don't stand u
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Apr 10, 2009
Courtney
rated it:
This book was very hard for me to follow. I thought it would be so suspenseful that I wouldn't be able to put it down, but because each chapter was about a different character and there were so many different FBI, CIA, policemen, heads of state or country, etc I couldn't remember who was who for the first half of the book. It also didn't help that I (forgive me here) do not know a lot about the politics involved on the war on terror (or whatever it is Obama changed its name to now) and in the mi
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Sep 19, 2011
Clark
rated it:
Christopher Reich, in Rules of Deception, outdoes himself. The action of this espionage/thriller starts on the very first page. The reader has no choice but to keep following the action. All the action is set in Switzerland, but has ramification around the world. There are, in addition to exciting action, very complicated connections between characters, and more twists and turns than a labyrinth. It is fascinating the way in which Reich leads you to believe that character X is a "good
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May 08, 2011
Bruce
rated it:
Jonathan Ransom's wife Emma dies while they are mountain climbing in Switzerland. That evening, the hotel delivers baggage tags meant for her. When he picks up the baggage, he is attacked by two policeman. That is the beginning of his search to find out who his wife was, and what secrets he had been keeping from him for their 8 years of marriage. International intrigue with Israel, Iran, US and Switzerland follows. Sort of interesting plot, but the writing was uneven for me. Too many story
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Nov 11, 2010
Betty410
rated it:
This was a combination of spy story, international intrigue, nuclear weaponry, Middle East conflicts, banking secrecy and also hard to believe----but, well, possible.
Main character is a physician serving with Doctors Without Borders on a ski trip with his wife in the Swiss Alps. She slips into a crevasse and dies. Then a package arrives addressed to her which he retrieves. As he tries to find the answer to its contents he finds himself being chased by police and top government officials. More...
Main character is a physician serving with Doctors Without Borders on a ski trip with his wife in the Swiss Alps. She slips into a crevasse and dies. Then a package arrives addressed to her which he retrieves. As he tries to find the answer to its contents he finds himself being chased by police and top government officials. More...
Feb 20, 2009
Trish
rated it:
This book reminded me of 24 only without Jack Bauer. Or more like pieces of Jack Bauer were found in more than one character. I enjoyed reading it even though it was hard keeping everybody straight. It was definitely an interesting look at power and what motivates people. The zealot in the story had a surprising religion and it was probably intended to be a surprise. I felt sorry for the American spy who clearly did not deserve what he got. And I would love to see Switzerland someday. The extrem
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Nov 15, 2011
Macjest
rated it:
This is a book that could have been so much better than it was. In fact one of the comments on Amazon said almost the same thing. "A perfectly readable and mildly diverting thriller but it's not as good as you think it's going to be when you first start reading." The story involves a doctor who works in Doctors Without Borders along with his wife. She dies at the beginning of the book and the doctor discovers the truth about her. I won't tell you any more than that. However, I had a ve
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Jan 07, 2010
james
rated it:
This book starts out inan exciting manner, with a young American doctor skiing the back country of Switzerland with his wife, who falls into a crevasse to her apparent death. Later, he receives some baggage claim tickts that belonged to the deceased. After picking up the bags, he is assaulted by 2 goons who want whatever was in the luggage. The doctor defends himself successfully, knocking out one of the attackers, who turns out to be a Swiss policeman. And then there are Islamic terrorists, and
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Dec 29, 2009
KarenC
rated it:
A departure from Reich's ususal financial world plots, although he doesn't stray from the spies. Dr. Ransom miraculously escapes some life threatening situations to create a novel with breathless highs and boring lows. A confusing cast of characters and some unlikely plot connections move the book along. Reich leaves the plot open for a sequel, which at this late date, we know was written & published; be sure to read this title first. An entertaining read, but Reich is no threat to a well-writte
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Aug 25, 2011
TonyAlmeida
rated it:
Basicamente vejo este livro como um thriller de espionagem, do tipo entretenimento de verĂŁo ou leitura de aeroporto. Escrito um pouco ao jeito do Dan Brown, com capĂtulos curtos, pontos de vistas diferentes sobre a acção que está a decorrer, e com a personagem principal a ser confrontada sistematicamente com novos e "surpreendentes" factos Ă medida que a histĂłria avança.
Apesar de todo o enredo montado, o final está longe de ser uma surpresa, admitindo no entanto que houve uma ou d More...
Apesar de todo o enredo montado, o final está longe de ser uma surpresa, admitindo no entanto que houve uma ou d More...
Jan 25, 2011
Larry
rated it:
This is my first Christopher Reich book. It is also the first book in the series with Jonathan and Emma Ransom. This is a very good book with lots of twists and turns. I had a hard time in the believability portion because Jonathan is a Doctor and gets himself in some pretty "hairy" situations and always comes out on top. It is a good page turner with an excellent starting story. Reich has two additional (newer) books with Jonathan as the main character. I will read those as soon
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Jun 26, 2011
Lyssa
rated it:
Disclosure: Received a copy of this book from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway.
Overall, a nice, entertaining piece of brain candy. The overall feel of the story is very much a Hollywood spy thriller - heavy on the action and Shocking! Twists! and light on in-depth character development. Some of the plot twists were more than a little silly, but overall a fun way to spend a few hours. I think if the author had tried to work with a smaller cast of characters and flesh them out bett More...
Overall, a nice, entertaining piece of brain candy. The overall feel of the story is very much a Hollywood spy thriller - heavy on the action and Shocking! Twists! and light on in-depth character development. Some of the plot twists were more than a little silly, but overall a fun way to spend a few hours. I think if the author had tried to work with a smaller cast of characters and flesh them out bett More...
Aug 07, 2011
Jean
rated it:
I didn't really know how many stars to give Rules of Deception. It is a very looonng thriller about terroists plotting to take down a plane. At first I was turned off by the book because of 9/11, I feel it wasnt such a great topic to write a book about but after many many pages of reading I started to really get into it and wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was also hard to read because it is very descriptive writing that would frustrate me at times and hard to understand. But
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Nov 22, 2011
Gina
rated it:
*won in a goodreads giveaway*
I enjoy all over the world and back again espionage thrillers. Rules of Deception doesn't disappoint. Its a fun, wild ride that made for a quick read. I enjoyed it better than books by Dan Brown but not as much as Robert Ludlum, although the plot has strong elements of both styles. The blurb gives a pretty good description, so I won't rehash it here. You may also want to read some of the other reviews for the errors in facts, languages, and other issues a More...
I enjoy all over the world and back again espionage thrillers. Rules of Deception doesn't disappoint. Its a fun, wild ride that made for a quick read. I enjoyed it better than books by Dan Brown but not as much as Robert Ludlum, although the plot has strong elements of both styles. The blurb gives a pretty good description, so I won't rehash it here. You may also want to read some of the other reviews for the errors in facts, languages, and other issues a More...
