Rules of Betrayal

Jonathan Ransom #3

by Christopher Reich

The most riveting novel yet in Christopher Reich’s New York Times bestselling series—featuring Dr. Jonathan Ransom and his undercover-agent wife Emma, a dangerous woman with a mysterious past who has gone rogue in the high-stakes, serpentine world of international spies.

In 1980, a secret American B-52 crashes high in a remote mountain range on the Pakistan–Afghanistan border. Nearly thirty years later, and spanning locales from those peaks to New York City, a terrible truth will be revealed.

Jonathan Ransom returns as the resourceful doctor thrown into a shadowy world of double and triple agents where absolutely no one can be trusted. To stay alive, Ransom must unravel the mystery surrounding his wife—an enigmatic and lethal spy who plays by her own rules—and discover where her loyalties truly lie.

Rules of Betrayal is a masterfully plotted novel that cements Christopher Reich’s reputation as one of the most admired espionage thriller writers today.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Audiobook, Espionage, Mystery Thriller

372 pages, Hardcover

First published July 9, 2010

About the author

Christopher Reich was born in Tokyo. In 1965 his family moved to Los Angeles. He attended Georgetown University and the University of Texas and worked in Switzerland before returning to the United States to become an author. His novel The Patriots Club won the International Thriller Writers award for Best Novel in 2006. He lives in Encinitas, California.

Reviews

[Mike French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-stop action from start to finish! Liked it better the first two books of the series,which I really enjoyed.If you enjoy action packed thrillers,this a book you will enjoy!

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rules of Betrayal had me wondering how much of this was based on what really went on. There were plenty of elaborate and seemingly crazy spy moments, but somehow the amount of detail and the strange twists seemed like they must have been based on careful research.

The book reads as though it could easily be transformed into a high octane movie -- the sort that I'd try to catch on opening weekend. As the skilled surgeon Jonathan Ransom is trying to atone for the violence during his marriage to secret agent Emma Ransom, he finds that much of his old life has followed him into his new one. And a well crafted plea for help leads Ransom to attempt what would have been nearly impossible for a professional.

Ransom turns out to be a natural -- the skills and training that made him a world class surgeon carry over to his undercover work. Ransom must penetrate the defenses of an international arms dealer and a powerful terrorist with very limitless resources. Training, luck and some unexpected allies turn Ransom into a formidable opponent - and make Rules of Betrayal a fast-paced and memorable thriller!

ISBN-10: 0385531540 - Hardcover $25.95
Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (July 13, 2010), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

[Gail Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

As has been said some guys have all the luck – it was just a few years ago that stage, screen, and television actor Paul Michael was asked to narrate a book – the title? The Da Vinci Code. No one could have guessed that that title would remain on the bestseller list for over two years and Michael's narrative would be heard by countless numbers throughout the world Needless to say this actor has had very little free time since then.

While Michael has been seen in a number of British sitcoms, his deep voice and clear, concise diction are appreciated by multitudes of audiobooks fans who have heard his narrations of such titles as Digital Fortress, The Tristan Betrayal, Rules Of Vengeance, Alibi, Icebound, and numerous others. He brings not only skill and perception but also added excitement to his presentation of RULES OF BETRAYAL.

The third in Reich's thriller series bringing us Dr. Jonathan Ransom finds the good surgeon in a Taliban controlled section of Afghanistan where he narrowly escapes death. That might have been preferable to what he now faces. Emma Ransom (obviously, the woman he married) is in reality Lara Antonova, an assassin and a spy. She is now missing, probably captured by Lord Balfour, an arms dealer. Ransom is charged by Frank Connor, who runs Division, a secret U.S. Government agency, to bring Emma out. Of course, Division isn't the only entity that has an interest in Emma – the FSB in Russia also wants her. More than adding to the threats surrounding Ransom is The Hawk, an evil terrorist in Afghanistan who is close to being in control of a weapon of mass destruction.

RULES OF BETRAYAL is not only a spellbinding stand alone thriller but the ending leaves just enough hanging in the balance for us to eagerly await the next installment from Christopher Reich.

- Gail Cooke

[Christine Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Read: You Won't Fall Asleep Reading This!!!

Normally I don't read books dealing with war, spies, the military, terrorism, but it was highly rated so I read a Kindle sample and couldn't stop. So many plots, weaving together and crisscrossing each other. It was wonderful and thrilling. Christopher Reich is extremely talented! Can hardly wait to read more of his work!!

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 got the series for my husband, I must say I enjoyed them all myself. Fast paced action books, have read my share of Dirk Pitt books over the decades, these are just as good when you are in the mood for world intrigue.

[Lester Cockram · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Christopher Reich, a good book that kept my attention.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading - forgot to rate.... it's the holidays! Coalesced plot and sympathetic characters (though it takes awhile for both). Sex scene is a bit graphic (a warming for those more modest — I use fast forward). Well narrated and recommended.

[KarenC · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging spy thriller in the tradition of Robert Ludlum. Third in a series of novels about Jonathan Ransom, a doctor traveling to countries in desperate need of medical help, and his wife Emma Ransom, a professional spy and double agent. Jonathan has been pulled into each spy adventure reluctantly to help extricate Emma from some dangerous situation. It helps to have read the previous two novels about this pair to fully understand Emma's position.
This novel has a contemporary plot set in Pakistan in the world of arms dealers. It includes mistrust, betrayal, a little blackmail, violence, and fast-paced action. An amateur with little training is thrown into a volatile plot to recapture a nuclear warhead that's been missing for 20 years. Through a series of adventures, assisted by the occasional coincidence and good luck, the mission unfolds. The ending sets up the reader to anticipate more titles in this series.
The plot in this novel struck me as better than the previous book in the series, Rules of Vengeance , but I'm still not sure why. I'll be watching for the next one.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Reich writes an involved mystery/spy novel. It is set in modern circumstances, that is, it doesn't deal with Cold War politics. In this third novel with Dr. Jonathan Ransom, he is the main protagonist. I liked the book better than the first two, and I think it is because Jonathan is a more like-able character than Emma, his wife. Because he is a a doctor, Jonathan becomes involved in extremists in Afghanistan and an arms dealer from India. I've listened to the audio version of these three books and they are well done.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss read my friend Tim Wolf's warning about which to read first and read #3 in the series first thinking that it was a prequel. wrong
audio book with a story that I would only give 3 stars but added 1 star for the adroit narration of the fabulous actor Paul Michael.
I will now start at the beginning with "Rules of Deception"

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

No. 3 in the Jonathan Ransom series. I really enjoyed this. Jonathan is recruited as a spy, totally unbelievable but action packed. It's also been left open for another book in the series. I hope the author decides to write another one.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books keep getting better!

[ELAINE CHARAPP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting bok

The writing is crisp, the characters are developed and the action is very descriptive even though armaments were misidentified.
The ending is exciting.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

Jonathan Ransom is travelling on his own throughout the Middle East taking care of illness and disfigurements. The Hawk, aka Sultan Haq, becomes aware of him and kidnaps him to cure his father who is suffering from a stomach problem. When they arrive, Jonathan's assistance, Hamid, proves to be working undercover to find and kill Abdul Haq, his father. This is accomplished, and three hostage American soldiers are found. A couple of them escape, Hamid is killed, and Jonathan proves to be a hero as he carries a wounded soldier on his back, running for the helicopter that Hamid had summoned. Thus, Frank Conner becomes aware of Jonathan's whereabouts and recruits him for a mission. He arranges for a Mossad agent, Danni Pine to train Jonathan.

Jonathan's wife, Emma, was proved to be an undercover spy, for years hiding under the auspices of Doctors without Borders, and Jonathan's work. She is in the wind, betrayed by her own to the arms dealer she is trying to put out of business. Hired by Crown Prince Rashid al-Zayed and not known for his funding of any Islamic fanatical group existing, she is taken by Rashid. She is taken by Rashid and tortured, pulled behind his jeep through the desert, then rescued by Lord Balfour, the arms dealer. She leads a climbing group to recover a cruise missile, holding a nuclear warhead that had been lost in 1984, and hidden by the Air Force. Now revealed the mission will be for Jonathan to find and rescue Emma, and to recover the warhead.

They barely make it, as Haq makes it to New York with the bomb, intending to becomd a martyr. He is stopped by Jonathan and Emma, who then puts him out and escapes with the warhead. Jonathan becomes a new member of Division under Frank Conner.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Reich's first book, Numbered Account, and then this one, which is the third in a series he's established. There is no relationship between the two. However, this is an improvement on the first one I read, primarily because the details (on global banking and finance) that were an impediment in NA are subordinated here to a fast-moving story. The details in this book center on the global market for arms, particularly WMDs. The setting is mostly the Middle East with significant forays into Washington DC. Those details are informative, well integrated into the story, and interesting. The main characters are spies, operatives, arms dealers, terrorists, and special military forces.

I think it might have been wise for me to start at the beginning of the series, because I had a hard time understanding the motives of the "double-agent wife, Emma." The description of her husband, the resourceful surgeon Jonathan Ransom, learning how to be an operative was interesting. We could all benefit from the memory exercises he went through!

[Joy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent example in the spy thriller genre. I loved this series and I love both Emma and Jonathan. This is tentatively the end of the Ransom series although the ending leaves a lot of loose ends, so I believe we will be hearing more of Connor, Jonathon, and Emma. If luck has it, we will also be treated to more of Danni. As usual, the second book leaves everyone in a bad place. Jonathan doesn't know who to trust and is trying to do what is best for himself and his country. Emma is rogue, but for who? Danni may be a new love interest, but she is also Jonathan's trainer in spycraft. I won't share how all the lines come together, but Reich is an able writer and I felt very satisfied with the ending. I will definitely recommend this series to all who love a fun, fast paced, exciting espionage novel.

[Antonietta tesfaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally enjoy this genre but this book not so much. I understand fiction and suspend reality in order to enjoy fiction and I love that aspect but this book wasn’t well expressed. I don’t know but usually when you’re using a lame person not an operative to do the job of spy master you normally would take their every day career into consideration and based on that use that person‘s knowledge of that career to further your agenda. For example if he was a biologist, you would use that knowledge to further your narrative. But this book wants you to believe that a lame person who is learning the tricks of the trade on the go can come up against career operatives and surpassed them. Storyline kind of dragged would’ve liked more.

[Carol Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Talk about a fast-paced, exciting read that's full of suspense and you have Rules of Betrayal. The scenes are vivid. I felt like I was watching a first class film. From the arrival of Dr. Jonathan Ransom in Afghanistan to serve the underserved in remote villages to the arrival of Haq, the son of an ill but powerful and evil leader, who captures Ransom to take him to treat his father - the adventure begins. Add a lost United States WMD somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan and the race is on as to who will gain possession of it. Spy craft and betrayal abound. The ending I'm not so sure of. See what you think.

[William Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan learns more about who Emma (Lara) is, but he still has trouble figuring out whose side she is on. Still, he goes to the Middle East, after being briefly trained by an Israeli, hoping to save her from a prince. That does not work out so well and he ends up in trouble and needs saving. Instead, an arms dealer "saves" Emma and she agrees to help him find a nuclear weapon, which was lost in Afghanistan in the 1980's. Connor of Division wonders if she is a traitor and orders a team to take her out. Division has internal divisions.

Lots of action and some ponderings.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preposterous thriller premises in this globe-spanning yarn of a former Doctors Without Borders surgeon chasing after a long-lost, now uncovered American nuclear warhead that all the baddies want for themselves. Two incredibly (yes, doggone incredible) women act as sorts of recurring deae ex machina, with the analogy not being quite apt, but their fortuitous appearances definitely providing solutions to insoluble perils in the last nick of time.

Afghanistan, Islamabad, New York, Israel, Germany - a north of the equator gad-about that was not believable but quite entertaining.

[Roger Scherping · Rating 5 out of 5]

After book 2, I had no idea how the author would get another book out of the Jonathan/Emma relationship. It seemed completely unsalvageable, but he managed to craft an explanation for everything that happened in the first 3 books while still allowing for the possibility of everything still working out for the couple as Emma's role as a double-agent became clear. This book really left the reader hanging, though, so I was very disappointed that there is no book 4, but I read that it is coming, after many years.

[Geoff. Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the third installment in the "Rules of..." series the story is more than a bit formulaic, but then which series does not fall prey to that at some point. The writing is, however, excellent, and Reich keeps the story churning. For myself, a few wishes for #4 (and please do let there be a #4!) ...

* Jonathan stops protesting and acknowledges who he has become.
* less Emma, especially less of the push-me-pull-you between E and J
* more Danni

[Kodakjack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take One For The Team

Dr. Ransom sure does get around and now seems to have a new career. This is another edge of your seat, action packed novel. Through the whole thing, you never know what Emma is going to do or where she’ll show up. I like it and wonder where the two are going from here.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy this series despite the fact that Jonathan REALLY needs to get a new wife! This Emma chick is clearly unhinged, toxic, amoral and evil.
I'm stuck on the Prologue: I can't figure out what the American climber was up to ("Had to get everything set up."), what it had to do with the B-52 crash and what was in the box marked 'Property of United States Department of Defense'.

[Gail Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Ransome is working again for Doctors Without Borders, but opposing insurgent groups take him and his assistant hostage. And there starts the story of Ransome’s next adventure as an unwilling player in the huge game of secret spies.

[Tam Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

Loved the plots and surprising twists. Somewhat unexpected ending . I enjoy the plot and character development. The writing was eloquent and concise yet descriptive.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, paced story. Makes me want book #4.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced thriller ala Tom Clancy.

[Jerry King · Rating 4 out of 5]

2010

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast paced spy novel!