Product Description

Doctor Jonathan Ransom thought he knew everything about his wife Emma until she was killed in a tragic skiing accident in the Swiss Alps. They had been married for eight years, eight blissful years in which they had travelled the world together. But the day after her death a mysterious letter addressed to her arrives at their hotel. When he opens it, his beliefs begin to unravel - fast. In the envelope, is a railway baggage check to a suitcase that reveals an Emma far removed from the down-to-earth nurse who has been his constant and loyal companion all those years.In it, he discovers the clues to a double life. Was she having an affair? When is your wife not your wife? And when she is not your wife, who is she? The answers begin right outside the train station where two policeman are waiting - to kill him. There are more answers as Jonathan escapes and the action sweeps him through Switzerland on a quest to discover the truth abut Emma. He is pursued by ruthless killers, entangled in an international conspiracy that touches all the world's Security Services and which will end in a denouement which is as breathtaking as it is totally unexpected.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70915 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From the Back Cover
Doctor Jonathan Ransom thought he knew everything about his wife Emma until she was killed in a tragic skiing accident in the Swiss Alps.

They had been married for eight years, eight blissful years in which they had travelled the world together.

But the day after her death a mysterious letter addressed to her arrives at their hotel. When he opens it, his beliefs begin to unravel -- fast. .

In the envelope is a railway baggage check to a suitcase that reveals an Emma far removed from the down-to-earth nurse who has been his constant and loyal companion all those years.In it he discovers an executive suit, sexy lingerie,a bottle of expensive perfume, a Rolex watch, credit cards and a passport in another name, the keys to a brand new Mercedes Benz and 100,000 Swiss Francs: the clues to a double life.

Was she having an affair? When is your wife not your wife? And when she is not your wife, who is she?

The answers begin right outside the train station where two policeman are waiting – to kill him. There are more answers as Jonathan escapes and the action sweeps him through Switzerland on a quest to discover the truth abut Emma. He is pursued by ruthless killers, entangled in an international conspiracy that touches all the world’s Security Services and which will end in a denouement which is as breathtaking as it is totally unexpected.

About the Author
Christopher Reich is the author of several financial thrillers including The Devil's Banker, The Patriot's Club and The First Billion.

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable but Predictable & Disposable
Rules of Deception is a Robert Ludlum book for people who don't like Robert Ludlum. All the Ludlum-esque elements are present; the innocent but capable hero thrust by circumstance into the heart of a hidden global conspiracy and framed for a crime he didn't commit, the central-European setting (in this case Switzerland) and plenty of double and triple crossing by a multitude of different characters. Unlike Ludlum however, Rules of Deception avoids verbosity, stays on just the right side of plausibility and remains exciting throughout.

That's not to say that it isn't an utterly disposable airport thriller with a plot that is regurgitated from any number of similar novels, but if you accept that to be the case then its enjoyable enough. Christopher Reich has certainly written better books (The First Billion and The Runner are particular favourites of mine) and this does have the whiff of a rehash of his debut 'Numbered Account', but he spins a good, albeit predictable yarn that moves at a fair pace.

So if you're looking for an easy read to get you through a long flight or to read by the pool and you don't fancy the latest Wilbur Smith or ghost-written Ludlum tome then Rules of Deception will serve you well. If you want something original, suprising and thought provoking you need to look elsewhere

Rules Becomes A "Series"
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 real deal -- two great books in a row and I discovered him!! I have followed Reich's career since then always buying his books the first day they hit the bookstores. I may not always read them that first day but I certainly do buy them.

I have to say that not all of Reich's books have been as good as those first two but he's still a huge cut above most of the other mystery/thriller authors out there. I'm particularly drawn to his books that have a financial background simply because that seems to be Reich's expertise. And then came The Art of Deception, a book that caught me right up in its web of intrigue but, unfortunately, got too convoluted for me in the end.

Many of the other reviewers here have already spelled out the story of part-time mountain climber and full-time surgeon Dr. Jonathan Ransom. He's affiliated with the Doctors Without Borders organization which becomes the perfect occupation for the backdrop of this book as these doctors travel all over the world to perform these surgeries . Ransom finds himself in the middle of a life and death struggle when he finds out his wife has been leading a mysterious double life. This book is a real cat and mouse chase and, as I look back at all of Reich's other books, they can also be described the same way.

When I finish reading a book, I usually like to do some research on the author and I found out some interesting tidbits when I researched both Reich and The Rules of Deception. Apparently Reich loves the character of Jonathan Ransom....so much so that this was the first book in a series featuring him as the main character. He said in a recent interview that "he didn't start out with the idea of it being a series but realized halfway through it that Ransom was the hero he'd always wanted to write. He said he came alive to him in a way that others hadn't." I can't tell you how surprised I was to read this because I just never felt the connection with this character while reading the book. When I was finished, I never felt the need to go back and visit with him once again although now I find I will be. I just hope that in the next book, Reich goes back and develops Ransom a little bit more so that his readers will feel the same way about him as Reich does.

The second very interesting thing I found out was that the inspiration for the book came from none other than General Tommy Franks. Apparently, the two were working on a TV show together as consultants and Franks told Reich some stories about members of the Joint Special Operations Command. But Franks was very clear on one point about these "operators." They never spoke about their missions and nothing could ever make them do so. So Reich began to wonder what would happen if you were married to one of these operators.

So after meeting Franks, the stage was set for this book. I can see now that the ending does leave itself open to some sequels and it will be interesting to see how Reich pulls this off. As a loyal follower of this author, I selfishly wish this series had a banking background to it as opposed to a medical one but that won't keep me from reading books by one of my favorite authors. I just have one question for Reich....."Why couldn't the series have centered around one of my favorite characters...Nick Neumann from Numbered Account?" Is that too much to ask?

i did never receive it
i never received the book I ordered as the book of reich was NOT available, although I ordered it.

I got my money back