Helpful Score: 3
This was a really fun read. It's fast-paced, and has an interestingly convoluted plot that takes a few unexpected and somewhat insane twists and turns. There are a few factual errors and at times I thought the characterization could have been more in-depth, but if you want something with lots of action that you don't have to take too seriously, it's a great book.
Helpful Score: 2
As a fast moving story of International Espionage, I was never sure where the story would turn next and who or whom could be trusted. The story is set in a post-9/11 era and many of the details reflect our modern world. I have to wonder how much of the story is fiction and how much is true. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a story that makes you question the current events you read in the daily paper or see on the news.
Rodney E. (Baggervance) reviewed Rules of Deception (Jonathan Ransom, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
If you like a fast paced book with lots of twists and turns not to mention much ACTION this is a must read. This author is right up there with Patterson.
Elizabeth R. (esjro) -
Helpful Score: 1
Jonathan Ransom is devastated when his wife Emma is killed in an accident while they are climbing in the Swiss Alps. He has little time to mourn however, because shortly after her death he receives a mysterious package in the mail which was intended for his wife. Along with Emma's best friend Simone, he attempts to trace the origin and the meaning of the package. In the process he becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy, and in his pursuit of answers he becomes a suspect.
Though this story has a lot of potential, in some ways it is poorly executed. The pacing is inconsistent. The first half of the book contains lengthy chapters that each feature a different set of characters. I found myself confused about who everyone was and what they had to do with anything. At the halfway point of the book. Reich abruptly shifts to Patterson-style chapters of a few pages in length. Also, the plot twists get more outrageous; if not for Reich's fine writing (which is considerably elevated above others in the spy genre) some would have been laughable.
Also, there are some loose ends that never get tied up. For example, the book opens with a butterfly fluttering around what may be a nuclear test site. There are descriptions of shady butterfly-pin-wearing men whose motives are not understood. Even the cover art features a butterfly. After the first couple of pages the author's interest in butterflies apparently becomes extinct, and after finishing the book I still was not clear about what was up with the butterflies.
Usually movie adaptations of books are disappointing, but this book could make a movie that is better than its source material. The characters of Ransom and Simone are likable, and the action scenes which take place across the globe would play well on the big screen. Hopefully whoever does the screen adaptation can fix some of Reich's mistakes.
Though this story has a lot of potential, in some ways it is poorly executed. The pacing is inconsistent. The first half of the book contains lengthy chapters that each feature a different set of characters. I found myself confused about who everyone was and what they had to do with anything. At the halfway point of the book. Reich abruptly shifts to Patterson-style chapters of a few pages in length. Also, the plot twists get more outrageous; if not for Reich's fine writing (which is considerably elevated above others in the spy genre) some would have been laughable.
Also, there are some loose ends that never get tied up. For example, the book opens with a butterfly fluttering around what may be a nuclear test site. There are descriptions of shady butterfly-pin-wearing men whose motives are not understood. Even the cover art features a butterfly. After the first couple of pages the author's interest in butterflies apparently becomes extinct, and after finishing the book I still was not clear about what was up with the butterflies.
Usually movie adaptations of books are disappointing, but this book could make a movie that is better than its source material. The characters of Ransom and Simone are likable, and the action scenes which take place across the globe would play well on the big screen. Hopefully whoever does the screen adaptation can fix some of Reich's mistakes.
