Rules of Betrayal

Rules of Betrayal by Christopher Reich is a suspense novel of international intrigue. This is the third novel by Reich featuring Dr. Jonathan Ransom and his undercover-agent wife Emma. In this novel Dr. Jonathan Ransom is in Afghanistan providing medical care when he gets caught in a raid that turns into a firefight. This eventually leads to Jonathan becoming involved with Division, a secret U.S. government agency, and participating in one of their secret missions that involves recovering a once lost nuclear bomb before terrorists get it and perhaps rescuing Emma.

In Rules of Betrayal, Reich provides plenty of plot twists and turns. In his world of espionage the players are all more than capable of betraying each other and no one is show more safe. Jonathan is entering this world of professionals as an amateur with some good instincts but little training. The bad guys are bad and you might wonder exactly who are the good guys. This results in plenty of tension and a satisfying thriller. As most people will expect, all the narrow escapes in Rules of Betrayal require you to suspend disbelief.

I must confess that I haven't read the previous two novels, Rules of Vengeance and Rules of Deception, featuring Dr. Jonathan and Emma Ransom. Although Rules of Betrayal can most certainly be read alone without the previous two novels, it did feel like I was missing some important backstory that would have help to develop the characters and their history more fully. If you're thinking of reading this series and suspect jumping into the story without all the background information would hinder your enjoyment, it would benefit you to read the previous two novels before this one (and I'm sure there will be a fourth book too).

On the other hand if you are looking for some summer escapism and like novels with international intrigue, then Rules of Betrayal won't disappoint you.This would be a great airplane book/summer vacation reading. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

Disclosure: I received this novel through the Goodreads First Reads program.

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For eight years he had traveled the world as a physician with Doctors Without Borders. He had worked from the top of Africa to the bottom. He had spent time in Kosovo, Beirut, and Iraq, too. Wherever he was located, his mission was to bring medical care to those who needed it most. Politics was not a factor. There were no good guys or bad guys. There were only patients.
He'd arrived in Afghanistan two months before, but he no longer worked for Doctors Without Borders. Events in the recent past prevented him from working in an official capacity as a physician or surgeon for them or anyone else. The man at the American embassy had told him he was crazy to venture into the Red Zone-the Red Zone being anywhere outside Kabul. When Jonathan said he was traveling alone, without bodyguards or weapons or any personal security whatsoever, so that he might offer medical care to people in the remotest villages, the man called him "suicidal." Jonathan didn't think so. He had calculated the risks, weighed them against his responsibilities, and found the balance equal, more or less. pg. 21 show less

Another fast paced, high intensity thriller involving Dr. Jonathan Ransome, plastic surgeon turned spy, married to Emma. We still can't figure out who Emma is really working for, but the ending leaves us knowing there will be another book for sure.

In this adventure, Jonathan is recruited to help locate a missing nuclear device the Air Force managed to lose in a 1980 plane crash over the high peaks in Pakistan. Naturally the bad guys have located this beauty and are ready to sell it to the highest bidder for use in a terrorist attack.

Lots of plot twists, lots of people who aren't who they seem to be, but so well written that you are on the edge of your chair for the whole ride.

Dr. Jonathan Ransom is treating indigent people in Afghanistan, when his submissive assistant slits the throat of a Afghan rebel leader, which thrusts Ranson into the middle of a plot to recover the nuclear payload of a lost ICBM in the wintry highlands. Meanwhile his wife Emma is implicated in the assassination attempt of a Saudi prince, tortured, and left for dead. Emma's boss at Division, Frank Connor, has Ransom masquerade as a plastic surgeon for the arms dealer trying to broker the sale of the nuke. All hell breaks loose, and Emma, Frank, Jonathan and his spy trainer (Danni from Israel) have to work to save NYC from an Afghan lunatic.

Another solid entry by Christopher Reich. Emma Ransom, double agent, and her husband, humanitarian doctor, Jonathan Ransom have split due to her duplicity (read the previous book to find out why) but are brought together in Pakistan when Emma helps a treacherous arms dealer recover a nuclear warhead from a downed U.S. military plane and Jonathan is now an undercover agent posing as a plastic surgeon brought in to change the arms dealer's looks.

There is a lot of action, a high body count, and more double dealings than I could count. All good fun.

RULES OF BETRAYAL by Christopher Reich is a suspense/thriller set in modern day Afghanistan and USA. It is the third in the Jonathan Ransom series but can easily be read as a stand alone. It is well written with depth, details, twists and turns. It has suspense, international espionage, adventure, betrayal, complex, high tech terrorist plot and suprising climax. The characters are complex, intelligent, strong, devoted, one is an assasin, the other a Doctor. The secondary characters are just as complex and interesting.The hero, Jonathan, is a Doctor for Doctors Without Borders, he is trying to make amends for things he had done in his past. Emma, is Jonathan's wife, a spy, an assasin who used her husband's job to help accomplish her show more goals. Jonathan is thrusted into trying to locate a weapon of mass destruction,after Emma is kidnapped and betrayed. If you enjoy espionage, suspense, thrillers, edge of your seat reading this is a book for you. This book was received for review and details can be found at Doubleday and My Book Addiction and More. show less

Rules of Betrayal by Christopher Reich is the third book in his Dr. Jonathan Ransom series. This was the first book I'd read by this author.

Ransom is a physician with Doctors Without Borders and is married to Emma, who just happens to be an international spy. Emma has disappeared and no one, not even her handlers are sure what side she's on anymore - America's or Russia's.

Jonathan is brought in by the head of 'Division' - they want to send him to try and find Emma and the arms dealer she may be with. The dealer is looking to use a weapon of mass destruction against the US.

Lots of crosses, double crosses, espionage, intrigue and plot lines taken straight from current headlines. The story moves along quickly and there's no lack of show more action. Although this book could certainly be read as a stand alone, I did feel a little out of the picture as I didn't have a firm grasp on what had gone on before. Emma is a shadow figure until 3/4 through the book. Ransom is an interesting character and it would be worth going back to start at the beginning to know him better. And there's definitely a fourth book in the works.

I can see this series being made into a movie a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Fans of Brad Thor and Vince Flynn would enjoy this series. show less

I received a free copy of this book from the Good Reads First reads program! Thank you for introducing me to this author.

I am surprised I haven't read something by Christopher Reich before! This would make a great spy thriller movie like a good James Bond, but with the husband/wife combo of Jonathan and Emma. It seemed real and made me wonder if any of this was based on true facts. Totally pulse pounding and engrossing this book kicks off the summer season with a bang.