Rules of Vengeance: Jonathan Ransom, Book 2
Written by Christopher Reich
Narrated by Paul Michael
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
A riveting sequel to the New York Times bestseller Rules of Deception that confirms Christopher Reich as the master of the espionage thriller.
Months after foiling an attack on a commercial jetliner, Doctors Without Borders physician Jonathan Ransom is working under an assumed name in a remote corner of Africa while his wife, Emma, desperate to escape the wrath of Division, the secret American intelligence agency she betrayed, has vanished into the netherworld of international espionage. Both look forward to sharing a stolen weekend in London-until an ambush on a convoy of limousines turns their romantic rendezvous into a terrorist bloodbath.
In the aftermath, Emma disappears and Jonathan is apprehended by the police and threatened with life imprisonment unless he helps secure his wife's capture. Faced with an impossible decision, Jonathan makes a daring escape. On the run, he realizes that his only option is to become a spy himself in order to track down Emma and discover the true nature of the conspiracy she appears to be masterminding. In the process, Jonathan begins to realize that all along he's been a pawn in a high-stakes game of international intrigue and one-upsmanship far beyond his imagining.
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Reviews for Rules of Vengeance
76 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a gorgeous reading. I liked this espionage story very much. All major countries as US, Russia and England are involved, but nobody would grant someone else the success. Jonathan's wife is an agent but it let me guessing until the last page for whom she is working. Firstly, Jonathan couldn't believe what his 'wife' is up to, therefore he isn't trying to help her than to stop her. It was a breathtaking reading until the very last page.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is a good fast-action read. All the action takes place in a couple of days with travel over half of europe and a wide cast of characters. Very complex relationships between characters.Unfortunately I did not read the prior book "Rules of Deception." A lot pieces of history from "Deception" are missing which diminishes the story line. Similarly there are too many loose ends at the end - obviously there will be a sequel.I'v read several of his other books and I don't think this one is up to par but that is probably I didn't read the first of the series.I recommend you read "Deception" first.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Along came Rules of Deception. Was it really a return to the big blockbuster of the 70’s and 80’s? Critics certainly were embracing it with gusto. So it was with some excitement and no small amount of skepticism that I picked up the book. The story started like a rocket and picked up speed from there. By page 20, I knew the critics had gotten it right. Rules of Deception was the very definition of a blockbuster: a lone, intrepid hero battling immense odds to save the world from a cataclysmic battle while also regaining the love of a fallen woman.Now, Reich gives us Rules of Vengeance. Sequels are rarely as good as the original, so again, I was skeptical. And yet, Rules of Vengeance turns out to be that rare exception—where the novel not only stands up to its predecessor, but actually takes the story and characters in new—and completely surprising—directions. Again we meet Dr. Jonathan Ransom, a surgeon for Doctors Without Borders. The story begins with his arrival in London to deliver an address at a prestigious international medical conference, and it takes off from there at mach speed, offering more twists than the Monaco Grand Prix. I’m not going to give away any of the unexpected plot turns (and there are many), but I will say that once again, Ransom quickly finds himself in trouble not of his own making. And, once again, he is forced to maneuver between the good guys and the bad guys in order to figure out just what he’s been pulled into, and then make sure that no one else suffers because of it. The stakes are sky high. The locales are exotic. The plot is ripped from tomorrow’s headlines and Reich controls the story with a deft hand from beginning to end.What’s particularly appealing about Jonathan Ransom is he is not a spy or a trained assassin. He is, in fact, the opposite: a doctor who has devoted his life to helping others—a loner working outside political boundaries who exemplifies the best in us all. But like each of us, he has a dark side that is both frightening and compelling. You do not want to make this man angry.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have never paid attention to Christopher Reich or any of his books. However, I went to CVS to buy some sunscreen that I could take in a carry-on for my recent trip to Florida, and I was looking for an airplane book. Rules of Vengeance seemed to be the most promising of the sad and tiny selection.It is the second book about Dr. Jonathan Ransom, a physician with Doctors Without Borders who is married to a woman who calls herself Emma. That, of course, is not her real name. Emma is an operative with Division, a secret (fictional) Pentagon department devoted to black ops. Emma has gone rogue after foiling an attempt to blow up a passenger airplane, and is now on the run from Division. Jonathan meets her briefly in London, where he has been invited to speak at a medical conference.Most of the action in this thriller takes place in London. Lord Robert Russell is murdered, and the hunt for his killer begins. The investigation is headed by Detective Chief Inspector Kate Ford, of the London Metropolitan Police. The next day, a car bomb is detonated. Emma and Jonathan are now being hunted by Division, MI5, and FSB, the Russian secret intelligence agency.This book is fast-moving, intelligent and interesting. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fresh, after working to foil an attack on a commercial flight, Dr. Jonathan Ransom travels to London for a medical conference. An impromptu meeting brings him together with his secret agent wife, Emma Ransom. Instead of a happy vacation, Jonathan witnesses Emma set off a car bomb in an attempt to assassinate Igor Ivanov, the Russian Interior Minister. Emma disappears and Jonathan is held responsible for the bombing.Inspector Kate Ford believes Jonathan is guilty and is assisted by MI-5 agent Colonel Graves. In an effort to prove his innocence and find his wife before she can engineer another disaster, Ransom must become a spy himself. He leads his pursuers on a chase across Europe in an effort to stop Emma in time.This is the sequel to Christopher Reich's Rules of Deception, published in 2008. I must say that I am very pleased with this second novel in the series. The action begins with the very first sentence and you are not one hundred percent sure what is going on until the very end, and maybe not even then.Jonathan and Emma return and have evolved into somewhat different people in this novel. Jonathan is still the doctor who thinks he can save everyone, but now lays it all on the line to first save and later stop his wife. Emma is still in love with Jonathan, but we learn more about her secret life as an agent for Division that changes how we feel about her.The suspense leads up to a dramatic stand off at the end. A surprise twist at the very end makes you rethink the events throughout the entire book. While the ending has enough closure to satisfy, I find myself hoping that there will be a third book in the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5RATING: 5 OUT OF 5As I finished reading the ARC of, Rules of Deception last summer I felt that the door had been left open for a sequel with Dr. Jonathan Ransom. (See my review of that book below.) So when I saw the announcement of the upcoming release in August 2009 of Rules of Vengeance, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Thank you, Mr. Reich, for not disappointing me on several counts. First of all, Dr. Jonathan Ransom and his wife Emma do return, and the level of intrigue and suspense takes off almost from the first page. Jonathan Ransom is the kind of character that you can't help but like. You are rooting for him all the way throughout the book. His wife Emma, is another story. She has a dark past that continues to be a mystery even to her husband. However, in this new release, Jonathan is not willing to spend the rest of his life in prison for his wife's terrorism, no matter how she wants to justify it. He is willing, however, to become the hunter all over Europe to save himself, with or without her. Two new characters have entered the plot and instantly become the nemesis of Jonathan. Colonel Graves and Detective Chief Inspector Kate Ford, both of Britain, don't necessarily like each other or agree on tactics but their single focus is to bring in Jonathan Ransom. Again, Mr. Reich gives us a large cast of characters but they quickly form a fast paced, clever plot that will leave you wanting more. If 21st century international espionage excites you, you will not want to miss either of these page turners.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just as much fun as the preceding volume but a wee bit less carefully constructed. The main villain is absent for the first two thirds of the novel, the fish-out-of-water juxtaposition of doctor turned amateur spy that works so well in the first book strains credulity the second time around, and the allegiances of the wife/antagonist are muddied to the point of complete opacity. Regardless, all these faults can be ignored and the story enjoyed for itself. Just don't think to much.