Rules of Deception

The plot of Reich's novel begins like a run-of-the-mill spy tale, and the narration at first seems a bit slow. Then, before you know it, both take off, and you're hooked. Paul Michael portrays Dr. Jonathan Ransom, a surgeon whose wife is killed in an Alps climbing accident. Soon after, Ransom learns his spouse had a life unknown to him--and possessed some deadly secrets. Before long, Ransom is propelled into a world of subterfuge, suspected terrorism, and potential nuclear war. Michael plays Ransom boldly. His announcer-like voice demands attention. He's at his best describing a chilling sequence of events that end when Ransom awakens from a nightmare. Michael's foreign accents are particularly noteworthy. This is one of Reich's best, and, as narrators go, Michael rules! A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 5, 2008
The un-put-downable sixth spy novel from bestseller Reich (The Patriots’ Club
, which won an International Thrillers Award in 2006) shows he’s the equal of such masters of suspense as Ken Follett and Frederick Forsyth. The twisting story line revolves around Jonathan Ransom, a 37-year-old surgeon for Doctors Without Borders, whose wife is killed while mountain climbing in the Swiss Alps. As Ransom struggles to come to grips with this tragedy, he receives two mysterious baggage claim tickets addressed in her name. Ransom tracks the luggage to a remote train station, where two Swiss police officers attack him shortly after he picks up the baggage. Once safely away, he examines the contents only to realize that his wife was an undercover agent involved in “the blackest of black ops”—a plot that includes unmanned airborne vehicles, secret uranium enrichment facilities in Iran and the destruction of Israel. This first-class adrenaline fest will leave readers guessing until the last page. Author tour.

September 29, 2008
In true Hitchcockian tradition, Reich plunges his unsuspecting protagonist, Dr. Jonathan Ransom, into a dangerous world of international intrigue and death. After his wife dies in a skiing accident in the Swiss Alps, Ransom learns she had been leading a double life as a spy. What starts out as a search for answers about his late wife's past quickly escalates into a frantic life and death chase across northern Europe. Paul Michael proves quite adept at narrating this complicated story. Using just the right emphasis on key words, he keeps the listener involved. With solid conviction in his voice, Michael grounds Reich's over-the-top prose. Although his no-frills interpretation of Ransom is a little bland, Michael essays a rogues' gallery of distinctly voiced and accented supporting characters. Reich keeps the action coming, and Michael stays with him chase for chase. A Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, May 5).