โ Scribed by Christopher Reich
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Lee Child on Rules of Deception
_Lee Child has crafted one of literature's most popular anti-heroes in the form of Jack Reacher, the iconic ex-military policeman of his _Nothing to Lose talks about what makes a good thriller -- and why Christopher Reich is a novelist worthy of a gold medal.
I discovered Christopher Reich exactly ten years ago. His first book came out around the same time my second book was published. The modest prosperity that ones first book deal brings allowed me to pick up hardcovers that caught my eye. And
And then he got better. It was always clear that he had talent to burn, but he chose to accompany it with a real work ethic. His second, third and fourth books built and built until the release of the next one was an event to be anticipated. (And right there is my only complaint: Reich doesnt write fast enough.)
His fifth book -
So I was really looking forward to Rules of Deception. I got an advance copy. I cracked it open. I started reading. Mostly I read like any other reader, but a small part of me reads like a writer. I think all writers experience the same thing. We sense things between the lines, especially energy and inspiration.
And ambition.
Rules of Deception starts with a short prologue, and then the first chapter introduces Jonathan Ransom, the main character. Two pages, and then nine pages. The prologue is a teaser. It baits the hook. Its a two-page masterpiece. Its intriguing, and then its really intriguing. It promises big things ahead. Then chapter one introduces the guy whos going to have to deal with them. And why, indirectly.
Eleven pages. The reader in me wanted to race ahead. But the writer in me had to pause a moment. Because between the lines I was sensing something. Maybe because its an Olympic year I can only explain it like this: picture the high jump event. Six competitors are still in. Then five, then four. Then three. Then the gold, the silver, and the bronze are settled. But the rules of track and field allow the winner to go on. The bar is raised. A personal best. The Olympic record. The bar is raised again. World record height. The stadium goes quiet. The jumper stills himself on the runway. Intense concentration. The gold medal is already in the bag. Uncharted territory. The jumper rocks from foot to foot, his mind on nothing except jumping higher than he has ever jumped before.
Thats exactly the between-the-lines feeling I was getting from Reich, eleven pages into Rules of Deception - a world-class writer preparing to accomplish something truly noteworthy.
There are a further 377 pages. They live up to the promise. --Lee Child
Amazon Exclusive Essay: Christopher Reich on Thrillers
Name your five favorite books.
For me theyre all thrillers.
About two years ago, I decided that it was my turn to write the thriller Id always wanted to read. I knew exactly where to start. All I had to do was "write what I know." These days, I know a lot about the intelligence community. Not the stuff you read about in the papers -- the stuff you never read about. Over the years, Ive made a lot of friends in Washington and overseas. Diplomats, spies, soldiers, politicians men and women at the highest levels of government. And, I can assure you that what theyve taught me about how the world really works is a lot more interesting and a lot more frightening than youd ever imagine.
Thats where my newest book, Rules of Deception, comes in. Its a story about an honest and courageous doctor named Jonathan Ransom. Hes a surgeon who works for Doctors Without Borders in some of the toughest parts of the world. Hes a happily married man with a big heart and a beautiful English wife he deeply loves named Emma who works with him. What Jonathan doesnt know is that nothing about his life is what it seems. In fact, its all a web of lies and hes caught in the middle of something extraordinarily dangerous.
I cant say more than that, and I shouldnt have to, because if Ive done my job right, when you get to page five youll be hooked and you wont come up for air until its all said and done. --Christopher Reich
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). (July)
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๐ SIMILAR VOLUMES
Dr. Jonathan Ransom, world-class mountaineer and surgeon for Doctors Without Borders, is climbing in the Swiss Alps with his beautiful wife, Emma, when a blizzard sets in. In their bid to escape the storm, Emma is killed when she falls into a hidden crevasse. Twenty-four hours later, Jonathan receiv
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 addres
New York Times Don't miss the other thrillers in the series--Rules of Vengeance From the Paperback edition.
### Amazon.com Review **Lee Child on *Rules of Deception*** \_Lee Child has crafted one of literature's most popular anti-heroes in the form of Jack Reacher, the iconic ex-military policeman of his *\_Nothing to Lose* talks about what makes a good thriller -- and why Christopher Reich is a novel
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