Christopher Reich’s espionage thriller RULES OF VENGEANCE continues the story of Jonathan Ransom and his duplicitous wife, Emma, that began in last year’s RULES OF DECEPTION. It scores very high as a suspenseful cat-and-mouse, race-against-time story, where the true loyalties of each cat and mouse are constantly in question. What it lacks, however, is a bit more character depth to round out all its deception.
It’s been several months since Emma Ransom revealed her true identity as a spy for the secret American intelligence agency, the Division, and then foiled the agency’s plot to attack a commercial Israeli jetliner. She is now on the run from Division while her husband, Jonathan, continues his charitable medical work with Doctors Without Borders.
Jonathan accepts an offer to deliver a paper at a physician’s summit in London. Shortly after arriving at the hotel, he is sent on a clandestine errand where he meets Emma. She reiterates the danger she is in, having exposed Division, and she warns Jonathan not to follow her. But, of course, follow her is exactly what he does. And the closer he gets, the more he leans about the lies wrapped around the woman he thought he knew everything about.
But he is not the only one chasing Emma. The murder of a high-ranking British intelligence analyst puts both a London police detective and an agent from MI5 on the trail of the highly resourceful killer, revealed as Emma. And when these two discover that Jonathan is also looking for her, they begin to follow Jonathan, convinced that he is assisting his rogue-spy wife.
All the while, the Ransoms’ actions are being observed by the director of Division, the head of British intelligence and even the leaders of the successor to Russia’s KGB. They all have a stake in what seems to be Emma’s latest mission for whoever it is she now works.
Like its predecessor, this novel is thick with layer upon layer of deception, distractions and good ol’ red herrings. Fortunately, the focus is tighter here and, therefore, easier to follow and more effectively suspenseful. The pacing is also more energetic, even with its various set pieces and secondary characters.
Oddly, though, the quicker pacing highlights the novel’s main drawback. As we learn more about Emma’s real identity and background, we realize how deeply she deceived her devoted husband. But Jonathan hardly has time to reflect on all the lies and betrayals of this woman he married and still loves. A few more moments of shocked disbelief — and perhaps some righteous indignation — would have helped. Instead, he must keep running to stay ahead of those convinced that he, too, is a spy.
Will there be a third book of RULES? Maybe … and maybe not. Reich leaves the door opened only slightly as Emma and Jonathan are left to resume their lives at opposite ends of the world. For the moment, RULES OF VENGEANCE, while thin on genuine emotion, is still a thoroughly entertaining and expertly constructed spy thriller. —Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• RULES OF DECEPTION by Christopher Reich
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- Rules of Deception
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Mob Rules
- The Vengeance Man / Park Avenue Tramp / The Prettiest Girl I Ever Killed: A Trio of Gold Medals
- BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> Stark House Rules & Stark Raving Crap
- Dark Vengeance
