Meanwhile, Marcus von Daniken, a Swiss policeman, is called to the scene of the murder of a prominent scientist. At the murder scene, he notices an MAV on the scientist's desk. Thirdly, Philip Palumbo of the CIA is transporting a known terrorist to Syria and discovers a plot to shoot down an airplane in Switzerland.

Step by step, Christopher Reich draws the reader and Jonathan Ransom into a world of spies, high-tech weaponry, and global terrorism.  Reich ties all of these elements together, although at times it is difficult to discern who the good guys really are. This may actually have been purposeful on his part. Reich includes contemporary headline grabbing information about weapons of mass destruction, surveillance, and the politics of Israel and Iran. Set mostly in Switzerland with stops in Israel, the United States and Syria, this is truly an international thriller.

Rules of Deception is up there with the best of David Baldacci and Brad Thor. The twisting story line and great action scenes are written in an easy to read style with short chapters. Many readers may find the major appeal in Rules of Deception is its thought provoking material about what might actually be going in our world today. Put this one on your summer reading list.

--Jerry Solot