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UncleEdwin2105

TIL DEATH GO US PART

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2017

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The reader was exposed to both characters, Jack Gregory (the Ripper) and Janet Price, in the Rho Agenda books. Based on the Publisher's Marketing Promo, we are led to believe that this book (Once Dead) would develop the supernatural element of Jack Gregory. True to the promo, Jack is possessed. However, I agree with previous reviewers, the supernatural aspect of Jack's personality never gets any traction. The reader is left to our own inventions and imagination too much.

The genre is a spy thriller integrated with a supernatural theme mixed with a developing relationship/partnership between the two protagonists. This theme is similar to those encountered by either Mitch Rapp or Scot Harvath. What starts out as a relatively straight forward protection contract embroils Jack into a major terror plot against the USA. Jack is ostracized by all the USA spy agencies except for the NSA. To find out why, the NSA sends one of its lead assets into the picture, i.e., Janet Price. Their relationship and/or partnership is well developed and the reader shouldn't have any trouble following along. However, the story gets more complicated with the introduction of the remaining characters. I think the author handles it well but it can be a little confusing for the reader; i.e., how and why did we get from point A to B?

Hopefully, future books will develop the supernatural aspect of Jack's personality. I will read future books just to see if Jack's internal conflict is resolved. I recommend this book just for the development of Jack and Janet's partnership.

C. Holliday

if you liked the original Rho series you may want to read ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2014

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This novel is in a different league than the first two novels. In order to explain that statement I need to make a few comments about the original Rho Trilogy. The first book of the trilogy seemed to start off as children's fiction, even evoking the atmosphere of the old "The Waltons" T.V. series or the home life of Murray family in Madeleine L'Engle's young adult science fiction series beginning with "The Wind in the Door." In fact, if you liked the original Rho series you may want to read L'Engle's 'Time Quartet' four novel series.
As it happens, I like children's and young adult novels as well as science fiction, pulp fiction, thrillers, noire and quirky. The thing is that in the original trilogy it seemed Phillips started off writing a young adult sci-fi novel that turned into a much more adult thriller series that at times appealed to more prurient interests than would have been acceptable in "The Waltons." As a consequence the trilogy seemed at times almost like fiction searching for a genre upon which the author had not yet decided. Still, it had a compelling story and characters, albeit characters that lacked a great deal of character development.

Once Dead is an adult sci-fi thriller from the get go. In this novel Phillips has taken adult characters, Jack Gregory and Janet Price who were more like supporting actors in the trilogy and fully developed them. The story blends science fiction with the thriller genre of a Jack Reacher/Jason Bourne/Bill Compton from True Blood. Jack Gregory isn't a vampire, but he's definitely possessed. For Janet Price think Maggie Q in Nikita. This book is written to be a franchise for a movie series. The plot unfolds like the screen play for a movie. Seriously. I'd love to see Jack Gregory's character become a movie franchise, and with Janet Price as well. Richard Phillips background shows that he not only knows a lot but is experienced in hand to hand combat, physics, and government agencies. His writing makes clear that he is well traveled and knows a great deal about parts of the world to which ordinary citizens will never travel. All in all I was on more than one occasion thinking that this writer has been an operative in ways that he is not free to acknowledge in this book. There were just too many times when I felt like I was right there in CIA headquarters or on the ground in a remote area of Russia or one of the 'stans' on the southern border of Russia.

claudette valliere

Jack Gregory one helluva hero.

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2014

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Just one great read.

Jack Gregory was a CIA assassin. A very good one.

He threw it all away in order to get to the man who killed his brother. He's in Calcutta to do just that.

The killer didn't come alone though. After Jack breaks his arm and is well on his way to killing the SOB, the six men with him attack and leave Gregory covered in knife wounds. Gregory kills them all but the killer of his brother, Carlton "Priest" Williams, ex Delta Force mercenary escapes. Williams was also ex Ranger, ex Green Beret and a betrayal to all that the men of special forces stood for.

Jack is badly wounded and does die.

While on the way to death a dark force called Anchanchu asks him for a lift.

Anchanchu explains that Jack will remain in control of his own being. His nature will be unchanged. The dark force gets to experience the hosts emotions for the duration of the ride. The dark force can only exist in one host at a time and once accepted he will remain with Jack until he dies.

He explains the overall effect is that Jack will still love what he loves and hate what he hates but much hotter. He will be the same person he always was, just a little bit more so. He will be drawn to situations that spike his adrenaline. He further explains that because of that few of his hosts live to a ripe old age.

Jack accepts the challenge and invites Anchanchu along for the ride. Jack comes alive after being declared dead by a Calcutta doctor with pictures and a death certificate as proof.

The nun, Sister Mary Judith, who got him to the doctor looks into his eyes and says, "Dear Lord, the Ripper walks the earth."

Jack Gregory becomes "The Ripper." The Ripper is for hire.

So begins one damned fine read.

This one has Jack, Janet Price who turns into an allie, Rachel Koenig, Rolf Koenig, a Rolf Koenig with a plan to change the world, a Russian mobster named Rostov, a good friend named Rita Chavez, Deputy Dirctor of the CIA Nolan Trent, a CIA killer named Jacob Knox, an Anchanchu who is more than excited about his host, Big John one hell of an NSA computer, Admiral Jonathan Riles the director of the NSA, Levi Elias of the NSA, death, betrayal and one hell of a kick ass read. Just super.

Five Stars and then some.

Top reviews from other countries

bart

Brilliant, addictive, high octane adrenaline rush of a read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2017

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Think of numerous words that imply, brilliant and addictive and they will all relate to this book. This is the first book by Richard Phillips that I have read, but I ordered his complete bibliography before I had even finished this book.

I read a review that described this as Jason Bourne with a supernatural twist. That kind of sum's it up, but there is minimal emphasis on the supernatural aspect, I expect that to blossom in later books. This book is exceptionally well written, the characters are vivid and the danger and Adrenalin leaks from these books and infuses the reader. The pace it sets puts you on the edge of your seat and the action scenes are vivid high octane rushes that quickly become addictive. The plot is very inventive and the bad guys are at least plausible with acceptable twisted logic for their nefarious machinations. (Except for the CIA bad guy – whose motivations would be best summed up as demented)

The "hero" Jack Gregory, lies on the precipice of death and makes a deal with an alien entity that he thinks of as a demon, who in exchange for allowing it to bond with him brings him back to life. Apart from a few references to it hyping up the intensity of his emotions and Jack having to guard against this, it doesn’t really have much impact on this book. The emphasis is on the espionage, fight scenes and danger.

Jack Gregory used to work for the CIA and its implied he was an assassin. But now everyone thinks he’s dead and he hires himself out as a fixer of problems for the very rich. He doesn’t get paid to kill people only to fix problems, but people tended to die anyway. And those deaths, the conflicts and fights, are all very brutal, dirty but efficient, and so very addictive to read. Jack doesn’t hesitate to kill, destroy or torture those he believes deserves it. He is an efficient and deadly and unpredictable killer that understandably scares everyone else not him. Jack gets hired to fix a mobster problem by a wealthy trophy wife, but she doesn’t understand the actual problem and it’s just the tip of the iceberg of a diabolical plot basically intended to destroy America. The NSA get wind of “something” and realise Jack Gregory is in the thick of it so they send their top agent Janet Price, who is almost as skilled and deadly as jack, to help. Jack then gets targeted by a Russian mobster and his gang, a billionaires paid lackeys, and a top CIA assassin and the CIA in general. And every time they try to kill jack, even when he’s escaped the trap and could just escape, he always turns back round to hunt and kill his would be attackers with ruthless efficiency.

In short I loved this book. I enjoyed the plot, I revelled in the action, rooted for the ruthless deadly hero, and soon became addicted to the action, pace and ferocity of the story. The author did and exceptional job of getting the ideal balance between back story, character development and action scenes.

Andrew Mulholland

Black and white with no grey

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2019

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Essentially James Bond (the movie version) with an added alien to give our hero (the best CIA assassin ever) even greater super powers. He is even able to smell people when he is upwind of them... The alien is supposed to tempt him into committing atrocities, but he is so morally upstanding he can resist. I read it all - fast - but wouldn't read anything else by this author. Too little time and too many other more interesting books.

DavidO

Great Beginning!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2017

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I would like to have read this volume before the Rho Agenda Trilogies as it does serve to better understand the heroes' characters and contributions to the plot. The lack of interplanetary drama at this point of the story, of course, creates a total lack of conception of the developments to come and would likely inhibit the reader's understanding of the overall storyline. A well-written dramatic start to the Saga.
Harast

Anthony Peters

More action than sci-fi

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2020

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Overall an entertaining story that could lead to better things.

There is a lack of any obvious weakness from Gregory. Because of this I didn't get the route for the underdog feeling that I love in so many action novels.

The Mindworm is hardly mentioned at all and I can only assume bigger things are planned for the following novels. I hope so.

I will read the second instalment with hope of more conflict between the Mindworm and Gregory.

Amazon Customer

Bath time fun

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2015

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I read the Rho trilogy first and did really really enjoy them as they weren't what I expected. However the authors obsession with baths and showers is driving me crazy, he is OCD for squeeky clean. The main characters are all either hoping to have a bath / shower or having a bath / shower all the time. Here a character checks into a hotel has a shower, spends hours in their room and then finishes with a bath.

I'll give the next book a go but it is getting all a bit gawd bless america

Weird.

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