HardScape [Import] [Paperback]

Justin Scott (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; New Ed edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006477119
• ISBN-13: 978-0006477112
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,782,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Justin Scott has written twenty-four thrillers, historicals, and mystery novels, including The Shipkiller and Normandie Triangle. With many books set at sea, he has been called "the Dick Francis of yachting."

He created the Ben Abbott detective series (HardScape, StoneDust, FrostLine, McMansion and Mausoleum), and was twice nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award by the Mystery Writers of America.

His main pen name is Paul Garrison under which he has written five modern sea thrillers including Red Sky At Morning, Sea Hunter, and The Ripple Effect.

The Wrecker, a collaboration with Clive Cussler is being published Fall of 2009. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, filmmaker Amber Edwards.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hidden Gem, Intelligently Written, July 29, 2003

By 

P. Kingsriter "R.N. Guy" (Lakeville, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hardscape: A Mystery Introducing Ben Abbott (Ben Abbott Mystery) (Hardcover)

Ben Abbott is a fiesty, resourceful, (innocent) ex-con realtor who is a great observer of people and a real sucker for the ladies. Financial and emotional needs land him inadvertantly in the middle of a murder mystery in a (usually) quiet get-away town north of NYC. Ben is personally vested in one of the victims (his cousin), and would like to be with one of the suspects (a lovely, lonely woman).

Justin Scott's writing was truly refreshing, like the New England autumn in which his wonderfully woven story takes place. His characters' dialogue is sharp and character-consistent enough that the reader doesn't need constant reminding who is speaking (unlike so many modern mystery writers whose characters are completely flat). Scott's discriptions of action and settings blend seamlessly into the story, and often are contributing factors. He addresses all sorts of folks, from NYC big-time business brokers to backwoods bumpkins, and he writes them all very well.

This is not a book to be "skimmed" -- if you do, you'll miss a number of Justin Scott's wonderful little additions. Scott has such superbly gentle command of his storytelling in HARDSCAPE that there is a great deal of depth to his characters that can be read between the lines. For instance, the hero, Ben Abbott, has many great traits, but his internal dialogue is also humorously honest about his flaws. Being a single man who loves female companionship, what Ben notices and thus describes about other characters he encounters is different: he talks about the men according to their physical size and strength (just what an ex-con would notice and evaluate - can I take him?), and he takes note of other characteristics of the fairer sex - their clothes, hair, smiles, etc... It's a really brilliantly executed character development device. Scott paints such a pretty picture of the New England countryside that one can almost smell the sweet smoke of the wood-burning stoves.

While the plot is not extraordinary and the conclusion a little too Matlock-neat to fit the rest of the lush tale, everything else IS extraordinary. HARDSCAPE is the most smartly written, engrossing, and enjoyable fiction I've read in the past year. I'm looking forward a great deal to Scott's second entry into the Ben Abbott series, STONEDUST. I highly recommend HARDSCAPE for those seeking a clever, fun mystery to get wrapped up in.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars poison pen should be commended, October 27, 2003

By 

J. Jordan "Editor of Crimespree Magazine" (milwaukee, wi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HardScape (Ben Abbott Novels (Paperback)) (Paperback)

Bringing back this series was a great idea. Poison Pen has put out a wonderful looking version of this great book.

Ben Abbot is a character not to be missed. This is written with a deft style and sense of plotting that draws the reader right into the book. Scott is a must read for mystery lovers

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm not much of a mystery fan but.., January 5, 2009

By 

Michael T Kennedy (Lake Arrowhead, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HardScape (Ben Abbott Novels (Paperback)) (Paperback)

I've enjoyed Justin Scott's sailing novels (and in fact, I think I've written two reviews years apart when I forgot that I had already done a review) and I am not a big fan of mysteries. That said, I decided to read this one to see how it went. His tone is a bit like Nelson DeMille's with a wise guy protagonist telling the story in the first person. Ben Abbott is a bit more humbled by misfortune (taking the rap in an insider trading scheme) and has done prison time. He is now back living in his childhood home with family (both reputable and not) nearby. His real estate business is slow and he listens to a PI who wants him to video a wife cheating on her rich husband. The plot gets a bit intricate at times but Scott does a good job tying all the threads together. I liked this novel and think I will buy the next one. If you like Nelson DeMille's books, you will like this one. I don't have a wide experience with mystery writers and can't get into most of them but this one held my attention until I finished it.