Hardscape: A Mystery Introducing Ben Abbott [Mass Market Paperback]

Justin Scott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1995

Ben Abbott, just returned to his small Connecticut hometown, is hired by a New York City private eye to videotape the activities in newcomer Rita Long's bedroom--where the ravishing Rita cheats on her husband. But murder wasn't part of the deal. And now Ben is embroiled in a mystery that will take a decidedly sinister turn.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Crackling with energy, this double-barreled mystery from the author of Many Happy Returns auspiciously launches an appealing new hero lightly brushed with sleaze. Benjamin Abbot III, a former investigator for Naval Intelligence and a Wall Street bond trader who served time for insider dealing, now runs the family real estate agency in his upscale hometown of Newbury, Conn. A New York City PI working for wealthy businessman Jack Long, who owns a weekend estate in Newbury, offers Ben $5000 to videotape Jack's artist wife Rita with her lover. Ben, who wants to winterize his barn, uneasily accepts. Midway through the job, however, his conscience wins out and he destroys the tape. The next day, the lover is found murdered on the Long's property and Rita is arrested. That evening, the body of Ben's reputable cousin Renny is discovered in a small plane, shot through the head and sprinkled with cocaine. Are the murders connected? Rita hires Ben to find her lover's killer, retaining him even after he tells her about the taping. As the decent--and not so nice--citizens of Newbury, who have lifted gossip to a new art form, talk about the crime, Ben picks up key information from an unlikely source. This is a tightly knit, continually engrossing mystery, with a warm-hearted sleuth who deftly blends skills gleaned from prep school, Wall street and Leavenworth.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Veteran writer Scott introduces a new amateur sleuth in the person of Ben Abbott, an ex-con from a good family in Newbury, Connecticut, who sells real estate. Ben becomes embroiled in the repercussions of two murders after he agrees to videotape a wealthy woman and her lover for a disgruntled husband. Small-town loyalties, animosities, and peccadilloes charge the atmosphere with tension: time seems to fly as Ben toils to clear the woman of murder. Most collections should own this example of Scott's sure hand and deft touch.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (February 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140234500
• ISBN-13: 978-0140234503
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,776,540 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.