Shadow Project (Ben Hope 5) [Paperback]

Scott Mariani (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ben Hope 5 | Publication Date: January 21, 2010

Only one man can foil a plot set to change the course of history! The latest heart-stopping novel from the rising star of the conspiracy thriller genre. Ex-SAS soldier Ben Hope is enjoying life at Le Val, the facility in Northern France where he trains others in the dangerous art of hostage rescue, until a chance incident forces him to take on the role of bodyguard to the Swiss billionaire Maximilian Steiner. The victim of a recent abduction attempt, Steiner believes that a neo-Nazi terror group are bent on seizing a prized document from his personal collection - one that could support claims that the Holocaust never happened. But what initially seemed like a straightforward VIP protection job is turned upside-down by the appearance of a mystery woman from Ben's past. Could he be right about her, or is he losing his edge? On a quest across Europe, Ben finds himself embroiled in a deadly kidnap intrigue and a sinister project that has lain dormant since 1944. The stakes are global - and this time Ben is also fighting to protect the people closest to him!

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Smart, action-packed thriller...it's completely addictive.' Closer Magazine

About the Author

Scott Mariani grew up in St Andrews, Scotland. He studied Modern Languages at Oxford and went on to work as a translator, a professional musician, a pistol shooting instructor and a freelance journalist before becoming a full-time writer. After spending several years in Italy and France, Scott discovered his secluded writer's haven in the wilds of west Wales, an 1830s country house complete with rambling woodland and a secret passage. When he isn't writing, Scott enjoys jazz, movies, classic motorcycles and astronomy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: AVON, a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (January 21, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007311907
• ISBN-13: 978-0007311903
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thriller that's written simply to entertain: and it does, December 7, 2010

By 

Julia Flyte - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Shadow Project (Ben Hope 5) (Paperback)

Ben Hope is an ex-SAS hero who now runs courses in personal security. He takes a short assignment to provide protection for Maximilian Steiner, a Swiss billionaire who has been the subject of kidnap attempts. Hope realizes that the kidnappers are trying to get hold of some secret Nazi documents that Steiner possesses. As he starts to investigate, he discovers that there is a plot to resurrect a mysterious technology that was first developed under the Nazis. The group have been targeting and eliminating a select number of scientists who are experts in this technology. Hope also realizes that the stakes are intensely personal for him.

This is an enjoyable, fast moving thriller. It has no literary pretensions: it's just written to entertain, and entertain it does. Yes, the plot is silly, yes the characters are one dimensional, the villains remain shadowy and the storyline is highly derivative. None of these things detracted from my enjoyment of it. It's relentlessly paced, with short chapters designed to keep you reading and it's very hard to put down. I probably won't remember much about it in a month's time, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is the first Scott Mariani book that I have read. I gather that there are others featuring the hero, Ben Hope, but it didn't seem necessary to have read them. It reminded me in several ways of The Day After Tomorrow, which I think is one of the best thrillers in the genre. A perfect airplane read.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Positive Use of Power, September 5, 2010

By 

K. K. Ray "Kastuv Ray" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Shadow Project (Ben Hope 5) (Kindle Edition)

This is by far the best Scott Mariani book to date in relation to the Ben Hope storylines. In today's world where power corrupts and corruption is rife, the Ben Hope character is one who utilises his skills to help the unfortunate and the underdogs against all odds. He is a character that can be likened to a maverick but he seeks power in order to help others.

This book has it all and will keep you on the edge throughout.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't read the prologue (Kindle Version), March 21, 2011

By 

Bob (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow Project (Ben Hope 5) (Paperback)

I don't know if there is a problem with the Kindle version as I have not read the physical book as the prologue has nothing whatever to do with the rest of the book (It actually comes from "Uprising" by Scott G Mariani) fortunately if you download the sample it starts at chapter 1 so you do not get a false impression of the book.
Although this is the 5th in a series it reads well as a standalone book it is the first I have read but I will read the rest. The story is about an ex SAS soldier Ben Hope who is now running a training school for bodyguards and the like through an unfortunate set of circumstances he has to take a contract to protect a billionaire Maximilian Schneider from this the story is fast moving with many twists and turns until all is resolved satisfactorily. This book has everything for lovers of this type of adventure yarn with long lost relatives, kidnapping, with Nazi involvement and even a bit of science fiction thrown in for good measure.