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witchqueen5's review against another edition
5.0
From my point of view, this was by far the best book in the series (yet)! In this one we finally get to hear a bit more about Ben's family and his sister, Ruth, and there's a lot of surprising information coming up. This book also made me happy because there was no fleeting romance between the main character and some random woman he met on the mission (hurrah!), but it develops something more of a stable attachment. Also, Jeff is a f*cking gem of a character!
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
balthazarlawson's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've read many books in the Ben Hope series but have always been left with a few unanswered questions regarding his sister, who was kidnapped in Africa on a holiday. This book answers those question and how they were reunited.
Following a training incident at his place in France, Ben takes over a security job in the hope of not being sued for millions. But the job doesn't go well as it was poorly organized from the beginning. However, the job gives him a clue to his missing sister and one he embraces and runs with.
This brings him into conflict with a shadow group that is pursuing the aims of a Nazi general, who went missing at the end of the war, that was working on a secret project
I really enjoyed this and is a must if one enjoys the Ben Hope series.
Following a training incident at his place in France, Ben takes over a security job in the hope of not being sued for millions. But the job doesn't go well as it was poorly organized from the beginning. However, the job gives him a clue to his missing sister and one he embraces and runs with.
This brings him into conflict with a shadow group that is pursuing the aims of a Nazi general, who went missing at the end of the war, that was working on a secret project
I really enjoyed this and is a must if one enjoys the Ben Hope series.
willthegee's review against another edition
4.0
Not bad if you like that sort of thing. Pretty 2D characters and it reads like an action movie - implausible vehicle explosions caused by gunfire, impossible coincidences etc. A good read, though, all the same, as long as you don't expect too much.
memicki2's review against another edition
3.0
First I’ve read of this series. Enjoyed the main characters and action. Plot was farfetched. Will probably read another.
canada_matt's review
4.0
With Scott Mariani at the helm, Ben Hope is sure to be back on another thrilling adventure, set to reveal what might have been a significant change in history. Enjoying his life in Le Val, his training facility in Northern France, Hope continues to provide top-notch service for those seeking to protect the more vulnerable people of the world. When a training seminar goes too far and Hope loses his temper, a fight ensues; one that could be more costly than the broken bones that Hope’s opponent suffers. Hope is forced to take the team back to Switzerland and offer the kidnap protection service to billionaire Maximilian Steiner, who possesses an interesting document, having procured piece of the Nazi’s larger plan that never saw the light of day. While guarding Steiner, a group attacks his compound and Hope sends in the troops, only to come across a woman from his past, which derails his efforts and leaves Steiner completely enraged. Hope is fired and returns to France, only to discover that his entire business is about to be financially decimated by a lawsuit related to the aforementioned fight. With everything to lose, Hope travels to Austria to track down these neo-Nazi soldiers in hopes of learning a little more about the woman as he tries to piece things together. Meanwhile, a collective of top scientists have been found murdered. Dr. Adam O’Connor learns that his friends have died, but thinks nothing of it until his son, Rory, is kidnapped. Willing to do whatever it takes to save Rory, O’Connor falls into the clutches of these neo-Nazis, who are resurrecting a new type of weapon, nicknamed The Bell, which might have turned the tables on the Allies back in 1944 and closely relates to the document Maximilian Steiner owns. During his search, Hope crosses paths with this technology and learns that Maximilian Steiner is anything but an honest man. With limited time and a new ally in this mystery woman, Hope must dismantle this weapon and learn all of Steiner’s nefarious plans. A needed jolt in this novel has put the Ben Hope series back on track and scored Mariani some well-deserved points. Fan of the series will surely agree that Hope is back in true form and those looking to learn more about Ben Hope have much on which they can base their first impressions.
After a lull in the writing, Mariani seems to have found his groove again, aided with some breathtaking backstory development of the protagonist. The Le Val complex helps develop some of Hope’s character, as his leadership skills are tested, along with his ability to manage his temper. Mariani tests this and the ability for Hope to hold down the business end of the character through various issues that evolve in the story. There is also some development within Hope’s personal life when the aforementioned ‘mystery woman’ emerges back in his life (I choose to let the reader discover her identity by reading the novel). There is surely an emotional investment in the story and Hope pulls on old memories to help shape his present-day interactions. Significant advancement within Hope’s personal life emerges, which could likely return as a minor thread in future novels. The story itself proves entertaining, as is most anything wrapped in a veil of mystery from the past century. The Nazi angle pulls away from the traditional concentration camp discussion, but does allow the reader to wonder ‘what if’ with some degree of fear. The narrative keeps the story moving forward on two tracks and the ‘hinged’ aspect is surely something for which Mariani remains known. I enjoy piecing together where things will cross or how a seemingly minor side story will eventually inflate and take over the central role in the latter chapters. Mariani is back with some exciting ideas and places Hope in precarious situation that force him to rein-in some of his emotional expressions. The reader benefits most from this, through significant enjoyment and story arc advancement.
Kudos, Mr. Mariani, for keeping your Ben Hope series fresh and exciting. You know just when to crank up the excitement to keep the reader curious.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
After a lull in the writing, Mariani seems to have found his groove again, aided with some breathtaking backstory development of the protagonist. The Le Val complex helps develop some of Hope’s character, as his leadership skills are tested, along with his ability to manage his temper. Mariani tests this and the ability for Hope to hold down the business end of the character through various issues that evolve in the story. There is also some development within Hope’s personal life when the aforementioned ‘mystery woman’ emerges back in his life (I choose to let the reader discover her identity by reading the novel). There is surely an emotional investment in the story and Hope pulls on old memories to help shape his present-day interactions. Significant advancement within Hope’s personal life emerges, which could likely return as a minor thread in future novels. The story itself proves entertaining, as is most anything wrapped in a veil of mystery from the past century. The Nazi angle pulls away from the traditional concentration camp discussion, but does allow the reader to wonder ‘what if’ with some degree of fear. The narrative keeps the story moving forward on two tracks and the ‘hinged’ aspect is surely something for which Mariani remains known. I enjoy piecing together where things will cross or how a seemingly minor side story will eventually inflate and take over the central role in the latter chapters. Mariani is back with some exciting ideas and places Hope in precarious situation that force him to rein-in some of his emotional expressions. The reader benefits most from this, through significant enjoyment and story arc advancement.
Kudos, Mr. Mariani, for keeping your Ben Hope series fresh and exciting. You know just when to crank up the excitement to keep the reader curious.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
jamescridland's review
4.0
Not a bad thriller. Lots of Amazing But Almost Impossible Things Happening At The Same Time, which is the hallmark of a thriller. Some nice characters, and an interesting da-Vinci-code-like bit of stuff about the Nazis, and particlar Hans Kammler (don't worry, this isn't a spoiler) who it's interesting to read about on Wikipedia, for example. Some nice and clever bits: if you're looking for another non-taxing Dan Brown book, you can't go far wrong with this one.
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