The Armada Legacy

Ben Hope #8

by Scott Mariani

A sunken secret. A missing woman. A race against time.

Former SAS major Ben Hope is relaxing at his home in Normandy when he hears the worst news of his life. His ex-girlfriend Dr Brooke Marcel has been kidnapped.

Racing against the clock, Ben’s frantic search for Brooke leads him from Ireland to the Spanish mountains and the rainforests of Peru.

What is the mysterious link between the kidnapping, the salvage of a sunken 16th-century Spanish warship and the secret activities of its wealthy discoverer?

As the trail of wreckage and mayhem intensifies, Ben soon uncovers a web of intrigue, corruption and brutal murder.
But will he be too late to find Brooke alive?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Action, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

433 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2013

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Hope is back for another high-octane thriller, pulling him in many directions. Still smarting from the recent fallout with Brooke Marcel, Hope has been trying to coalesce and mend his emotional troubles. When Hope hears from one of Brooke’s friends, worried that she has gone missing while at a gala in Ireland, Hope rushes to the country of his birth to look into it. When he arrives, Hope discovers that Brooke was there to learn of an exciting discovering made by a recent underwater exploration company. However Brooke is gone and its founder has been murdered, both his hands cut off. Hope switches to work mode and begins piecing together the clues, turning first to former IRA operatives who used the same technique in their heyday. What begins as fanning the flames as it relates to Irish politics soon takes a darker turn, when Hope learns that a land title from over 500 years before has been taken. Meanwhile, Brooke awakens to learn that she is being held captive by Ramon Serrato, in South America. She learns of the document from the 16th century, but the reason she, herself, was captured leaves a chill running down her spine. Will Hope make it to her in time, before Serrato completes his most dastardly plan yet? Assisted by a local cop with a vendetta, Hope searches through jungles and more primitive dwellings for Serrato and to remove Brooke from any more danger. Mariani does well to offer new and interesting angles in this eighth thriller in the series. Fans of Ben Hope will enjoy this one, which pushes things out of the European theatre and into the deepest jungles of the Americas.

Mariani continues to impress with this piece and explores new ways to keep the attention on Hope and Brooke, as well as their strained relationship. As always, there is much to explore in their backstories, as well as trying to mend the issues that arose when Hope was sure she had turned to another man. Additionally, Hope has the secret of his son, Jude, to share with Brooke. He has not been able to do that yet, though now seems like as good a time as any. Mariani also tackles the tension between the two and tries to weave together an understanding, at long last. Adding a wonderful collection of other secondary characters, Mariani propels the story forward while taking events to Peru. Hope’s search takes the reader along with him, where he continues to show off his soldiering skills in an effort to save Brooke from another sadistic killer. The narrative flows effectively and the reader can feel enveloped in the fast pace of the story, as Hope pushes himself to the limits. Keeping the reader involved to the final pages, Mariani shows that his fountain of ideas is far from running dry.

Kudos, Mr. Mariani for more excitement in this enthralling series. I am eager to see where things will move from here and how you will top the thrills you have laid out already.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook - 10:14 hours - 4.0 stars out of 5.0
Narrator: Jack Hawkins

The Ben Hope "formula" (forgive me) is well established and "The Armada Legacy" opened pretty much as expected, i.e., Ben was relaxing, pondering his prior adventure and the beautiful Dr Brooke Marcel, when pretty smartly all hell broke loose, the trumpets sounded and Ben was off to rescue the woman whom he realised, eventually, was the love of his life.

As an experienced Ben Hope fan, I knew I would need to lower my credibility expectations and raise my "yeah -- right" tolerance levels otherwise I will not enjoy this book. In the early stages I felt quite comfortable with the story development; somewhere through the middle I was getting frustrated and wondered if this was going to be my first less than four star Ben Hope novel; towards the conclusion I was a bit "WTF" and finally I reached the end, thinking "hmmm ... what was that all about?"

Being a man of uncertain senility, I usually try to write my few pence worth of comments as soon after finishing the book as I can for fear of forgetting what I had just read (my older friends will understand), but this time I thought I needed to do my own pondering before writing. I was a little uncertain whether or not I had enjoyed the ten hours of audiobook, or just endured it.

I knew well before starting the book that I was about to embark on a "suspend-your-belief" adventure because that is what Ben Hope novels are. I expected to be entertained by some very good writing with a convoluted and highly unlikely plot about some super-baddies and some super-goodies, in unlikely settings, with the goodies winning in the end amid much killing and general mayhem. As I reflected on "The Armada Legacy" I realised that my adopted credibility and tolerance levels were met and, after all, yes, I was well entertained. What more should I expect?

(edited 07/10/2017 to remove a superfluous "on" after 'pondering')

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

So before I start I will admit that even thought I was not reading the first book in the series I didn't quiet realise how far in to the series I was which would explain a few thoughts that came to me as I was reading this book.

So as I was reading this book it felt like it was a book of two halves - now I will try and explain without spoilers but just as the book shifts from one location to another and there are many of them - it felt that 2 were standouts and for me this came to represent almost where the book changes course.

Now I will be the first to say that this is not a Clive Cussler where multiple layers of story travel on parallel only to finally be brought together and tied off. Now this wears its heart (and storyline) on its sleeve which I have no issue with. However there are many under currents here - which I realised explains why it is book 8 in the series - you cannot have a series go for so long without something linking them together - and that for me also gave me an element of disconnection. Yes you can read this cold (as I did) and still enjoy it but there are subtle little comments that make you wonder what else happened before (and I suspect will do in future books).

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was book 8 in the Ben Hope series, and although I liked this book it didn't contain that extra something to really grip my imagination. It began well enough with a society presentation to reveal treasures raised from a ship from the Spanish Armada, but there is a further secret which will be revealed at a later date. Cue the head of the exploration team being kidnapped on the back roads of Ireland, along with his PA and her friend, who just happens to be Dr Brooke Marcel. This leads to the involvement of Ben Hope.

The storyline moves from Ireland, to Spain and then on to the Peruvian jungle. I would say that possibly two thirds of the book were the normal action and adventure which I have come to expect from the author. The other third just seemed to be a little flat, especially the ending. I'll not spoil things for people as it is for you to decide whether you agree with my findings or not

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling, emotional, action packed adventure for Ben Hope this time. This one is personal as the woman he loves is in danger. I enjoyed the way the book portrays both their journeys without revealing too much along the way.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this book is my favourite Ben Hope book so far! A great read!

[Kike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como siempre Mariani no decepciona, un libro lleno de acción como siempre y lo mejor es que Ben Hope sigue creciendo como personaje, con mas profundidad cada vez. Lo único que me desagrado un poco fue la manera en la que describe a Latinoamerica y a los latinoamericanos, con muchos clichés como siempre.

[ЙОАНА МАНДЖУКОВА · Rating 5 out of 5]

Екшън и ужас в джунглата на Перу и улиците на Ирландия.Една от най-важните задачи на Бен Хоуп.Отчаяният Хоуп.Неговата любима е отвлечена и той ще обиколи света заради нея.Жалко,че "Обсидиан" са издали само 6 от 19-те книги от поредицата 😞

[Dchamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Scott's best books yet!
Highly recommended!

[Joe Geesin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Largely well written and as well paced as ever, and the usual completely over the top unbelievable moments.
Yet some of those OTT paragraphs are more extreme than usual, and a couple of tangents and direction changes make the story unrecognisable from the beginning and this weakens the effect.

[Lukerik · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some sort of continuing story but literally no-one cares and you can read these books in any order. In this one Daniel Craig’s ex-girlfriend is visiting Craggy Island when she’s stolen by the baddie. There’s a handy content-guide graphic on the back which promises terror, thrills, conspiracy, and drama. This is accurate. There’s also some melodrama which Mariani delivers with a massive wink to the reader. This is far from being the best of the Ben Hope books as the story in this one relies too much on a series of coincidences, but I literally didn’t care at the time as it’s fast paced and unpretentious. A paperback thriller that knows what it is.

[Cathy Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable instalment in the Ben Hope series. Lots of guns and violence, anger, rage and explosions. This story focuses on Ben’s ex-girlfriend Brooke, who has been kidnapped and Ben’s mission to rescue her. What I particularly liked in this book was Brooke’s story arc. Her refusal to be passive or a bystander and not just wait around for her man to come and rescue her. Female characters in these kinds of books can be very under-written, however Brooke felt authentic throughout.

[Natasha Weekes-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook…Great read if you speed up the narration to 1.4X. I love the Ben Hope series and will read the next one straight away.

[BookishDramas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just one word - Disappointed
After a series of successes this is a mundane tale that meanders all over and does not even give the pulp kick.
Guess Mariani has had an off day with a hero inspired like Reacher, this book .....
Another free flowing story with its usual amount of plot twists and turns.
We have Rambo + Hulk combine Ben Hope, Indestructible.
There was a sweet start with a kidnapping, a secret unravelled, Amazon, Tribes, corruption, inheritance, and many more but the concoction is dulled, tasteless and mundane.
Ben comes in with his GF missing and the murder of her friends boss.
Then the story takes a turn for the worse, we have a lookalike deja vu syndrome which has come up in eons of movies.
The villains pretty lady.
The last 40-50 pages has action as the book progresses towards its expected climax, we also have
a happily ever after.
Mariani lost the plot with too many plot points. He gave 7 good ones so Forgive him his 8th.
Will read the next 9th and then see whether this was just

A Hurdle OR the Dealbreaker
Will keep you posted

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The armada legacy

Book eight, like books 1-7 in the the Ben Hope series all have one thing in common...you can't stop reading until you are finished! Non stop action , all historical aspects of book are extensively researched and scott Mariani has the gift of the golden pen.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Once again another great read from Scott Mariani. Ben Hope is one of my favourite characters in a series. I like the fact that he has faults but more than anything that he is so down to earth. I've already purchased the next 2 books in the series and look forward to reading them.

[Anne-marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit disappointing I think Scott Mariani is running out of ideas.

[Melly Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I love Ben! He's amazing and those skills of him... the perfect man! I was delaying the reading of this book for two months and finally purchased it and read it. So now I can continue with the next ones, OMG!
I've read some negative reviews about this book but... why? It's as good as the others and I enjoyed it as much. It's so full of action and this sarcasm of Ben... that's my favourite type of humour which I happen to be expert at.
Ben's hmm, ex-not-ex girlfriend Dr Brooke Marcel is kidnapped and he won't stop until he finds her. And we all know Ben Hope deals with this kind of situations. He's a person no one would ever want as an enemy because he stops at nothing and has no prejudices when he has to act, simply as that. I don't say he's brutal by killing someone by torment(cutting hands and all this sh***y stuff), that's sadistic and there's a huge difference between daring to do what has to be done and being a sadist. But oh, how he makes me laugh at his replies sometimes. He's so brutally honest, just like me(a not very helpful trait all the time though, speaking of personal experience, people don't like facing the truth).
So the plot is always one of a kind. I like this kind of thrillers Scott Mariani writes, the main idea is about the Armada Legacy but Ben isn't on the run to find this whole historical thing, it just has to do something with the problematic here. So, it's intriguing to thriller and history like that. Meanwhile Ben does what he's best at - kicking asses.
I think the book is pretty cool. Because I am awful, I'll read the summaries of the next books (can't say no to my curiosity). I can't wait to see what the author has prepared for Ben Hope, it seems even if he seeks peace the war always find him. For this kind of people... there's only an entrance but not an exit. Once a warrior, always a warrior.

[John A. Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Ben Hope’s ex-girlfriend Dr Brooke Marcel is kidnapped, he races to Ireland. It does not take long for Hope to realise the local police are unlikely to solve the mystery, so he steps in. Why was Brooke targeted? What links a Spanish Armada ship and the victim?
As time ticks by, he chases leads in Ireland, then Spain, before heading to the South American rainforest and finds the ruthless man behind the kidnapping. Can he and a newfound ally find Brooke before it is too late?
This is not a bad read. It is some time since I last read one of the Ben Hope series, and it moves along at pace. The ending is a bit abrupt, and I am not sure how the author has managed another twenty books in the series, but the latest is due out in a few months.

[Balthazar Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are currently 30 books in the Ben Hope series but I have not read them in order. So it's always interesting to find out where each book sits in the history of Ben Hope and his women. In this he is on the verge of braking up with Brooke Marcel when she is abducted while visiting a friend in Ireland. Naturally Ben drops everything and goes off to find her, seeing as this is what he has tried for his entire life. It's the beginning of a journey that takes him to Spain and then Peru.

Although this is rather predictable it's still an enjoyable read. Ben Hope is a good person at heart and only tries to do good, but when it is called for he can be very violent and ruthless with people that get in his way.

Like meeting up with an old friend.

[Justine Peroni · Rating 5 out of 5]

another delightful romp with Ben!

These stories just keep getting better! Even though they could be read out of order, I would highly recommend that you don't! Only because you get to see how the main characters have evolved through the series. In this one our intrepid hero is on a mission to find Brooke, his ex girl friend who manages to kept kidnapped in Ireland. What starts out as a trip to Ireland descends into chaos. Throw in sunken treasure and some serious criminals which then culminates in Ben heading off to Peru and deep into the Amazonian jungle, makes for another enjoyable read. You will not be disappointed!

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 4 out of 5]

С тази книга Скот Мариани за пореден път се утвърждава като един от най-добрите автори на екшън трилъри днес, според мен дори по-добър от считаните за крале на жанра Джеймс Ролинс и Матю Райли. Историята е интригуваща и направена така, че да звучи достоверно, действието е задъхано, а описанията вкарват в главата на читателя картина като на филм. Хоуп е както винаги страхотен герой, но за мен звездата на книгата бе злодея Рамон Серато, може би най-харизматичният антагонист, който Мариани е създавал.

Цялото ревю прочетете на линка:
https://citadelata.com/%d0%bd%d0%b0%d...

[D.S. Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

'How an individual chose to cope was down to them, as long as they found something to keep their mind busy and ward off the soul-destroying fear and stress of captivity.'

Ben Hope is at his best yet again!

A loved one goes missing and Ben enters the heart of Peru to rescue her.

With a cruel man on their tail. That wants two things, Ben's Loved one and Peruvian lands.

He acquires a 500 year old document which could be traced up to his ancestors.
A document signed by King Phillip the second.

Yet again full of copious amounts of action, twists and turns! Another thrilling read.

‘Shame on the shepherd who runs and hides when wolves are coming to harm his flock,’

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was really enjoyable, I’m giving it one less star than the last few books from this series just because I don’t think the ‘Why?’ was as interesting or as well thought out in this book than in some of Mariani’s other work. By that, I mean the reason for the villain’s activities just wasn’t as shocking or as intriguing as in the previous books in the series. Obviously, I’d have liked for Ben’s story to end with the happy ending that he appears to have managed to achieve by the end of this book, but given that there are another 17 odd books in this series, I know that that’s not the case! Evidently, much strife and disaster looms in his future.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book finally shows how Ben truly feels. Not soldier Ben, not tough guy Ben, but the real Ben. I think we maybe saw glimpses of this side of Ben in one of the early books through his relationship with Leigh, but that wasn't gone into very much. For perhaps one of the first times, Ben isn't doing something because he's been hired too, or someone has asked him to, but because he needs to and he wants to. I love seeing this softer side of Ben and I hope we get to see more of it in future books.

[Cherryls Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have read other books in the Ben Hope sees then you will already be accustomed to the action man thriller type story lines we have come to know in these books. This one opens up with a dramatic kidnap, followed by Ben fling across the globe to the rescue (in true Ben Hope style) and ends predictably with Ben proving to be the ultimate hero, yet again. The story starts off strong, keeping me gripped, but then seems to weaken and loose its excitement half way through.

[Tamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Ben Hope thriller is well action packed one. Hope comes to know that Brooke was kidnapped by some people. He can do anything to get back her. He starts digging out the reason for kidnap and finds that a ruthless drug lord trying to get the historic document. He goes frantic when rich business man and Brooke's frnd Sam who were also been kidnapped found dead in horrible way. Against ticking time could he be able to save Brooke?

[Kathleen Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fast paced thrill ride from Scott Mariani. Ben Hope's ex girlfriend is kidnapped and he has to get her back. It is extremely tenuously linked to the Armada so don't read it expecting much historical info. However it is an entertaining journey from the UK to Ireland to Spain to South America and many places inbetween. As usual, Ben uses his special forces skills and contacts to try and pull off a rescue. Don't take it to seriously, get lost in the fun of it and have a blast.

[Kevin Stumpf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a 4.5 review. I was loving the book until the last 4-5 chapters. As has become commonplace these days, authors are building up wonderful story lines but seem to want to end their story without a falling action. This book was no different. For 86% of the book (I read online) Inwas hooked and then......

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3 stars as although I do like this author and how he writes i found this book a little long winded .
The characters are well portrayed and there was generally plenty of action but just think it was a little drawn out . I like that there is a historical element to his novels and will def read more from this author

[Tony Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read. It's pretty bloodthirsty in places. The author certainly doesn't pull any punches on graphic detail. Basically it's a pacy, international story of very bad people against good people and you can probably guess how it ends. I did enjoy the brief, tense relationship between Ben Hope and Nico. I'd definitely read more of this authors books.