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Ben Hope #13
Star of Africa
TO POSSESS IT HE WILL PAY IN BLOOD
Where ex-SAS major Ben Hope goes, trouble always follows…
Ben Hope is trained to identify danger. So when he finds out that someone very important to him is working on a US container ship in the treacherous seas off the East African coast, he fears the worst.
Within days the ship is hijacked by pirates. Taking matters into his own hands, Ben embarks upon the most daring rescue mission of his career … because this is no ordinary hostage situation.
There is something on board the ship that’s more precious than life itself – and a bloodthirsty tyrant will kill to possess it.
As events spiral out of control, Ben Hope’s skill and resourcefulness will be tested like never before. Ben would die to protect those close to him, but in a hostile environment, against ruthless warriors, even the ultimate sacrifice might not be enough…
**The first part of a sensational new two-book sequence that will be the biggest and most epic Ben Hope adventure yet!**
BEN HOPE is one of the most celebrated action adventure heroes in British fiction and Scott Mariani is the author of numerous bestsellers. Join the ever-growing legion of readers who get breathless with anticipation when the countdown to the new Ben Hope thriller begins …
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2016
292 people are currently reading
776 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
September 6, 2017
There is much luck for series fans in Scott Mariani’s thirteenth novel in the Ben Hope series. In a novel that offers some tying-off of loose ends and a highly explosive plot, the reader has little chance to breathe as the action builds continually. As part of his vagabond nature, Hope finds himself back in Paris to sell off his home and free up some capital. Taking a temporary detour, Hope visits Le Val, the tactical training centre he created and gifted to his friend, Jeff Dekker. While trying to fill himself in on some news, Hope learns that Dekker helped Jude Arundel, recently discovered to be Hope’s son, secure a spot on an American merchant marine vessel currently in the Indian Ocean. Jude, tired of playing it safe, has chosen an opportunity to spread his proverbial wings. While Hope and Dekker find themselves busy at Le Val, Jude is in the middle of the ocean with the crew, though he can sense something is wrong. Learning that there is cargo more precious than the contents of the shipping containers, concerns rise that Jude might know too much. When a ship of marauding pirates appears on the horizon, Jude realises that there is much trouble to come and takes desperate measures to reach Dekker back in France. Upon learning of the ship’s issues, Dekker, Hope, and a crew of men rush to locate them, and covertly descend on the ship to handle the Somali pirates. When a storm hits and destroys the ship, Hope leads his crew and prisoners onto a life raft, where they seek assistance and final rescue. It is at this point that Hope learns about the calculated attack and that the Star of Africa, a precious diamond, is the central piece of cargo that many seek to take for themselves. When a rescue helicopter appears in the sky, Hope can only surmise that his troubles might be over, only to learn that General Jean-Pierre Khosa, a bloodthirsty Congolese warlord has his eyes set on not only the diamond, but to turn the tables and take a handful of hostages for himself. Pitting Hope’s love for his son against a general will to survive, the story pushes the decision to the limit, with a cliffhanger that will leave the reader rushing for the next novel. Mariani has pulled together many of the dangling threads form earlier novels to create this electrifying thriller, which entertains series fans and proves that Mariani has much in store for Ben Hope.
This Ben Hope binge has been highly informative over the past while, allowing me to see much growth in many of the characters, both central and periphery. As I have mentioned before, Ben Hope has undergone much change in the series to date, both progressive and regressive. It would seem that Mariani has surveyed the horizon and is seeking to mend some of these strained connections, or at least bring some resolution to them after Hope’s abrupt choice to kibosh his wedding two days before the ceremony. In this novel, there is much development of the Hope-Dekker relationship, which has always been a minor narrative mention, as well as a stronger and more emotional connection between Hope and Jude, paired together for a significant amount of time. This father-son connection was strained to begin, severed, and has since been resurrected as Hope seeks to play hero. However, Mariani adds another layer to the connection, forcing Hope to decide once and for all if he will choose Jude (thereby showing a parental side) or himself when the stakes are high. There are still a few character relationships that I hope Mariani mends, but the series is not over yet. Turning to the story in general, the excitement of this ‘terror on the high seas’ has me much pleased, as it adds levels of thrill that have been scaled back in some of the past novels. Looking not only to the seas, but the African continent and the search for an important diamond, Mariani pits his characters into a high-octane story that does not let up until the very end. There is truly a contrast in this novel, as the theme and location turns to the African continent, where social, political, and economic flavours differ greatly from the Euro- or Ameri-centric storylines that Mariani has used before. Depicted masterfully, the reader can feel the terror of Khosa’s bloody decisions that seek to exacerbate the already strained relations of the hostages.This is the first of a two-novel mini story arc that seeks to really flesh things out for all involved and forces the reader to buckle down for a detailed adventure that will pull on the heartstrings of many. The delivery is strong and the story development shows Mariani at his best and proves that his well of ideas is far from dry. I can only hope that there is much to come in this series, which has not dipped into going stale or off-putting, as can occur when authors seek to churn out books without careful plotting and slow development.
Kudos, Mr. Mariani for keeping me hooked this far into the series. What a great choice for binge reading and there are still a few more to go.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
This Ben Hope binge has been highly informative over the past while, allowing me to see much growth in many of the characters, both central and periphery. As I have mentioned before, Ben Hope has undergone much change in the series to date, both progressive and regressive. It would seem that Mariani has surveyed the horizon and is seeking to mend some of these strained connections, or at least bring some resolution to them after Hope’s abrupt choice to kibosh his wedding two days before the ceremony. In this novel, there is much development of the Hope-Dekker relationship, which has always been a minor narrative mention, as well as a stronger and more emotional connection between Hope and Jude, paired together for a significant amount of time. This father-son connection was strained to begin, severed, and has since been resurrected as Hope seeks to play hero. However, Mariani adds another layer to the connection, forcing Hope to decide once and for all if he will choose Jude (thereby showing a parental side) or himself when the stakes are high. There are still a few character relationships that I hope Mariani mends, but the series is not over yet. Turning to the story in general, the excitement of this ‘terror on the high seas’ has me much pleased, as it adds levels of thrill that have been scaled back in some of the past novels. Looking not only to the seas, but the African continent and the search for an important diamond, Mariani pits his characters into a high-octane story that does not let up until the very end. There is truly a contrast in this novel, as the theme and location turns to the African continent, where social, political, and economic flavours differ greatly from the Euro- or Ameri-centric storylines that Mariani has used before. Depicted masterfully, the reader can feel the terror of Khosa’s bloody decisions that seek to exacerbate the already strained relations of the hostages.This is the first of a two-novel mini story arc that seeks to really flesh things out for all involved and forces the reader to buckle down for a detailed adventure that will pull on the heartstrings of many. The delivery is strong and the story development shows Mariani at his best and proves that his well of ideas is far from dry. I can only hope that there is much to come in this series, which has not dipped into going stale or off-putting, as can occur when authors seek to churn out books without careful plotting and slow development.
Kudos, Mr. Mariani for keeping me hooked this far into the series. What a great choice for binge reading and there are still a few more to go.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
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January 29, 2020
I started to listen to "Ben Hope, #14, The Devil's Kingdom" and I fairly quickly realised that the backstory referred to "#13, Star of Africa", which I thought I had heard, (see above struck out comments), but obviously I had not. #13 is now back on my "To Read" shelf.
30/01/2020:
Following my decision to DNF "#14, The Devil's Kingdom" @ 50% heard, (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I no longer intend to read "#13, Star of Africa" because of it's being a prequel to #14.
January 3, 2018
A little different from the other Ben Hope thrillers (and more violent) but brilliantly done and utterly unputdownable! This is the first novel of two and it very much finishes on a cliffhanger, so now begins the wait until November....
August 12, 2022
This 1st in a 2 part tale has Hope fighting pirates who turn out to be militants under the command of a Congo dictator. I really enjoyed this one and possibly the best in the series.
May 19, 2016
Mariani is one of my favourite authors, but I hated this book. I have just read the last 3 in the series one after the other and expected this to be as entertaining as the last two, but it wasn't.
The Ben Hope series is always full of action, but this book was pure unmitigated, unnecessary, gross violence. I fought my way through the gore and gratuitous hacking to death of innocent people hoping it would come good in the end, but it didn't. This is a 2-parter and there's another book to follow! I couldn't even bring myself to read the 2 free chapters of the next book at the end. I just wanted it over. I finished the book with a headache, it was not an enjoyable read at all.
I assume Mariani has decided that Ben is having a fit of conscience after all his years as a soldier, mercenary etc. and wants to show how bad things can be, before coming out the other side of this 'adventure' a changed man. Well he could have condensed the 2 books in to one by reducing this first one to a list of anecdotes and I would probably be looking forward to the next book. I won't read it until I've seen some reviews.
Mariani may have lost one of his faithful followers.
The Ben Hope series is always full of action, but this book was pure unmitigated, unnecessary, gross violence. I fought my way through the gore and gratuitous hacking to death of innocent people hoping it would come good in the end, but it didn't. This is a 2-parter and there's another book to follow! I couldn't even bring myself to read the 2 free chapters of the next book at the end. I just wanted it over. I finished the book with a headache, it was not an enjoyable read at all.
I assume Mariani has decided that Ben is having a fit of conscience after all his years as a soldier, mercenary etc. and wants to show how bad things can be, before coming out the other side of this 'adventure' a changed man. Well he could have condensed the 2 books in to one by reducing this first one to a list of anecdotes and I would probably be looking forward to the next book. I won't read it until I've seen some reviews.
Mariani may have lost one of his faithful followers.
July 7, 2018
Ben Hope at his best, but a little let down by this being the first of a two book story. This has all the hallmarks of the Scott Mariani that I like - taut, action packed, inventive. Ben continues to seek the lost, something at which he is very good, but in this case it is his own son, Jude who has decided to test himself by working on a container ship. Unfortunately it is one that becomes hijacked, although these do not turn out to be ordinary pirates by any means.
The book has a number of twists and turns that bring challenges and disappointments, a truly megalomaniac character in Jean-Pierre Khosa, and a wild ride at sea and into Africa where Khosa has dreams of greatness.
Ben is reunited with his great friend Jeff Dekker from the training grounds of Val, and a new recruit, Tuesday, becomes heavily involved. We get to see how Jude has grown up, but we also see some of his values causing problems for his father and friends.
It is such a great, fast-paced read, that I must now race on to the subsequent novel to find out exactly how the group are going to extricate themselves from a potentially lethal situation. Bring it on!
The book has a number of twists and turns that bring challenges and disappointments, a truly megalomaniac character in Jean-Pierre Khosa, and a wild ride at sea and into Africa where Khosa has dreams of greatness.
Ben is reunited with his great friend Jeff Dekker from the training grounds of Val, and a new recruit, Tuesday, becomes heavily involved. We get to see how Jude has grown up, but we also see some of his values causing problems for his father and friends.
It is such a great, fast-paced read, that I must now race on to the subsequent novel to find out exactly how the group are going to extricate themselves from a potentially lethal situation. Bring it on!
September 12, 2016
Shocking!!
I don't think there's enough adjectives to describe how I felt reading this book.
Right where do I start, I worship my Ben Hope series of books, each one is a different adventure that Ben Is put through mostly with historic accuracy. But this book was by far the most thrilling, shocking and harrowing I have read so far.
I knew that things like this happened in Africa,but you never really put them into context when just watching on television. This story was written so well that you felt it was really happening to the characters , by far this is the best Scott Mariani book he has written.
I eagerly wait to see what the outcome is going to be in the next installment.
I don't think there's enough adjectives to describe how I felt reading this book.
Right where do I start, I worship my Ben Hope series of books, each one is a different adventure that Ben Is put through mostly with historic accuracy. But this book was by far the most thrilling, shocking and harrowing I have read so far.
I knew that things like this happened in Africa,but you never really put them into context when just watching on television. This story was written so well that you felt it was really happening to the characters , by far this is the best Scott Mariani book he has written.
I eagerly wait to see what the outcome is going to be in the next installment.
April 25, 2019
I've read all of the preceding books in the series and Mariani never has shied away from the grisly and gruesome and he certainly doesn't here. The first half of the book was excellent: well paced and exciting although mostly predictable to anyone familiar to action fiction. However, I reached my limit for the aforementioned gore. Without creating spoilers, the situation Ben and his friends were witnesses to is a horribly real and documented evil. But I struggled to read it; the book wasn't entertaining any more. Nevertheless, I will be reading its sequel and moving on to the later books in the series, hoping that the stories return to their previous good form.
November 4, 2016
I don't like it when a book ends halfway and I have to wait till November 2016 for the next part.
September 27, 2016
One of my favourite Ben Hope novels so far. Can't believe we have to wait until November for the sequel.
July 26, 2020
This was dark, far darker than I expected it to be but very gripping at the same time.
There were real consequences for decisions made early in the book that appeared to be the correct decisions at the time.
Some of the tropes I identified in the first books and that worried me were not present here. The writing was paced and action packed but still reads like a blockbuster movie ibn places with action sequences that are very visually epic. There was one point in the book where a narrative jump took place that I thought was convenient as the author had not really got the heroes from where they started to where they ended up but it was not a huge thing.
A lot happens here and the book could have been a lot longer. The plot moves so quickly you can barely take a breath but that is a good thing in an action thriller like this.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I’m not really buying the main character that much but his adventures are fun and in this case intense as well. This is the first of 2 parts and I WILL read the second. I do want to know where this goes as I suspect it is going to get worse before it gets better.
At points in the book I did wonder whether all of the supporting characters should be wearing red shirts. We shall see.
There were real consequences for decisions made early in the book that appeared to be the correct decisions at the time.
Some of the tropes I identified in the first books and that worried me were not present here. The writing was paced and action packed but still reads like a blockbuster movie ibn places with action sequences that are very visually epic. There was one point in the book where a narrative jump took place that I thought was convenient as the author had not really got the heroes from where they started to where they ended up but it was not a huge thing.
A lot happens here and the book could have been a lot longer. The plot moves so quickly you can barely take a breath but that is a good thing in an action thriller like this.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I’m not really buying the main character that much but his adventures are fun and in this case intense as well. This is the first of 2 parts and I WILL read the second. I do want to know where this goes as I suspect it is going to get worse before it gets better.
At points in the book I did wonder whether all of the supporting characters should be wearing red shirts. We shall see.
March 28, 2023
THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE
Nowhere on the cover or in the description was it mentioned that this is not a standalone story. So I made my way through 400 pages of average writing and *a lot* of graphic violence - a solid 3 stars, but nothing more - only to be robbed of a conclusion and told to read the sequel. Thanks but no thanks.
Nowhere on the cover or in the description was it mentioned that this is not a standalone story. So I made my way through 400 pages of average writing and *a lot* of graphic violence - a solid 3 stars, but nothing more - only to be robbed of a conclusion and told to read the sequel. Thanks but no thanks.
October 23, 2023
Grisly, action packed, and on to the next one in the series????
November 5, 2024
It’s a great read, and I can’t wait to read part 2 of this story; let’s hope there’s a way out for Ben and his friends?
November 28, 2021
W. T. H? A two-part book. That’s bull. I read series books ALL THE TIME, but to make a book a two-parter for no reason? I was prepared to read The Devil’s Kingdom next……now I am not so sure. AGGRAVATED BEYOND BELIEF.
Just wrap up this book and then write the next!!! Or just simply write a 900+ page book. UGH!!!!
Just wrap up this book and then write the next!!! Or just simply write a 900+ page book. UGH!!!!
August 13, 2023
Interesting 2 part adventure with ex SAS Ben Hope.
May 21, 2017
One of the best; dramatic, well paced, a family touch and the opening scene a good reminder of what Ben's all about. Not drawn out like the last 2, the mid section history bit a good change without filling gaps. Looking forward to the next instalment.-
July 9, 2021
Ben Hope is in the right place at the right time, again. Hugely cliché, but who cares? Ben I freaking awesome, these books are freaking awesome!
'Eat when you can, drink when you can, sleep when you can.'
Ben makes his way back to Le Val, where he learns that Jude has been there training with Jeff. Jude seemingly just as hot headed as Ben wants to sign up for the SBS. Jeff gets him a place on a small ship for an experience of sea life.
What they didn't know is that the ship was carrying the star of Africa, a huge beautiful diamond.
Khosa, a brutal, evil warlord discovers the star and attacks the ship.
Ben dives in to the rescue, but for once it doesn't go to plan. Ben along with Jeff, Tuesday, Jude and a bunch of sailors get taken hostage by the devil himself. One by one they begin meeting their end.
This is a 2 parter, with the devil's kingdom continuing this brutal episode.
It is so good to see Ben lose, I know that sounds weird but it does get tiresome seeing the hero never get hurt or captured or never end up in a situation that even he is terrified of.
'I will finish you. Sooner or later. No matter what. You’re a dead man walking. You might as well start digging your own grave.'
'Eat when you can, drink when you can, sleep when you can.'
Ben makes his way back to Le Val, where he learns that Jude has been there training with Jeff. Jude seemingly just as hot headed as Ben wants to sign up for the SBS. Jeff gets him a place on a small ship for an experience of sea life.
What they didn't know is that the ship was carrying the star of Africa, a huge beautiful diamond.
Khosa, a brutal, evil warlord discovers the star and attacks the ship.
Ben dives in to the rescue, but for once it doesn't go to plan. Ben along with Jeff, Tuesday, Jude and a bunch of sailors get taken hostage by the devil himself. One by one they begin meeting their end.
This is a 2 parter, with the devil's kingdom continuing this brutal episode.
It is so good to see Ben lose, I know that sounds weird but it does get tiresome seeing the hero never get hurt or captured or never end up in a situation that even he is terrified of.
'I will finish you. Sooner or later. No matter what. You’re a dead man walking. You might as well start digging your own grave.'
September 9, 2018
Always read this series but this is the book that I could not get into. And there is a sequel to this!
Not the usual Ben Hope book. So full of violence. I will start to read the sequel but hope it's not so sickening.
Ben Hope is trained to identify danger. So when he finds out that someone very important to him is working on a US container ship in the treacherous seas off the East African coast, he fears the worst.
Within days the ship is hijacked by pirates. Taking matters into his own hands, Ben embarks upon the most daring rescue mission of his career … because this is no ordinary hostage situation.
There is something on board the ship that’s more precious than life itself – and a bloodthirsty tyrant will kill to possess it.
As events spiral out of control, Ben Hope’s skill and resourcefulness will be tested like never before. Ben would die to protect those close to him, but in a hostile environment, against ruthless warriors, even the ultimate sacrifice might not be enough…
Not the usual Ben Hope book. So full of violence. I will start to read the sequel but hope it's not so sickening.
Ben Hope is trained to identify danger. So when he finds out that someone very important to him is working on a US container ship in the treacherous seas off the East African coast, he fears the worst.
Within days the ship is hijacked by pirates. Taking matters into his own hands, Ben embarks upon the most daring rescue mission of his career … because this is no ordinary hostage situation.
There is something on board the ship that’s more precious than life itself – and a bloodthirsty tyrant will kill to possess it.
As events spiral out of control, Ben Hope’s skill and resourcefulness will be tested like never before. Ben would die to protect those close to him, but in a hostile environment, against ruthless warriors, even the ultimate sacrifice might not be enough…
July 20, 2016
Star of Africa. Scott Mariani
A riveting ,extraordinary book, a masterful tale, the trademark of Scott Mariani. A deal is struck between a billionaire and a ruthless mercenary. Betrayal and deceit quickly follows. Ben Hope is drawn into the mix to help rescue his son. Enter next , an African warlord. A ruthless, homicidal maniac. And the story unfolds. Fast paced, action packed, a fantastic read!!!! Unfortunately, it's a two part series!!! Can't wait for book two!!! My highest recommendation!!
A riveting ,extraordinary book, a masterful tale, the trademark of Scott Mariani. A deal is struck between a billionaire and a ruthless mercenary. Betrayal and deceit quickly follows. Ben Hope is drawn into the mix to help rescue his son. Enter next , an African warlord. A ruthless, homicidal maniac. And the story unfolds. Fast paced, action packed, a fantastic read!!!! Unfortunately, it's a two part series!!! Can't wait for book two!!! My highest recommendation!!
May 27, 2017
Vivid violence, dark, brutal not what I expected
The wonderful character Ben Hope is not the lead, SAS character I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about. This book appears to be geared towards a psychopath who kills and tortures any and everybody in his presence. The trail of butchered lives is vast. Not my taste. Perhaps Ben Hope is washed up from a writers perspective and time to move on to something fresh and different?
The wonderful character Ben Hope is not the lead, SAS character I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about. This book appears to be geared towards a psychopath who kills and tortures any and everybody in his presence. The trail of butchered lives is vast. Not my taste. Perhaps Ben Hope is washed up from a writers perspective and time to move on to something fresh and different?
February 28, 2021
I definitely did NOT enjoy this book. I have, up to now really enjoyed this series, but this and the following has excessive violence. Another reviewer had similar comments.
The story felt over long being spread across 2 books. I’m not sure what the author was trying to portray about the protagonist and how violent he was, but I found the time spent on describing his violence detracted from the narrative.
I hope there are no others like this in the series
The story felt over long being spread across 2 books. I’m not sure what the author was trying to portray about the protagonist and how violent he was, but I found the time spent on describing his violence detracted from the narrative.
I hope there are no others like this in the series
March 8, 2021
Usually a big scott mariani fan but wasn't too keen on this book .
Parts of it were very slow and parts of it were just too gruesome for my liking.But the big disappointment was that i didn't know this story is in 2 parts and although I didn't really like this 1st book ,I feel I need to read the 2nd to find out the outcome.. not happy .
Parts of it were very slow and parts of it were just too gruesome for my liking.But the big disappointment was that i didn't know this story is in 2 parts and although I didn't really like this 1st book ,I feel I need to read the 2nd to find out the outcome.. not happy .
May 28, 2016
Desperately need part 2!!!
March 19, 2018
Oh, my Goodness! I knew it from the very beginning that this two-book sequence thing won't end up good in the first part, at least. That's so cruel! I feel sorry for those who had to wait until the other book is published so they can read it. Meanwhile, you had to wonder and worry how the whole thing will end... Fortunately, I do not have this problem because I'll start the Devil's Kingdom as soon as possible.
I gave the book 3 stars only because I feel super annoyed at Jude and his stupid mercy! That was the stupidest thing ever! Stupider than stupid! Argh, I really feel angry at him. If he wasn't so stupidly democratic now they wouldn't have ended like this. How can he be so blind?! I don't get it! If he's considering joining the army, even if he passes the tests, there's no way he would classify as a soldier. Not when he spares the lives of ruthless killers who did not even blink or flinch when murdering people! No, no mercy for such pieces of sh*t. I can't express how pissed I am right now and how much I hate, hate the thing with "it's not worth it, we're not like them." Yeah, so let them kill you instead, that's so f*cking smart.
I've never been a great fan of Africa before and now I'm even less of. Most of the countries are very poor and the people live horrifyingly bad and at the same time, there are stupid f*cking dictators who rule those places with blood. Maybe I'm a bit ultimate but in order to get rid of all this massacre and corruption, we should use the extreme measures even if it means sacrificing innocent people. Hell, I think too many innocent have been victims it will continue without a doubt until someone says no and do what is needed to stop it.
The Star of Africa... I think that part would be solved in the next book since all sides haven't intercepted each other yet. Well, I hope both sides will make quite damages towards each other but anyway, Ben will do it. Oh, I'm certain there's more to come and we haven't seen what Ben Hope is capable of at all. Especially Khosa and I highly hope he'll suffer a lot, at least like his victims if not much, much worse. But that I'll leave to Ben Hope because he'll do and this time will be no mercy and no second thoughts.
I gave the book 3 stars only because I feel super annoyed at Jude and his stupid mercy! That was the stupidest thing ever! Stupider than stupid! Argh, I really feel angry at him. If he wasn't so stupidly democratic now they wouldn't have ended like this. How can he be so blind?! I don't get it! If he's considering joining the army, even if he passes the tests, there's no way he would classify as a soldier. Not when he spares the lives of ruthless killers who did not even blink or flinch when murdering people! No, no mercy for such pieces of sh*t. I can't express how pissed I am right now and how much I hate, hate the thing with "it's not worth it, we're not like them." Yeah, so let them kill you instead, that's so f*cking smart.
I've never been a great fan of Africa before and now I'm even less of. Most of the countries are very poor and the people live horrifyingly bad and at the same time, there are stupid f*cking dictators who rule those places with blood. Maybe I'm a bit ultimate but in order to get rid of all this massacre and corruption, we should use the extreme measures even if it means sacrificing innocent people. Hell, I think too many innocent have been victims it will continue without a doubt until someone says no and do what is needed to stop it.
The Star of Africa... I think that part would be solved in the next book since all sides haven't intercepted each other yet. Well, I hope both sides will make quite damages towards each other but anyway, Ben will do it. Oh, I'm certain there's more to come and we haven't seen what Ben Hope is capable of at all. Especially Khosa and I highly hope he'll suffer a lot, at least like his victims if not much, much worse. But that I'll leave to Ben Hope because he'll do and this time will be no mercy and no second thoughts.
April 15, 2021
This is only the second Ben Hope thriller that I have read, and I'm quickly becoming a fan. Hope is an ex SAS soldier, a maverick mercenary that is like a cross between Jack Reacher and Dirk Pitt. But whereas Cussler's eponymous character invariably saves the day, it is not always the case with Mariani's jaded hero. In fact, The African Star is very dark indeed, with a villain that is truly evil, and disturbingly - victorious. It is rare for an adventure story hero to be bettered, especially one that has featured in 13 novels, as Ben Hope has. I kept thinking he will get the upper hand soon, but he doesn't, and the fearsome African warlord Khosa is given free rein to carry out such atrocities that Hope can only stand helplessly by and watch in stunned disbelief. It is a bold move by Mariani, but all the more refreshing because of the hero's vulnerability. The story itself is a good one too, pitting maniacal billionaires and treacherous soldiers of fortune against Hope and his allies, including Hopes own son Jude. The first half of the book is set aboard a huge container ship, the second half takes to the scorching heat of Rwanda and The Congo and reveals the truly horrific nature of the central villain - Colonel Jean-Pierre Khosa. Believe me, you're going to have nightmares about this guy. It wasn't until I got to the end of the book that I realised that it is part one of a two-part adventure. The sequel - The Devil's Kingdom, is already on my to read list. Terrific stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2025
Ben Hope has a run in with some local gangsters in Paris and decides he needs to lie low for a while. So after a period of absence he finally returns to La Val without any plans for what happens next. But he is surprised to learn that he had just missed his son, Jude, who had been undertaking some training from Jeff Dekker to prepare him for joining the navy. Jeff has also arranged some work for Jude on a container ship. That is where everything goes wrong as the ship is attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, but Jude is able to send an email asking for help to Jeff. Ben and Jeff drop everything and head off to save Jude.
This book is the first of a two part story and is a much more brutal book then the others in the series. It also shows why Ben likes to do his jobs without others tagging along as he is restrained for most of the book in what he can and cannot do. But it's a good story with plenty of action travel and twists. Just when you think it will turn out, there is sudden death and destruction.
Now for the the second part......
This book is the first of a two part story and is a much more brutal book then the others in the series. It also shows why Ben likes to do his jobs without others tagging along as he is restrained for most of the book in what he can and cannot do. But it's a good story with plenty of action travel and twists. Just when you think it will turn out, there is sudden death and destruction.
Now for the the second part......
August 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this and felt it was different to the other Ben Hope books I've read so far. Up to this point the structure was fairly similar (don't get me wrong, I like that style). E.g. somebody gets kidnapped/killed, there's a romantic interest, Ben gets drawn in and hunts down the bad guys whilst solving the mystery. But I liked how the story was different in this one. How Ben was the hunted rather than hunter, how the story had a different spin with Ben being permanently on the back foot. Looking forward to reading pt 2 (Devil's Kingdom).
January 26, 2022
When I finished the previous Ben Hope's novel, I commented I was expecting some evolution in next books having Ben working with some colleagues, introducing more people in the stories as "frequent" roles with active participation... this is all happenning in this book.
Only weak point I can claim is this is not a single book but first part of the story so I need to read next one to check how everything is resulting and another one to confirm the team is still part of the stories; I think in these cases it should be informed since first page this is the first of a 2-books story.
Only weak point I can claim is this is not a single book but first part of the story so I need to read next one to check how everything is resulting and another one to confirm the team is still part of the stories; I think in these cases it should be informed since first page this is the first of a 2-books story.
August 2, 2017
Star of Africa is so far the most brutal book of the series, however I enjoyed it very much! It was nice to get a bit more Jeff Dekker in the action and to laugh at all of his silly sayings or snarky comments. Also, I particularly enjoyed seeing Ben at an impasse, because so far he's been getting into trouble and solving it like a total boss, but now he's got no way out of it and no matter how many plans he makes, he's still in crap by the end of it.
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