What do you think?
Rate this book
Ben Hope #16
The Bach Manuscript
While on a business trip to the UK, Ben Hope makes an impulse decision to attend a college reunion at his former university, Oxford. There he meets an old friend, Nick, now an internationally-renowned classical musician.
But storm clouds are soon once again brewing on Ben’s horizon. After Nick’s brutal murder in an apparent home invasion robbery, Ben is drawn into the mystery of a missing music manuscript that may be a lost work by the legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
The hunt for his friend’s killers leads Ben across Europe, and into bloody conflict with even more dangerous people than he’d bargained for. As his quest unfolds, so does the shocking truth about the lost Bach manuscript, a secret dating back to the very darkest historical chapter of Man’s inhumanity to Man.
But storm clouds are soon once again brewing on Ben’s horizon. After Nick’s brutal murder in an apparent home invasion robbery, Ben is drawn into the mystery of a missing music manuscript that may be a lost work by the legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
The hunt for his friend’s killers leads Ben across Europe, and into bloody conflict with even more dangerous people than he’d bargained for. As his quest unfolds, so does the shocking truth about the lost Bach manuscript, a secret dating back to the very darkest historical chapter of Man’s inhumanity to Man.
416 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2017
503 people are currently reading
835 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
October 1, 2023
Former SAS officer Ben Hope receives an invitation to a reunion at his old Oxford college - even he couldn’t encounter trouble in such a cloistered environment, or could he?
Settled in his former rooms Hope meets Nick Hawthorne, an old friend, now a famous classical musician and the owner of a rare original Bach score. When Nick is murdered and the manuscript stolen, Hope embarks on a hunt across Europe for an artefact that has brought danger to all of its previous owners. The people who hold it now, are ready to kill - to turn it into cash!
The action comes thick and fast and is choreographed with Mariani’s trademark skill and authenticity. Ben Hope is the model of a modern action hero, a crack shot able to split heads with the best of them, but with a more thoughtful side to his nature to boot.
This is slickly crafted adventure from a modern master of mayhem. Very enjoyable.
Settled in his former rooms Hope meets Nick Hawthorne, an old friend, now a famous classical musician and the owner of a rare original Bach score. When Nick is murdered and the manuscript stolen, Hope embarks on a hunt across Europe for an artefact that has brought danger to all of its previous owners. The people who hold it now, are ready to kill - to turn it into cash!
The action comes thick and fast and is choreographed with Mariani’s trademark skill and authenticity. Ben Hope is the model of a modern action hero, a crack shot able to split heads with the best of them, but with a more thoughtful side to his nature to boot.
This is slickly crafted adventure from a modern master of mayhem. Very enjoyable.
November 21, 2017
Scott Mariani returns with this sixteenth novel in the Ben Hope collection, after a highly-anticipated wait that was only exacerbated by my binge-reading the previous fifteen. Straddling the past and present in the storylines, Mariani opens new pathways while also trying to fill in previous blanks in the Hope story. After returning to Oxford for a reunion, Hope runs into an old friend, Nick Hawthorne, who has become a renowned classical organist. After agreeing to attend a private lunch hosted by Hawthorne, Hope is shown a rare manuscript by J.S. Bach, complete with a unique stain (coffee?). Hawthorne regales how he found it for a steal, though surmises that it must be a fake. During his time in Oxford, Hope must also come to terms with the memory of his lost love, Michaela, those twenty-plus years ago. Series fans will know the secret she kept from him during their time together. When Hope returns back to his dorm after the luncheon, he tries to put the Michaela situation to rest. Hope receives a call in the middle of the night from Hawthorne, who suspects that he is being robbed. By the time Hope arrives, he sees Hawthorne being tossed from his balcony and landing in a way sure to have killed him. As the authorities arrive to investigate, Hope tries to push himself into the mix, only to be shunned. Hope soon learns that the manuscript seems to have been the only thing taken from Hawthorne’s home, leaving him to wonder who might want it. As Hope undertakes his own investigation, he learns that there is a tie to an old friend of Hawthorne’s, a professor who has unintentional connections to a Serbian gangster. Travelling to the Baltic region to track down the manuscript, Hope comes head to head with a ruthless killer, while teaming up with an American woman whose dedication to finding the manuscript matches his own. In a region where tortuous death is child’s play, Hope must not only locate the manuscript, but fight to rectify a decades-old injustice related to its ownership. All that, while trying to stay alive for one more day. Mariani does well to flesh-out a little more of the Ben Hope backstory while thrusting him into new and perilous adventures. A wonderful addition to the series, sure to impress series fans and crime thriller addicts alike.
While I do not consider myself a Mariani expert by any means, I feel that I have a strong connection to, and a passing knowledge of, Ben Hope. This comes from the binge-read I did throughout the summer of all books in the series and helped fuel my impatient wait for this novel to roll off the presses. Those familiar with the series will understand the complexity of the Hope character, which has been shaped significantly by numerous revelations. Some have helped the reader better understand Hope’s childhood, while others offer some insight into the personal relationship struggles that have become part and parcel with the man. However, most interesting of all is the middle ground, the ‘Jude situation’ as I call it. A thread that was spun over twenty years ago and which began weaving itself into Hope’s present life over the past few years relates to his connection with Michaela Ward (eventually Arundel). While this storyline is minor and plays only in the early part of the story, it’s something I found highly entertaining and engaging, as Mariani reveals much. Other characters create an excellent flow to the story and keep things from getting stale, while also breathing some unique light to the plot’s progression, as Mariani steers clear of typical criminals in this terror-centric era of thriller writing. The story is also one that departs some of Mariani’s past work, not looking for a key or cipher in an object, but rather showing its historical importance to someone. This not only personalises the story, but also offers Hope a chance to foster his goodwill side, rather than the kidnap and rescue or ‘secret codex’ aspect that has permeated the narrative throughout this lengthy series. The stories are not becoming stale, nor in the Hope character. I trust that Mariani continues to have some strong ideas that he wishes to put to paper, which will keep fans such as myself nervously awaiting the next instalment.
Kudos, Mr. Mariani, for keeping the quality high and the excitement riveting in this series. I tell whoever I can get to listen about how much I enjoy these novels.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
While I do not consider myself a Mariani expert by any means, I feel that I have a strong connection to, and a passing knowledge of, Ben Hope. This comes from the binge-read I did throughout the summer of all books in the series and helped fuel my impatient wait for this novel to roll off the presses. Those familiar with the series will understand the complexity of the Hope character, which has been shaped significantly by numerous revelations. Some have helped the reader better understand Hope’s childhood, while others offer some insight into the personal relationship struggles that have become part and parcel with the man. However, most interesting of all is the middle ground, the ‘Jude situation’ as I call it. A thread that was spun over twenty years ago and which began weaving itself into Hope’s present life over the past few years relates to his connection with Michaela Ward (eventually Arundel). While this storyline is minor and plays only in the early part of the story, it’s something I found highly entertaining and engaging, as Mariani reveals much. Other characters create an excellent flow to the story and keep things from getting stale, while also breathing some unique light to the plot’s progression, as Mariani steers clear of typical criminals in this terror-centric era of thriller writing. The story is also one that departs some of Mariani’s past work, not looking for a key or cipher in an object, but rather showing its historical importance to someone. This not only personalises the story, but also offers Hope a chance to foster his goodwill side, rather than the kidnap and rescue or ‘secret codex’ aspect that has permeated the narrative throughout this lengthy series. The stories are not becoming stale, nor in the Hope character. I trust that Mariani continues to have some strong ideas that he wishes to put to paper, which will keep fans such as myself nervously awaiting the next instalment.
Kudos, Mr. Mariani, for keeping the quality high and the excitement riveting in this series. I tell whoever I can get to listen about how much I enjoy these novels.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
March 19, 2018
Perfection
Extremely happy to have Ben Hope, back up to the standard, we have come to expect from most of the series. (Except books 13 and 14).
As with all the best Books in this series, it is based around a historical document and it's discovery, or recovery. In this case it's a long lost manuscript by J.S.Bach.
The pace of this book is incredible, could easily read in one go, given half a chance. Love the way Ben handles himself. Only killing when absolutely necessary to survive.
Can't wait for the next book The Moscow Cipher in 2 months time.
Extremely happy to have Ben Hope, back up to the standard, we have come to expect from most of the series. (Except books 13 and 14).
As with all the best Books in this series, it is based around a historical document and it's discovery, or recovery. In this case it's a long lost manuscript by J.S.Bach.
The pace of this book is incredible, could easily read in one go, given half a chance. Love the way Ben handles himself. Only killing when absolutely necessary to survive.
Can't wait for the next book The Moscow Cipher in 2 months time.
December 21, 2017
Toyed between like it and really liked it which in its self is unusual for me and Ben Hope but all through the book I had this sense of having read this book before. Maybee the beginning was a sneak preview but it seemed as if the sneak preview wen on till the book moved overseas and even then when the just at the right moment a feisty female turned up I truly though where I have I read this scenario before.
It's still bugging me.
Having said all that I enjoyed reading about Ben again as I am sure I always would as the action is fast paced and gripping.
I am now awaiting the next book eagerly as always
It's still bugging me.
Having said all that I enjoyed reading about Ben again as I am sure I always would as the action is fast paced and gripping.
I am now awaiting the next book eagerly as always
January 10, 2018
Another great read by Scott Mariani. I really enjoy the Ben Hope books you always learn something when you are reading them. This one is as the title says about an old manuscript, and the untimely death of an old University friend. Lots of twists and turns and plenty of of Ben action as we have become accustom too. Looking forward to The Moscow Cipher and many more Ben Hope adventures.
January 3, 2018
I could read Ben Hope thrillers all day every day. I love them!
January 30, 2018
More classic Ben Hope, with plenty of action, and a new adventure that takes Ben to new levels.
A visit to his own haunting (study) ground of Oxford and names of previous Oxford contacts are part of the story; however others past (family, former loves) are strangely not.
It's a good story with a couple of levels of enemies faced, and a little travel (Eastern Europe) too, and another party looking for the same artefact becomes a colleague. Credible research (as usual) on the historical notes (music artefacts, WWII). Not quite the loner that he was taken off track for, as he has seeminly settled down back at La Val.
The book seems slighty differently written, a little more mature, but it reads so well, and when it appears Mariani goes off tangent (the X Days Earlier bits), it's relavence is reigned in nicely and in a timely fashion. Any compactness is refreshing compared to elements (scenes) of previous books that have been too drawn out.
An excellent ready and looking forward to the next one. A must read - but best kept in order.
A visit to his own haunting (study) ground of Oxford and names of previous Oxford contacts are part of the story; however others past (family, former loves) are strangely not.
It's a good story with a couple of levels of enemies faced, and a little travel (Eastern Europe) too, and another party looking for the same artefact becomes a colleague. Credible research (as usual) on the historical notes (music artefacts, WWII). Not quite the loner that he was taken off track for, as he has seeminly settled down back at La Val.
The book seems slighty differently written, a little more mature, but it reads so well, and when it appears Mariani goes off tangent (the X Days Earlier bits), it's relavence is reigned in nicely and in a timely fashion. Any compactness is refreshing compared to elements (scenes) of previous books that have been too drawn out.
An excellent ready and looking forward to the next one. A must read - but best kept in order.
November 9, 2018
Enjoyed the first half of the book, with Ben Hope returning to Oxford and then suffering the death of an old friend in a burglary. The plot then moved to Belgrade and began to lose some credibility. A decent read but not the best of the series.
May 21, 2019
A very cheesy story. Ben Hope is rough and tough and indestructible! But it was something different for me to read.
February 7, 2018
An original Bach Manuscript is stolen from it's Jewish owners by a Nazi, who knew it's value. Lost for a time after the Russian "liberation." Much later it is brought in an antiquity shop by a British musician, a friend of Ben Hope, who believes it is a forgery. He is later brutally murdered. Ben vows to get to the bottom of it and the murderer.
Bring in a Russian mobster, who know has the manuscript in his possession add a whole new twist.
As always a brilliant adventure by Scott Mariani.
Bring in a Russian mobster, who know has the manuscript in his possession add a whole new twist.
As always a brilliant adventure by Scott Mariani.
June 18, 2020
A bit over the top for me- the story is good, the writing is solid, Ben’s character is just a bit too much is all. If you like Ian Fleming/Jason Bourne sorta stuff this might be up your alley, for me I just want.. more personality, less surly super soldier sorta characters. It’s fun for what it is, I can see the appeal- think simplified da Vinci code mixed with some Bourne and you have a good page turner, it’s just not a cup of tea I wanna have every day. Satisfying storyline, the baddies were well done- no major complaints, so considering it really isn’t my type of read yet I actually liked it- give it a try, there are definitely worse books out there.
March 2, 2024
Great, action packed, story.
I couldn't put it down
I couldn't put it down
May 7, 2019
Better than the last few.... with a better ending than just about all of his books.
February 9, 2019
4.5 stars
As usual this book had everything you've come to expect from this author and more. It was very entertaining and I can't wait to read the next one. Moscow Cipher, here I come.
As usual this book had everything you've come to expect from this author and more. It was very entertaining and I can't wait to read the next one. Moscow Cipher, here I come.
March 27, 2018
Oh my God! How can one get enough of Ben Hope? It's so addicting, I wanna read more but now I'm out of published books. Noo... 😭
Actually, I expected the book to be a little more historical one, maybe I was anticipating an actual hunt for finding this manuscript but maaybe I should find another series about that because Ben Hope isn't exactly that type. The books are pretty interesting but Ben isn't a historian and it doesn't work like that. But I really miss a good historical mystery so I'll be in a search for thrillers. :D
I taught the Bach Manuscript was going to be a... script, you know? Something like the story with Mozart(second book, The Mozart Conspiracy) but it was only the title and as a foreigner, I hadn't taught about the meanings of the word manuscript. But I would've been even more interesting if the thing contained some great secret because everyone knows it's a very valuable piece but leaving it this way kind of lacked a bit of plot to me. I think the main reason for this is the lack of the actual part of the piece of music by Bach, a very famous composer and I was very excited of the very idea of something coded or hidden within his notes. That would've been impressive. I can say I have a very good musical knowledge(I was good at music in school, not singing, I'm a bad singer but the historical part of course).
I was surprised the action took place in Serbia. It's always so strange to me when a western book has something to do with the Balkans where I come from. Because to me, it's a very forgotten region at all. The Serbian names sound a bit odd to me so I can only guess they're accurate enough(not that I suspect from an author as Scott Mariani to make such a dumb mistake as J.K. Rowling with her Viktor Krum, that's name you'll never ever see, not in Bulgaria and not in any other country, actually, she just combined two names; which tells me enough how "good" research she makes for her books - another reason not to read her books, I don't like Harry Potter but do I have to?). No matter that these are all Slavic languages, they can be so different sometimes.
Ben isn't searching for trouble, really but when an old friend of him is brutally killed by burglars, he has no other choice but searches for justice his way. And what seemed like an ordinary theft has roots deep in the darkest times of history. When a war was lead and people were murdered, and treasures were stolen. And Ben always finds stuff like that. Lucky man.
And again, Ben found a very attractive new partner on his way. I'm wondering how he always ends up with some good-looking woman during his adventures but never ends with one. What a shame. Ben is quite an exceptional and handsome man. But I'm more intrigued by the new acquaintance of him waiting at his home of Le Val. I really hope this time it would work better for him, he deserves it.
Anyway, The Bach Manuscript is interesting, mysterious and violent as any other Ben Hope book. And I really can't wait for The Moscow Cipher especially after this little excerpt from the book. That's really irritating, just beginning with reading the book and it stops nowhere after a few pages! I can't wait to see what Scott Mariani has in store for Ben Hope henceforth!
Actually, I expected the book to be a little more historical one, maybe I was anticipating an actual hunt for finding this manuscript but maaybe I should find another series about that because Ben Hope isn't exactly that type. The books are pretty interesting but Ben isn't a historian and it doesn't work like that. But I really miss a good historical mystery so I'll be in a search for thrillers. :D
I taught the Bach Manuscript was going to be a... script, you know? Something like the story with Mozart(second book, The Mozart Conspiracy) but it was only the title and as a foreigner, I hadn't taught about the meanings of the word manuscript. But I would've been even more interesting if the thing contained some great secret because everyone knows it's a very valuable piece but leaving it this way kind of lacked a bit of plot to me. I think the main reason for this is the lack of the actual part of the piece of music by Bach, a very famous composer and I was very excited of the very idea of something coded or hidden within his notes. That would've been impressive. I can say I have a very good musical knowledge(I was good at music in school, not singing, I'm a bad singer but the historical part of course).
I was surprised the action took place in Serbia. It's always so strange to me when a western book has something to do with the Balkans where I come from. Because to me, it's a very forgotten region at all. The Serbian names sound a bit odd to me so I can only guess they're accurate enough(not that I suspect from an author as Scott Mariani to make such a dumb mistake as J.K. Rowling with her Viktor Krum, that's name you'll never ever see, not in Bulgaria and not in any other country, actually, she just combined two names; which tells me enough how "good" research she makes for her books - another reason not to read her books, I don't like Harry Potter but do I have to?). No matter that these are all Slavic languages, they can be so different sometimes.
Ben isn't searching for trouble, really but when an old friend of him is brutally killed by burglars, he has no other choice but searches for justice his way. And what seemed like an ordinary theft has roots deep in the darkest times of history. When a war was lead and people were murdered, and treasures were stolen. And Ben always finds stuff like that. Lucky man.
And again, Ben found a very attractive new partner on his way. I'm wondering how he always ends up with some good-looking woman during his adventures but never ends with one. What a shame. Ben is quite an exceptional and handsome man. But I'm more intrigued by the new acquaintance of him waiting at his home of Le Val. I really hope this time it would work better for him, he deserves it.
Anyway, The Bach Manuscript is interesting, mysterious and violent as any other Ben Hope book. And I really can't wait for The Moscow Cipher especially after this little excerpt from the book. That's really irritating, just beginning with reading the book and it stops nowhere after a few pages! I can't wait to see what Scott Mariani has in store for Ben Hope henceforth!
January 4, 2018
This is another great book by Scott Mariani in the Ben Hope series. Ben Hope the retired SAS major who now lives and works in France, who is the good guy, but does a lot of bad things for the right reasons in pursuit of the greater good, an reluctant hero. This story sees him attend a reunion back in the UK where he meets up with an old university friend he hasn't seen in years. This friend is a classical musician and collector of items relating to the masters including a fake Bach manuscript. Subsequently this friend is murdered in a violent manner and Ben makes it his mission to find his killer. More is added to Ben Hope's back story during this book, we find out about his university years. As with all Ben Hope stories the action is non stop and I found this book very hard to put down, only when I could no longer keep my eyes open did I take a break and catch a few hours sleep. Ben Hope deals with this mission on his own for the most part until a team mate appears from an unusual sauce. This book is once again a great addition to the series.
March 23, 2018
I've read some of Scott Mariani's Ben Hope books before and was expecting a fast paced, somewhat unbelievable adventure. This storyline and writing was so cliche it was tough to finish. Ex-SAS soldier Ben Hope (now a security consultant) goes to an Oxford University reunion, where he meets up with Nick who used to be a close friend. Nick is unknowingly in possession of a highly valuable Bach manuscript, stolen by the Nzis during the war. Nick thinks it is a fake. Someone else knows it is real, and in an effort to steal it, causes Nick's murder. Cue Ben's obsession with avenging his friend. This leads Ben into an altercation with a Serbian gangster, meeting up with an attractive female bounty hunter, befriending a police officer who likes to bend the rules and ultimately facing an uneven gun battle in Serbia.
November 25, 2017
Welcome back to the world of Ben Hope. Back in classic Ben Hope territory, starting in WW2, moving to present day Oxford, England and onto Serbia for the violent finale.
With half the book taking place in Oxford this book has a nice build up introducing the characters and plot, Ben going to a reunion and meeting an old friend and some bad shit happening to said friend, but there is also some flashbacks to young Ben Hope and his early days in Oxford. And I have to say that pre-Army Ben Hope was a bit of knob but this sets up for the character he became and the reasons for his life choices.
Another fast-paced, action-packed, bone-crunching, bullet-strewn tough thriller from Scott Mariani, and I'm looking forward to the next - The Moscow Cipher.
With half the book taking place in Oxford this book has a nice build up introducing the characters and plot, Ben going to a reunion and meeting an old friend and some bad shit happening to said friend, but there is also some flashbacks to young Ben Hope and his early days in Oxford. And I have to say that pre-Army Ben Hope was a bit of knob but this sets up for the character he became and the reasons for his life choices.
Another fast-paced, action-packed, bone-crunching, bullet-strewn tough thriller from Scott Mariani, and I'm looking forward to the next - The Moscow Cipher.
February 5, 2018
My first Scott Mariani/Ben Hope book. It was entertaining, and a quick enough read. I had expected a bit more of a "Dan Brown" kind of plot twist though. Even though the object of the Bach manuscript was interesting enough, I would have liked more backstory/puzzle perhaps. The ending felt a bit rushed and slightly stereotypical of the genre. I could have done without the in-depth descriptions of how a certain knife was held or a certain gun was fired. I don't think I missed a lot of the backstory of Ben Hope, even though this is the 16th book in the series, so don't hesitate to pick it up if you've never read one of Mariani's books before, like me. I think the strength of the book lies in its first half, the second is a bit tougher to get through.
January 6, 2018
Fairly typical formula of a lot of detailed back story leading up to "the situation" Ben Hope has to deal with.
I love these books because of the amount of research done to make them factually correct. They are compelling to read and very easy to get into. If you like a good detective-type story with a lot of action, beautiful descriptions of locations and lots of information about guns and combat situations then this series is the one for you.
The main character is similar to, but less thuggish than, Jack Reacher but the style of writing is far mode descriptive and less stilted. Looking forwards to #17!
I love these books because of the amount of research done to make them factually correct. They are compelling to read and very easy to get into. If you like a good detective-type story with a lot of action, beautiful descriptions of locations and lots of information about guns and combat situations then this series is the one for you.
The main character is similar to, but less thuggish than, Jack Reacher but the style of writing is far mode descriptive and less stilted. Looking forwards to #17!
December 9, 2017
The Bach Manuscript. Scott Mariani
A priceless manuscript. Taken from it's legal owners by fear and then murder. Nazi Gestapo, but the officer knew what it was. The passage of time and possession. Next, the liberating Russian forces. Then it's purchased in an antiquity shop by an English scholar, musician who thinks it's a fake. He's a former classmate and friend of Ben Hope. Then he is brutally murdered for it. Ben Hope, former British SAS is determined to find and punish whoever committed this brutal act. This is a superb novel . Brilliantly written and a first rate action thriller. Typical Scott Mariani. My highest recommendation!
A priceless manuscript. Taken from it's legal owners by fear and then murder. Nazi Gestapo, but the officer knew what it was. The passage of time and possession. Next, the liberating Russian forces. Then it's purchased in an antiquity shop by an English scholar, musician who thinks it's a fake. He's a former classmate and friend of Ben Hope. Then he is brutally murdered for it. Ben Hope, former British SAS is determined to find and punish whoever committed this brutal act. This is a superb novel . Brilliantly written and a first rate action thriller. Typical Scott Mariani. My highest recommendation!
January 28, 2018
Another enjoyable Ben Hope novel. Once more he is lured into a quest that involves travelling across the world to tangle with a gang of villains, this time in pursuit of a rare and valuable Bach manuscript. The level of historical detail is high, making the premise of the story seems real. And there are also some very interesting flashbacks about the young Hope's time at Oxford. Finally we get some detail about events only hinted at.
The ending becomes a bit James Bond as Hope and a US agent on the same trail team up to attack a ruthless gang of criminals. Will they prevail against impossible odds?
The ending becomes a bit James Bond as Hope and a US agent on the same trail team up to attack a ruthless gang of criminals. Will they prevail against impossible odds?
March 5, 2018
Another riveting Ben Hope adventure that drags you through a whirlwind of chaos and chases, only to offer a calm ending and more reasons to love Ben if you didn't already. It does seem as though poor Ben can't catch a break, but then again that's what triggers some beautiful action. I liked that this novel offered us little bits of his past at Oxford and some insights into his relationship with Michaela and Simeon. I did miss Jeff in this one, seeing as how he's always a smartarse with birght ideas, but he did deserve a little bit of peace after his previous troubles. I can't wait for the next one!
January 13, 2018
Eh.
As soon as I saw the tag line “death follows it” on the cover, I expected something like an earth shattering conspiracy theory hidden within the Bach Manuscript. Nope. It’s a pretty okay book if you like people-who-arent-in-the-police-force-but-seem-to-be-better-at-investigating-than-the-police-themselves sorta stuff. I haven’t read any of the Ben Hope books before this and I don’t think you need to to understand the plot in this book which happens to be number 16. Anyway, not hating on Scott Mariani but I guess I’ll stick to James Rollins and James Patterson.
As soon as I saw the tag line “death follows it” on the cover, I expected something like an earth shattering conspiracy theory hidden within the Bach Manuscript. Nope. It’s a pretty okay book if you like people-who-arent-in-the-police-force-but-seem-to-be-better-at-investigating-than-the-police-themselves sorta stuff. I haven’t read any of the Ben Hope books before this and I don’t think you need to to understand the plot in this book which happens to be number 16. Anyway, not hating on Scott Mariani but I guess I’ll stick to James Rollins and James Patterson.
February 15, 2018
Another great installment by Scott Mariani. I really enjoyed reading this book, from start to finish! Although I didn't wanna start reading it just yet because I didn't finish reading the last 5 books. I am a little bit behind on my Ben Hope dosage and I like to read them in order. But I was traveling and this was the only book I bought there. So it was a decision between start reading it now, wait until I finished the first books, or do nothing! It was a tough decision that I don't regret. Makes me more excited for the next one.
December 20, 2018
This book was pretty entertaining, but unashamedly a trashy thriller novel. I knew what I was getting myself into, and my expectations were confirmed on page 3 with this amazing line: "Things had been hard for Gabriel at school since the Nazis invaded. He hated having to wear the yellow star when he was out of the house. Some of the non-Jewish kids pushed him around and called him names." Amazing stuff.
Anyway, I already wasted enough time on this book, don't want to waste too much more on the review.
Anyway, I already wasted enough time on this book, don't want to waste too much more on the review.
June 1, 2019
16th Ben Hope book. One thing good about this series is, its getting better on every book. Thanks to Scott for that. The more you read about Ben Hope, the more you will get addicted.
In this book we get to know a awful lot about teenage Ben during his college life. Ben comes to Oxford to attend alumni meeting after 20 years. But what was thought to be a pleasant trip goes South when his old pal Nick got murdered for a music manuscript. As usual then Ben unfolds the truth on seeking revenge for his fallen friend.
In this book we get to know a awful lot about teenage Ben during his college life. Ben comes to Oxford to attend alumni meeting after 20 years. But what was thought to be a pleasant trip goes South when his old pal Nick got murdered for a music manuscript. As usual then Ben unfolds the truth on seeking revenge for his fallen friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2025
Wow......
My first thriller experience, and wow the drama. I loved it!!!
This is my first book by this author and about Ben Hope so maybe I started at the wrong point but I felt I easily clung on to the story. The plot was always changing an exciting with very well thought out scenes and a wide range of characters to read about.
Being a music student, I was drawn to this book as it was about " Bach" and too be honest I did wish they included a little it of his history in the book.
But other than that, a great introduction for me to thrillers
4,5 stars
My first thriller experience, and wow the drama. I loved it!!!
This is my first book by this author and about Ben Hope so maybe I started at the wrong point but I felt I easily clung on to the story. The plot was always changing an exciting with very well thought out scenes and a wide range of characters to read about.
Being a music student, I was drawn to this book as it was about " Bach" and too be honest I did wish they included a little it of his history in the book.
But other than that, a great introduction for me to thrillers
4,5 stars
December 25, 2017
Another excellent read in the Ben Hope Series, which is a particular favourite of mine. This may be book 16 in the series but we did find out more about Ben’s early life & what led to him making the major changes in his life he did in his earlier years. This is a good read if you are doing a world tour & need to take in Serbia, & there was also a fair bit of detail about the Yugoslavia and Bosnian troubles, as well as the life of Bach.Recommended. 4.5 stars
March 4, 2018
There's always hope in the form of Ben Hope. Notwithstanding my email communication with Scott Mariani, the author of the series, this book delivers what I have come to love and expect out of a Ben Hope story. looking forward to the TV / movie spin offs but hope it's done well, giving justice to Ben and all his flaws and weaknesses.
Recommended if you like a flawed hero, a little bit of history and a dollop of action.
Recommended if you like a flawed hero, a little bit of history and a dollop of action.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews