House of War

Ben Hope #20

by Scott Mariani

The brand-new thriller from the #1 bestseller.
‘A gripping tale that will have you turning the pages well into the night’ MARK DAWSON

A DEADLY TERROR PLOT. A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK. WILL EVIL PREVAIL?



Following a chance encounter with a terrified young woman in the streets of Paris, former SAS soldier Ben Hope finds himself hurled into a violent new mission involving murder, international terrorism and stolen historic artifacts. A mission made even more perilous by the reappearance of an old enemy from Ben’s military past. A man he knew and fought years ago. A man he thought was dead.


Teaming up with the enigmatic ex-Delta Force warrior Tyler Roth, Ben travels from the seedy underworld of Paris to the islands of the Caribbean in his quest to piece together the puzzle.


As the death toll quickly mounts, he unmasks a vicious terror plot that could bring about the slaughter of millions of innocent people. Mass destruction seems just a hair’s breadth away … and only Ben Hope can prevent the unthinkable.


‘Thrilling. Scott Mariani is at the top of his game’ ANDY MCDERMOTT


‘A high level of realism … the action scenes come thick and fast. Like the father of the modern thriller, Frederick Forsyth, Mariani has a knack for embedding his plots in the fears and preoccupations of their time’ SHOTS MAGAZINE


‘House of War has it all – history, action, devious scheming and eye-opening detail. Mariani delivers a twisting storyline and raises the terrifying question: how would we survive if this really happened?’ DAVID LEADBEATER



A gripping must-read for fans of the Jack Reacher and John Milton books.




Whilst the Ben Hope thrillers can be read in any order, this is the twentieth book in the series.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Action, Mystery Thriller, Military Fiction, Mystery

432 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2019

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Scott Mariani, and Avon Books UK for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

A long-time fan of Scott Mariani and his work, I eagerly read this latest Ben Hope thriller when I could get my hands on it. Full of poignant themes and a quick narrative, Mariani does not disappoint his readers. After returning to France from his most recent mission, Ben Hope only wants to enjoy the sights and sounds of home. However, he has a chance encounter when he literally bumps into a young woman. In the scuffle, she forgets her phone and Hope is able to track down her home address. Trying to be helpful in this age of digital technology, Hope arrives to deliver it, only to find that she has been slain in her apartment. He thinks back to the man he crossed in the stairwell and it clicks. It was a man he thought long dead from his days in the SAS. However, it would seem that Nazim al-Kassar is anything but dead. A ruthless fighter for ISIS/ISIL, al-Kassar brings back many a bloody memory for Hope. Trying to find out how to handle locating and instilling his own form of justice, Hope reaches out to some of his former SAS compatriots. In doing so, Hope also discovers that this woman has ties to one Julien Segal, who may be working with al-Kassar. The hunt is on for both men, which reveals an even more complex situation. As the narrative heightens, there is reference to a passage in the Koran, which can be interpreted as seeking a ‘House of War’, whereby the world should be converted to Islam or subjugated by those who follow Allah. Might Nazim al-Kassan have this in mind? When Hope discovers his plan, it’s a no-holds barred attempt to wrestle control away from his madman, which might mean ending his reign of terror once and for all. An energetic new addition to the Hope series, which seems not to wane as the number of books mount. Recommended to those who enjoy something with an action-filled terror theme, as well as the reader who enjoys the Ben Hope series.

While I have long bemoaned that authors have overdone the ‘Muslim terrorist’ theme in thriller books, I found that Mariani took a slightly different approach to breathe a little new life into things. He works along the parameter and keeps the reader enthralled without feeling as though this was yet another copied plot from countless other books. While Ben Hope is well past his character development stage, it is nice to see the slightest backstory related to his SAS days. Hope remains his gritty self, seeking to help those in need, while also pushing his own agenda. Others help complement this throughout, including the hapless victims who seek Hope to release them from the grips of evil. There are some great contrasts in this book between protagonist and antagonist, even if it pushes things into the clichéd Westerner versus Islamic terrorist. The story remained interesting and can keep the reader’s attention as they push through this thriller. There are some intriguing perceptions about Koranic passages, which one can only hope bear some truthfulness, so as not to fan the flames. As the series continues to pile-up, one can only hope that Mariani will keep the novels on-point and ensures they do not go stale. To date, he has completely lived up to expectations.

Kudos, Mr. Mariani, for a solid addition to the series. I am eager to see where Ben Hope takes us next!

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/...

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

House of War is the twentieth outing for Ben Hope, and although this has become a long-running series, it doesn't appear to be showing signs of floundering any time soon. It is not necessary to have read any of the previous instalments to enjoy and engage with this story so any potential readers can safely and simply jump right in. This is a very difficult book to describe in terms of the plot without giving away crucial details, and I feel that going in blind makes this all the better. Scott Mariani is such an underrated writer despite being on bestsellers lists. The plot is ripped from the headlines and broaches timely topics that are very much on many peoples minds of late. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotion, tension and excitement from first page to last; this is a real page-turner.

The non-stop action, emotion, thrills and spills and twisty reveals make this an absolute must-read for those who enjoy thrillers that revolve around terrorism, action-adventure and the fight between good and evil. The characterisation is also top-notch with protagonist and ex-SAS soldier Ben being broken but still fighting the good fight as best he can; he is such a memorable character along with similar characters like Jason Bourne and the inimitable James Bond. I have certainly taken him to my heart over the course of the series and he becomes more and more likeable with each instalment. All in all, this is a highly entertaining, politicised thriller which I recommend to those who love high-stakes, high-octane stories. Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

I have been a big fan of this series, through its 20 full length stories and 3(?) Novella’s. There has generally been great characterisation, usually extremely evil enemies and an almost thrill a minute read. However this is definitely not his best adventure, but to be honest Mariani, has set the bar very high with the majority of his books.

Somewhere buried in this book is a reasonable story. But, it has been drowned by some extremely lengthy passages giving historical facts, figures and back stories. Most of it unnecessarily detailed. It took some skilled skim reading to find the story again. Now his books are usually built around historical events facts etc, which are part of what I like in his books. But this one felt like he could of told the same story with about 75-100 pages less.

I also have say in my opinion I did not like Roth’s involvement in the story line and not really sure whether he actually added anything.

I just hope this lull in standards is temporary like the 2 African books. This is nowhere near as bad as those two. He pulled back with a couple of extraordinary books after those. Let’s hope book 21 is back up there.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Isis terrorists, the world is divided into two houses, the House of Islam and the House of War, meaning the land of infidels who the terrorists will bring to their knees with endless war. Ben Hope learned about this type of thinking years earlier as a British special forces soldier in Iraq. Now, living in Paris, still fighting the bad guys, but privately, he literally stumbles into a nest of vipers intent on bringing endless war to the streets of Paris. This is an action packed bloody black ops adventure that is gripping from the beginning to the end. This is apparently the twentieth book in the Ben Hope series, but feel free to dive in as if it were a standalone novel. Mariani dies a great job of slowly ratcheting up the action and the stakes till it becomes a matter of saving Western Europe from utter destruction. If you like action packed black ops stuff, this is one of the better ones in this genre.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ben Hope series is easily my favourite thriller series. I absolutely adore it - and Ben Hope! While this isn't the best of the series (it's also one of the more violent), it's still a thoroughly exhilarating thriller, which pits Ben against a worthy opponent. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Mariani always delivers with his Ben Hope thrillers. If you like clean cut heroes who are like a cross between James Bond and Jason Bourne, Mariani’s Ben Hope series is definitely worth a read.
This one, the 20th in the series, had me on the edge of my seat and I devoured it very quickly over the course of a few days. In true Ben Hope style it left me wanting more when I got to the final page and as always the author provided an opening chapter to his next Ben Hope book to hook me in!
House Of War is up to date in that Ben is up against ISIS terrorists who are planning an atrocity in Paris. In this book Ben literally bumps into a young woman when he Is walking in Paris and she drops her mobile phone. Whilst trying to return it to her Ben catches sight of a terrorist he remembers from his previous life as a soldier. What was he doing in her flat?
This is a man he believed to be dead so he is somewhat surprised to see him alive and well. He sets out to find him and investigate what he is doing in Paris. He gradually discovers that he is mixed up in a plot to smuggle Syrian statues into the country.
This is an enjoyable and entertaining read which was so exciting I couldn’t put it down. It is truly an escapist novel which was fun to read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now in to its 20th instalment, Scott Mariani continues to entertain with his enigmatic protagonist. The great thing about this series and the one thing you can truly depend on is that you feel at home reading a Ben Hope series. Great characterisation, evil enemies and an almost thrill a minute read.

While perhaps not his best adventure, let’s face it Mariani has set the bar relatively high in his career, the book does flow well enough to keep the reader turning the pages and in Nazeem you have a terrorist and antagonist hell-bent on killing as many infidels as is possible. He is a nasty bit of work, obviously one who takes great pleasure in killing and in books like this you often find yourself taking stock at how the world works and reacts to people like this.

As with all Ben Hope books the ending comes far too quickly and it leaves you wanting more. I’m not a fan of the ending of certain chapters with forewarnings but used sparingly they can work. The opening chapters were my favourite with mariani setting the scene and Hope trying to figure out what’s going on. He rellies on his contacts to help him solve the problem he’s found himself in and as you can probably guess, things don’t always go without a hitch.

I did like Roth’s involvement in the storyline and even though I was unsure whether I should like him or whether I distrusted him, he played his part well.

Another entertaining read and I can’t wait for 21!

[Kike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como siempre Mariani no decepciona, lleno de acción y giros de tuerca todo el tiempo, pero al mismo tiempo toca temas controversiales sin contenerse.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

House Of War is an action thriller and book #20 in the Ben Hope series.

This story is set in France and involves antuquities from the Middle East, new drugs and Arab extremeist fighters.

Ben gets involved when he bumps into a women on the street; she spills her handbag, but rushes off. When Ben discovers her phone in the road, he tries to return it. He scrolls through the phone for a clue as to her identity and an address and discovers an intriguing video. The grainy images show a dangerous man that Ben thought had died. Ben seeks out help and possible answers from a man that he fought along-side in Iraq and soon they are working as a deadly duo, just like old times.

I don’t read many action thrillers, but I do enjoy the Ben Hope series. The French setting was easy to imagine, while the Iraqi backstory was told as simply as possible, but with enough detail without it getting too politically complicated.

There is often a little twist at the end of these stories and I had a inkling about this one, but I didn’t quite guess correctly.

[Paula Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Hope is back in action by accident after colliding with a young woman in Paris. Instead of putting his Parisian safe house on the market, he instead is hunting down an Islamic terrorist. Throw in an ex-Delta Force “friend” who is more that what he seems, the plot thickens quickly.

In the view of the Islamic terrorists, the world is divided into the House of Islam and the House of War, the infidels.

[Andra Nicoara · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, I did not find it as captivating as the other Ben Hope novels, yet I can't say I did not enjoy it. Ben is as interesting as ever, and bringing his friends into the mix is always enjoyable. All in all, I liked the intriguing characters and found the fast-paced that I got used to.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, it felt like Ben was back on track.

[Alaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually enjoy Mr. Mariani's Ben Hope stories. This latest edition came as a bit of a disappointment to me for a number of reasons that I'd like to share, hoping that you'd be open minded enough to accept my criticisms. By no means am I a professional critique of literature, however, I am a life-long reader of thrillers and stories of suspense, in addition to having watched countless movies in that genre. I'm also a practicing Muslim, and claim to know enough about my faith to spot fallacies and misinformation regarding it, many of which this novel is full of.
Let's start with the plot:
From a storyline point of view, it seemed a bit too convenient to me that out of the millions of people inhabiting Paris, the girl who coincidentally knocks into Ben Hope as he was casually walking down the street, was being chased by an international terrorist who has a checkered past with him! Lazy storytelling? Perhaps! As interesting as the aspect of tracing the girl's past through the phone she dropped may seems, It would have made far more sense if Ben was summoned to Paris to look into her case specifically. If someone else had bumped into her for instance, took the phone to Thierri (or any other hacker), and figured out that this is a job for Ben Hope. But starting off with the pretence of a sheer coincidence bringing these two old adversaries together was a strange way to kick off the action, and served to make me question everything else for the rest of the book.
Every thriller needs an antagonist, the more sinister and cunning the better, and Mr. Mariani did an excellent job portraying Nazim Al Kassar in a light that makes it ultimately impossible to sympathize with him on any level, however, having him, as high-up in his organization as he is, himself go after a defenseless girl in order to silence her in my opinion is the equivalent of having Moriarty or Blofeld carrying out their own errands! Leaders of terrorist organizations don't lower themselves to such odd-jobs (pun intended), no matter how 'devote' to their cause they are (we'll get to that later). That's why they have henchmen, like the multiple Mohammads (with the different spellings of their names that you took a poke at), for fear of getting caught, and to always keep their hands clean in case cops show up, especially with all that was at stake.
The portrayal of the ISIS group members was stereotypical, cartoonish, and lacking of accuracy: For instance, you named the Libyan member of the group 'Zahran Azzam Yassin'. Libyans rarely (if ever) go by names like that, and I would know 'cause I'm Libyan! It sounded to me more like an Egyptian or a Palestinian name. You had a Qatari (of all people) amongst their number! Qataris enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world, and it's highly improbable (if not impossible) that a Qatari would leave to France to join a terrorist group! Then there's the way they talked, muttering cliche slogans mindlessly, sometimes without occasion. All this is reminiscent of the portrayal of terrorists in Hollywood films, and lacking the proper depth necessary to tell their story and explain their motives.
Why does Sagal know so much? If Al Kassar was so cautious that he didn't entrust even his own ground soldiers with knowledge unnecessary to them, how could Sagal have known all the information that he had on the ISIS gang's plot to smuggle huge amounts of drugs into France? Wouldn't it be safer to tell him that the shipment actually was artifacts?
Ask tens of thousands of illegal immigrants how successful they have been in reaching the shores of Europe from Tripoli, especially with the Mediterranean being policed by joint EU and GNA ships! Tripoli's Mediterranean neighbors are Malta and Italy, not France. Surely you could have chosen a country closer to France than Libya, unless your whole point was to drag Libya (by any means) into this?
Religion: and this is where I take a lot of issue with this book.
It's full of Quranic verses either misquoted or taken out of context.
Before I go further allow me to clarify that there is in fact a subculture within Islam that preaches hatred and intolerance towards all of humanity, other Muslims included, and is very vicious and hostile, but it's a very small percentage of the religion and by no means is their interpretation of Islam correct, or speaks for the majority of Muslims.
Statistics show that the numbers of Muslims killed by ISIS are far more than non-Muslims.
In Libya they were stood-up to and crushed by moderate Muslim forces loyal to the GNA with support from the USA and the UK.
To paint nearly 2 billion Muslims all over the world with the same brush in my opinion is Islamiphobic, ignorant, and deliberately misleading.
Instead of cherry picking verses of the Quran that pertain to a specific historical era, why not return to the wealth of volumes dedicated to interpreting those verses to arrive to a better understanding? The volumes of books of fiqh (Muslim legal code), and Hadeeth
Even a Hadeeth unnecessarily cited in the book, describing black people's heads as 'raisins' was deliberately cut and taken out of context. Why not refer to the many hadeeths that call for equality between people of all races, and declaring that "all men are equal like the teeth of a comb?".
There was an unmistakable tone of contempt and loathing for all things related to Islam (as a whole) displayed by several characters in the book, and the half-assed counter narrative wasn't as strong or convincing.
Does anyone really believe that all Muslims are hell-bent on the destruction of the West? The book goes as far as to quote Khumani, a Shia, who the majority of Muslims don't follow (or even recognize as a Muslim) to prove this point!
To suffice, try divorcing Islam as a faith from the the ideology of ISIS and the hardline clerics (in countries like Saudi Arabia). If that was real Islam do you think it would be followed by anyone?
The majority of Muslims that I know admire the West, and look to it as a source of knowledge and enlightening. They study in your Universities, watch your movies and TV shows, listen to your music, closely follow your sports, and (as in my case) read your books. They wish to normalize relationships with you, and they denounce terrorism, which is a global phenomenon they suffer at the hands of more than others. Neither the crusades nor the Spanish Inquisition were peaceful. Nor was the colonisation of most Arab and Muslim countries at the beginning of the 20th century.
Nazis, Fascists, and modern day white supremacists like the KKK aren't Muslims, nor were the ones who dropped the first nuclear bombs.
This book was a good page-turner. The type of story that keeps its reader engaged and constantly guessing, but its hostile undertones and blatant Islamophobic message put me off. As a Muslim I don't mind denouncing ISIS; in fact I think we should all take on those monsters. But painting a near third of the world's population (including myself) as bloodthirsty terrorists, is highly offensive and inconsiderate.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Kind regards,

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Ben Hope book I’ve read despite having several others on my TBR pile. I thought I’d request this ARC and go in at the deep end and I really enjoyed it.
After returning to France, Ben has a chance encounter when he literally bumps into a young woman. He realises she’s dropped her phone and tracks down her home address to return it to her.
He arrives to find the door ajar and the woman lying dead in her apartment. She’s still warm so he thinks back to the man he passed in the stairwell and realises he recognises him.
It’s a man he thought long dead from his days in the SAS - Nazim al-Kassar who is a ruthless fighter for ISIL.
Wanting justice for the woman and also for events from his past, Hope reaches out to some of his former contacts to try and track him down and the situation becomes more and more dangerous.
This is an action packed thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

[Trevor Snape · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the 20th book in the Major Ben Hope series and this series is as good as ever. Major Ben Hope's exploits and adventures are still fresh and exciting and will still make the readers heart race and make it very difficult to put the book down. This story is very current with references to the "yellow jerseys" in Paris where the story begins and revolves around members of ISIS and how they have destroyed religious statues in the middle east and how they are trying to exploit the West's need to try and save these artifacts. The story moves on to a situation with members of ISIS trying to kill millions of people in the West. Major Ben Hope has to call upon some old friends to help him quell this latest uprising. A great addition to this wonderful series, the next one is due out in May 2021.

[Alan Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real corker from Scott Mariani. There is absolutely no let up throughout the book. A terrorist threat only becomes clear following Ben Hope’s accidental involvement with a young lady who is murdered shortly afterwards. The discovery of her body and the sight from her window of someone Ben was convinced was dead, set him off on an adventure set principally in France. His car takes some serious hammer in the process of trying to chase the terrorist down as he tries to complete his plan to kill hundreds of thousands of French citizens. The pace of the novel matches the speed of Ben’s Alpina.
Great stuff !

[Isaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highlights
It starts of with a real mystery which is exciting as it strings the reader along to find out who the damsel is.

Towards the end its nearly impossible to put the book down.


Facts
The book is well researched. I even looked up some things to check if they were true.

Slow times
There was alot dedicated to idealism which was eye opening but could have been kept to a minimum.

Adventure
With the begining one would have hoped for an adventure encompasing more of the world and more people however with it being mostly in france and having the few mentioned people it was still a sucess at keeping the reader entertained

[Avanti Centrae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Scott Mariani, but won't be my last. The action is machine-gun fast, the writing style crisp, the story full of twists and tension. If you like edge-of-your seat thrillers, check out his work.

[Dchamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a great book that seriously ties up all loose ends at the end of the book!

Very highly recommended.

[Ray O'Hare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complex storyline confused me almost half way through but came good in second half.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous read and had everything I've come to expect from the series. If you like this author, you'll love this book.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in return for a review.

I have to be honest and say that I’m not the sort of person who usually picks up thrillers. I am, however, an insatiable reader, one who can bury her nose in and enjoy books spanning across all genres. After seeing several Mariani books in shops close to me, and thinking that the blurb of this book sounded interesting, I decided to give it a go. I had, after all, heard good things from several different people, and it’s always worth trying something new.

Unfortunately however, I really struggled with this book. From the very first line, to page 113 (which is where I gave up), the writing style was absolutely not for me. Strange writing quirks, such as repeatedly calling characters their full name, a love of acronyms, and reliance on clichéd foreshadowings to end chapters simply pulled me out of the story and annoyed me.
When I gave up on this, I was in the middle of a dull, off-topic history of Saint-Peris. Things I was interested in – such as the riots in the streets of France – weren’t expanded upon, and things I wasn’t interested in were described in excruciating detail. I struggled with the main character, too. I mean – what is he? I know he used to be in the SAS, but what’s his job now? He pretends to be a police officer at one point in order to get information. Is that even legal? And, if his intention is to get the villain of the story put behind bars, would his evidence be admissible in court?

This could have been a quick, really fun read, but unfortunately it was like wading through treacle. Not my cup of tea.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another brilliant book from Scott Mariani!
Ben Hope is a former SAS soldier, who now runs a tactical training facility (Le Val) in France with Jeff Decker and Tuesday Fletcher, a big black Jamaican SAS wannabe. Ben is in Paris after finishing a job before returning to Le Val when a young woman literally runs into him. She's clearly afraid, but says nothing to Hope before running back to her apartment. Ben finds her mobile phone and tries to return it to her, but she's murdered before he can do so.
Ben sees a man outside the woman's apartment building that he believed had been killed years ago. Nazim is a Muslim who believes that he will go to Allah in Paradise by killing as many 'infidels' as he can and dying in the process. Nazim and thirteen other jihadi terrorists steal twenty drums of fentanyl, with the intention of using it as a weapon of mass destruction.
Ben and his friends manage to prevent the killing of thousands of people in the nick of time, just as you think they're on the point of failing.
This is an action packed story, with all the classic elements of a Ben Hope adventure. Looking forward to the next one, 'The Pretender's Gold', which I pre-ordered before I even started this one.

[Sue Morcumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another on the edge of your seat read, and the usual style and panache of Ben Hope, although a person who thought he was an ex-military man with him throughout a previous skirmish turns out not to be the innocent bystander he showed in his demeanour towards Ben and it raised questions in Bens mind, what was this guy who was supposed to be his friend doing? All will be revealed later on, the chase was on as always with Ben Hope stories and they move quickly smoothly and have you moving as fast as you can to get to the next page, and now I have to wait until May 2020 before the next book comes out, what a shame. Still, his books are worth waiting for, and thank goodness I shall be reminded by Amazon of my next story to come on to my Kindle, this was an intricate and mind dashing book, and it always has you wondering what was going to happen next. Great story, and as always no sex or bad language which I like and it is a good down to earth nice guy with a conscience and morality who only likes to stop the bad guys from causing innocent people and companies harm. He is a bit like myself, looks after the underdog. Roll on May 2020

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars: Cinematic quality shoot outs and car chases. Scott Mariani never disappoints.

Scott Mariani is easily one of my favourite authors. His Ben Hope series manages to combine historical content with cinematic style action sequences. Fast paced and interesting plot lines come together in this latest effort with the political Parisian background bringing things right up to date.
A chance encounter with a lady who drops her phone leads Hope on the trail back to an old enemy. He stumbles upon a murder scene that takes him on the trail of antique art and drug trafficking. Taking in some terrorism on the way.

This book considers our modern political climate and preys on some of the concerns we have and that’s part of the reason this book works so well. There is a good conclusion to the plot arc of this novel but an interesting opportunity to develop Hope’s character for future books.

A must read for any fans of action thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon UK and Scott Mariani for my ARC in advance for an honest review.

[Balthazar Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Hope stops off in Paris on his way from a job in India to organise the sale of his small hideout at the back of a garage. While minding his own business his turns a corner and runs into a woman in a rush who quickly continues on her way. However, she has dropped her mobile phone which Ben finds and being the good a Samaritan and well intentioned he decides to return the phone. However, all he does is run into his past and puts him on the path to stopping an ISIS terrorist whom he thought was dead from carrying out an unknown plan.

This is the usual sort of action thriller and was very enjoyable. Until that is the terrorists decide to board a ship at sea. From there it just didn't have the same feel as the supposedly highly intelligent terrorist leader sudden seemed dumb and stupid as if he was a different person. This character shift was a bit off putting and the book lost it's tightness and clear direction and became a bit silly.

Otherwise, it wasn't too bad.

[Martin Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always a massive fan of Mariani’s Ben Hope thrillers, an intelligent mix of James Bond meets Indiana Jones.

House of War is set mainly in Paris and northern France. Ben while in Paris accidentally stumbles on a fleeing woman who drops her mobile phone in panic. Later Ben tries to track her down to give her back her phone, he finds her flat and discovers she’s been murdered. Unknowingly, Ben has entered a whole lot of trouble, finding connections to Islamic terrorists, and the illegal trade in ancient Middle Eastern archeological treasures to fund war against the West.

A foe from Ben’s past is intrinsically linked to the international terrorist ring. Can he stop them before what they plan to do in France causes maximum damage and suffering?

Entertaining, filled with plot twists and an explosive climax. Another great read.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Hope comes in contact with a woman in Paris and by doing so he also sees someone he thought was killed many years ago. Now he must find the man but also find out what he was doing at a museum. Ben contacts old friend with computer skills, and also reaches out to a former soldier who was Delta Force for help along the way.
Without giving away the plot this is full of action, intrigue and will keep you guessing with the different characters along the way. A fast-paced book that was a good read for me since I had never read this author before. He made the story entertaining and worth the time to read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fast paced and engaging instalment in the long running series. Ben Hope takes on an ISIS cell in France with the aid of a former US special forces ally. But he has secrets. Can they work together to stop an old common enemy before his plan comes to fruition?

Much of the book sees Hope trying to work out what the links are between a museum worker, her boss and a terrorist. When the story comes together he realises that he doesn't have much time to stop a terrorist attack. Of course, there is the inevitable firefight in the end.

A well written and exciting novel with enough back story to make it more than just another missiion for Ben Hope.

[MR D J ALLMARK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great adventure

What I love about Scott Mariani, is the wonderful way that the author researches his material. Pages of pages of intricate detailed knowledge, that makes the Ben Hope novels completely gripping and exciting to read. Once you get your teeth into a Ben Hope adventure, you cannot put it down. You get drawn into the action. That's 20 Ben hope novels that I have now read, and I have to say that you never get tired of Ben Hope. My only wish is that Scott re writes in Ben's sister Ruth, his son Jude, and perhaps re- introducing Darcy Kane, and Brooke Marcel back into Ben's life, in future novels. Fantastic keep me coming Scott. David.