The Alchemist’s Secret

Written by Scott Mariani

Narrated by Will Rycroft

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Introducing the explosive first Ben Hope adventure

‘James Bond meets Jason Bourne meets The Da Vinci Code’ J. L. Carrell

Ben Hope lives on the edge. A former elite member of the SAS, Ben is tortured by a tragedy from his past and now devotes his life to finding kidnapped children.

When Ben is recruited to locate an ancient manuscript which could save a dying child, he embarks on the deadliest quest of his life.

The document is alleged to contain the formula for the elixir of life, discovered by the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli decades before. But it soon becomes apparent that others are hunting this most precious of treasures – for far more evil ends.

When the secrets of alchemy hidden within the pages remain impenetrable, Ben teams up with beautiful American scientist Dr Roberta Ryder to crack the code.

It seems that everyone – from the Nazis during WW2 and powerful Catholic organisation Gladius Domini – wants to unearth the secrets of immortality.

The trail leads Ben and Roberta from Paris to the ancient Cathar strongholds of the Languedoc, where an astonishing secret has lain hidden for centuries…

‘Compelling from the first page until the last, Mariani and Ben Hope entertain in a gripping tale that will have you turning the pages well into the night’ MARK DAWSON

The Ben Hope series is a must-read for fans of Dan Brown, Lee Child and Mark Dawson. Join the millions of readers who get breathless with anticipation when the countdown to the new Ben Hope thriller begins…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Oct 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9780007596058

Scott Mariani

Scott Mariani is the author of the worldwide-acclaimed action / adventure series featuring maverick ex-SAS hero Ben Hope. Scott’s books have topped the bestseller charts in the UK and beyond. Scott was born in Scotland, studied in Oxford and now lives and writes in rural west Wales.

Reviews for The Alchemist’s Secret

[Lyn Debi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Action packed to the end! I couldn't put it down!

[Jason Nichols · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book! Finished in 2 days. Absolutely could not put it down. Love Ben Hope.

[Maddy Stanworth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fine but not amazing, the story line is a bit predictable. Of course the main female protagonist happily trails around after the male protagonist with little to no capabilities of her own; frequently mooning after the male protagonist along with other female characters. The male protagonist is overly perfect and appears to be an expert in every situation, his only flaw appears to be a severe drinking problem which never seems to slow him down, not so much as a hangover. Not amazing but not overly objectionable.

[lukerik-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It doesn't matter what order you read these books in. I have read some of the later ones and it is now obvious just how far Mariani has come over the years. This novel has some clunky writing, linguistic errors and needs a bloody good edit. These aren't the only ways in which it is influenced by Dan Brown. Take chapter six. There is no connection established between alchemy and the Cathars, but having mentioned them both in the same chapter, the protagonist assumes that there is. Which is lucky, as it turns out to be the plot of the novel.

On the other hand, there are signs that Mariani knows what he's doing. There's a Hero with a Thousand Faces approach with two calls to action, the first refused. Later, Roberta's capture echoes the capture of Han Solo, and Hope's reaction echoes Luke's two rescue attempts, walking openly into Jabba's lair and also the confrontation with Vader at Cloud City where he gets offered a job.

Despite a slackened pace in the middle part of the novel, it is overall a fun, easy read.

[alan1946 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first of the Ben Hope series, and it has hooked me into the ones that follow.