I’m wondering if I can claim some sort of compensation from Mr Mariani for the number of dinners I’ve burned because I picked up one of his books for ‘five minutes’ while things were cooking. They greatly accelerate the passage of time whilst simultaneously diverting the attention from, say, the smell of smoke from the kitchen.Passenger 13, e-book prequel, no less absorbing and action packed as the, count them, seven books in the Ben Hope series and requiring no prior reading of said books to pick up. If you have read any of the others, neither does it spoil any of those. Now, it is a prequel, so Ben’s a bit younger and a little bit greener than readers of those seven books are used to. But that’s the thing about Ben – he learns fast, acts fast and adapts fast. Almost as fast as he drinks his single malt in fact, which I’m fairly sure he was weaned on.Yes, we see the traps coming but as ever it’s not about the getting caught, it’s about the getting out again otherwise we’d not see them either and our Ben is nothing if not resourceful. Fans of the series know that Mariani isn’t afraid to make the root of the mystery as shady and far reaching as we dare believe. Passenger 13 gives food for thought that will make the day of any conspiracy theorist out there.It’s interesting to see what happened before The Alchemist’s Secret and just what drove Hope to follow his own path. You might know it would be no simple matter!Another rip-roaring Mariani mayhem-fest. I burned not only dinner but also dessert! From amazonPASSENGER 13A novella by Scott MarianiFive years before the events of The Alchemist's Secret...June 2003: the world is still on fire in the aftermath of 9/11. Fresh from the bloody conflict of the Second Gulf War, SAS soldier Ben Hope returns to Britain for some R&R leave, only to find himself embroiled in an intrigue deadlier than anything he's encountered on the battlefields of Iraq.When a passenger aircraft piloted by Ben's former army comrade Nick Chapman crashed off the Cayman Islands killing everyone on board, the official line was that Chapman committed suicide. But things don't add up, and Ben's old friend is barely in his grave before unfolding events point to something far bigger and more sinister going on. What did Chapman witness that powerful forces would do anything to suppress? Who was the mysterious thirteenth passenger on board the doomed flight?Following the trail of clues from the rugged Welsh borders to the Caribbean paradise that Chapman had made his home, Ben quickly discovers that some kinds of knowledge will get you killed - fast. Knowledge that threatens to unmask a global conspiracy of shocking proportions and change the way we view the world... and its masterminds have just made Ben Hope their principal target. My reviewThis is my first Scott Mariani book (although not the first in a series, I have no idea how I came across it) I totally loved it. It starts with SAS soldier Ben Hope going to his old friend and comrades funeral believing the ex soldier killed himself and his passengers in a horrible suicide plan. Nicks daughter approaches him after the funeral very cagey and upset and tells Ben that her dad didn't kill himself and she has proof. What follows is a tangled web of murder, lies and deceit for Ben and a fast paced action packed story for the reader.It goes at a great pace, the characters are easy to remember and for me Ben Hope was brilliant and reminded me of one of my favourite actors from my childhood, Chuck Norris of course. Just the way he behaved, handled the situations he found himself in and ultimate decent good guy that your rooting for.I would definately read more of his work and may just go and track the books before and after this one, 4/5 for me.This book is available for the kindle on Amazon.co.uk for only £0.99
What do You think about Passenger 13 (2011)?
Should read more in series. Book needs some editing but good story.
—aly259
A nice novella explaining how Ben gets out of the Forces
—thewellreadhound
