
The Pandemic Plot: Ben Hope, Book 23
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The gripping new Ben Hope thriller from the number one best-selling author.
When ex-SAS major Ben Hope is urgently recalled to the UK from his base in France to assist with a family crisis, little does he know that he’s about to be drawn into one of the most dangerous missions of his career: his son Jude has been accused of a brutal murder, and all the evidence points to his guilt.
To prove Jude’s innocence Ben embarks on a wild chase, facing up against mysterious killers and piecing together a fragile web of clues. What connects an all-female criminal gang from the early 1900s called the Forty Elephants, a century-old vendetta and a shadowy government conspiracy that claimed millions of innocent lives?
Along the way Ben teams up with his former acquaintance, rugged Detective Tom McAllister. They’re heading for a showdown in the wilds of Cornwall, and the villains have no intention of letting Ben come out of it alive....
- Listening Length10 hours and 4 minutes
- Audible release date13 May 2021
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB08X7HPD2W
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 10 hours and 4 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Scott Mariani |
Narrator | Colin Mace |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com.au Release Date | 13 May 2021 |
Publisher | Avon |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B08X7HPD2W |
Best Sellers Rank | 22,281 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 76 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Audible Books & Originals) 127 in Military Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals) 282 in Espionage Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals) |
Customer reviews
Top reviews from Australia
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Have detail to keep my interest, this ticked all the boxes
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This story is slightly different from Ben Hope’s usual high-octane, action-based adventures, but none the worse for it. There is more detective work in this one, and Ben joins forces with DI Tom McAllister (he previously featured in The Bach Manuscript) to try to find the pieces of the puzzle that will prove Jude’s innocence. This also paves the way nicely for The Cage, the first volume in Scott Mariani’s new detective series. This partnership works well and ensures a much lower body count than usual, or else Ben would probably find himself locked up too.
With very little to go on, Ben’s desperate search for the truth takes him on a journey from Oxford to Hunstanton on the north Norfolk coast, by way of London, and eventually to a showdown on an isolated Cornish farm. There is quite a lot of historical background to take in, as is normal in Ben Hope adventures, but it is introduced naturally into the story until Ben knows exactly what he has to do to clear Jude’s name.
The excellent characterisation is what makes this series so memorable. Ben Hope’s adventures take him all over the world, but the main focus is always on how he overcomes the obstacles placed in his path, and emerges victorious no matter how hopeless his situation appears to be. Ben Hope will return in The Crusader’s Cross later in the year.

Any book that has such an unlikeable character as Jude cant be a favourite of mine. Jude is an entitled arse without any endearing quality and I wish hed been left behind on the Star of Africa.
His reckless behaviour then resulted in the deaths of many people and that, plus the sequel seem not to have affected him in any way.
His role in the body count of this book too doesnt seem to disturb his sleep in any way. I truly hope we dont meet him in any future Ben Hope books as I wont buy them.
The overarching story was entertaining but not as good as usual but the information on botox was very interesting as was the historical information about the 1918 pandemic. I'm sure the Forty Elephants was a real thing, too. Who could make up such an unwieldy title for a criminal gang?
I'm sure the statistics are historically accurate as Scott really does his research but I preferred the Forgotten Holocaust to this type of plot.
I still wish Ben would pack in the Gauloise, though.
