BOOK REVIEW: Sunday Times best-selling author Scott Mariani’s 22nd Ben Hope thriller The Demon Club follows a tried-and-tested template, but does it bring anything new?

 

The Demon Club, published in 2020, is book 22 in the Ben Hope series by Scott Mariani, an Oxford-educated Sunday Times best-selling Scottish author.

Mariani’s hero, Benedict Hope, is the ultimate man’s man. Ex-SAS Major, combat-skilled and tougher than shoe leather, he ruthlessly eliminates the steady stream of crooks and assailants that cross his path. Yet his career began with a classical Oxford education, destined for the clergy, loves his dog, Storm, and profoundly regrets a series of broken romantic relationships.

All the books follow the same basic plot: Hope, attempting to live a quiet life in rural France, stumbles into a situation involving a friend or innocent connection and an organised gang, or evil cult. Rather than involve the hapless police, Hope invariably dives in headfirst, using his fine-tuned SAS skills to save the victim and wipe out the ‘bad guys’.

Despite the formulaic approach, Mariani injects a fresh twist and enthralling plot details into every book. The Demon Club is no exception and, in fact, elevates the tension to new heights.

Happy in his long-distance relationship with Scottish policewoman Grace Kirk, Hope is left reeling when her life is threatened by an evil cult which counts rich businessmen and powerful politicians amongst its members. The cult wants Hope to assassinate ‘Wolf’, another ex-SAS soldier that has threatened its secrecy. Hope travels to Spain to track the soldier and discovers their shared history. Teaming up, they travel back to the UK to track down and dramatically eliminate the cult, narrowly saving Kirk’s life in the process, thanks to some unexpected assistance.

A heart-thumping roller-coaster of a novel, the book does not disappoint. 10/10.

-- ends --

25 Sep 22

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