The Hope Vendetta

A Novel

By: Scott Mariani

Narrated by: James Langton

The second book in the electrifying thriller series that “will excite fans of Dan Brown, James Rollins, and Robert Ludlum” (Booklist).

WHAT DOES ZOË BRADBURY KNOW?

At first, only the parents of the lovely archaeologist are concerned. They just want to get in touch with the unpredictable party girl. In fact, Zoë has been kidnapped by a trained team and is being brutally interrogated. The problem: Zoë doesn’t have the answer.

When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope is asked by old friends to find their missing daughter, he tries to stay minimally involved. But when the search erupts into violence, Ben realizes that once again it’s all up to him. While Zoë’s sudden influx of cash right before her disappearance may be related to her recent discovery of an ancient artifact connected to the book of Revelation, the only hard evidence leads from the Greek islands to Savannah, Georgia, then on to Israel and Jerusalem. Gradually, Ben realizes that it’s not just Zoë’s life on the line, but the lives of millions.

However, the shadowy group who are hell-bent on making an end-of-days attack for political gain have made one huge mistake. Because in Ben Hope they are facing the ultimate reckoning. . . .

Hope stories

loved this book and couldn't stop listening. ready for another Hope story. suspense and the good guy wins

A New Hero for me

Would you listen to The Hope Vendetta again? Why?

Absolutely! There is so much to the story, so many unexpected twists and turns, that I'll have to listen to it again just to pick up anything I might have missed. Also I'll listen because I really enjoy the characters, the narrator and the story. It never lags or gets at all boring.

What did you like best about this story?

The main character, Ben Hope. He's a combination of Jack Reacher (though smaller in stature, but just as lethal) with the evasive ingenuity of Jason Bourne. He has integrity, has a strong quiet center and is always ready to protect the innocent. He admits to his character flaws but doesn't let them deter him from what he feels is the right thing to do. Great hero material!

Have you listened to any of James Langton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I listened to "The Mozart Conspiracy" which I liked very much and which I believe was also narrated by him. He makes the Ben Hope character come alive. He is also excellent at a variety of voices, accents and can do women's and children's voices very well. I look forward to more of his narrations. Beautiful, soft English accent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It as hard to put down, but very long. So, as much as I'd have liked to listen all in one sitting it wasn't possible. However, I could hardly wait to get back to it.

Any additional comments?

I am impressed with how Scott Mariani was able to keep such a complicated plot together and keep it interesting. Though the subject of religious fanaticism and power hungry deviousness has been done a lot, he manages to bring a some new twists which keep it from being redundant. I hope that the average British reader will not believe that all Americans are "right wing religious fanatics". Though they are a noisy bunch (the "end-timers") they are by no means a large majority in this country despite what the media would have you believe. I think the average American reader would find these kinds of nut cases very creepy.