Een eeuwenoude moord… Een duistere vrijmetselaarsloge… Een samenzwering met fatale gevolgen – en special agent Ben Hope moet vluchten voor zijn leven.

De mooie Leigh Llewellyn, een wereldberoemde operazangeres en een oude vlam van Ben, heeft zijn hulp ingeroepen bij het onderzoek naar de mysterieuze dood van haar broer, de pianist Oliver Llewellyn. Het officiële bericht is dat Oliver gestorven is tijdens zijn onderzoek naar de dood van Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, maar de feiten kloppen niet. Olivers onderzoek wijst uit dat Mozart, een vooraanstaand lid van de vrijmetselarij, mogelijk vermoord is door een radicale splintergroepering van dit geheime genootschap. De enige aanwijzingen zijn gelegen in een eeuwenoude brief, vermoedelijk door Mozart zelf geschreven.

Als Leigh en Ben videomateriaal onder ogen krijgen van een rituele moord die wordt begaan door een groep mannen met zwarte kappen, realiseren ze zich dat de gevaarlijke sekte uit de tijd van Mozart nog steeds bestaat en zich door niemand laat tegenhouden.
Hun onderzoek naar 'het Mozartcomplot' voert Leigh en Ben via het illustere Oxford en het sprookjesachtige Venetië naar het keizerlijke Wenen en de majestueuze besneeuwde bergen van Slovenië – een bloedstollende race tegen de klok.

'Fans van Dan Brown zullen smullen van Mariani.' Closer Magazine

'Het Mozartcomplot geeft een nieuwe betekenis aan het label "thriller".' Welsh Country Magazine

Een op-het-puntje-van-je-stoel-actiethriller voor de liefhebbers van Steve Berry en Sam Bourne



Recensie(s)
NBD|Biblion recensie

Bij zijn onderzoek voor een boek over de geheimzinnige dood van Mozart komt een pianist op het spoor van een samenzwering van uiterst rechtse zakenlieden en politici. Voor hij door hen vermoord wordt, ziet hij kans een cd-rom met belastend materiaal naar zijn zuster te sturen. Deze schakelt een oude vriend in, een vroegere elitemilitair, nu een soort privedetective. Verder is een Weense politieman zijdelings bij de zaak betrokken. Dit is eerder een avonturenverhaal dan een thriller en de auteur heeft enkele wonderlijke toevalligheden nodig om de plot rond te krijgen, maar dat doet nauwelijks afbreuk aan het leesplezier. Het is een eenvoudig geschreven, heel spannend boek, vol verrassende wendingen, in de trant van 'De Da Vinci code' van Dan Brown: een oeroud geheim genootschap, talrijke verwijzingen naar de (kunst)geschiedenis (in dit geval de muziek en de vrijmetselarij), een verloren gewaand document (een brief van Mozart over zijn angst vermoord te worden), enz. Het verhaal speelt zich in het heden af op diverse plaatsen in Europa. Het perspectief wisselt tussen diverse personages. Paperback met normale druk.

(NBD|Biblion recensie, J.A. Dautzenberg)
(source: Bol.com)

Review

PRAISE FOR The Alchemist’s Secret:‘Fans of Dan Brown will love this thrilling adventure’.Closer Magazine‘The [Alchemist’s Secret] establishes Scott Mariani as an author to watch.’M.J. Rose, international bestselling author of The Reincarnationist‘Mariani does a great job of balancing the historical stuff with the basic plot to keep the pages turning.’Oxford Mail‘Scott Mariani brings it all to the table in this fast-paced thriller that rockets off the first page and never slows down. The Alchemist’s Secret is packed with dark intrigue, danger around every corner, bullets flying, sexual tension, and an endless assault of nasty villains bent on stopping ex-SAS Ben Hope from finding the secret to an ancient manuscript. It’s everything a thriller should be and more.’Joe Moore, international bestselling co-author of THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY

Product Description

Where there’s Hope there’s trouble…Ben Hope lives on the edge. A former élite member of the SAS, Ben is tortured by a tragedy from his past and now devotes his life to finding kidnapped children.But 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…

A deadly conspiracy'¦ An ancient prophecy'¦ A race to prevent Armageddon'¦A thrilling, high-octane race to save civilisation that will engross fans of Dan Brown and Sam Bourne.When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope decided to give up rescuing kidnap victims in favour of the Theology studies he abandoned years before, he should have known that fate would decide differently. Searching for missing biblical archaeologist Zoė Bradbury, Ben finds himself embroiled in his riskiest mission yet. What is the ancient secret that Zoė uncovered? And just who is willing to do anything to protect it? The investigation leads Ben from Greece to the American Deep South and the holy city of Jerusalem, and he soon discovers that it's not just his and Zoė's lives on the line, but those of millions, threatened by a fundamentalist plot to gain ultimate power. The stakes are terrifyingly high as Ben races to prevent a disaster that could kick-start apocalyptic events as foretold by the Book of Revelation...

Review

'shades of Ian Fleming meeting Dan Brown' Western Mail 'Mariani certainly knows how to rack up the tension in this high-octane thriller' Lancashire Evening Post Praise for Scott Mariani: 'This is a pacy, action-packed read.' Closer

Product Description

An ancient fortune has lain hidden for thousands of years, one so powerful that men will kill to protect it.And only one man can unearth it…Ex-SAS operative Ben Hope is living a peaceful life in rural France - until a phone call from an old army comrade turns his world upside down. Eminent Egyptologist Morgan Paxton has been brutally murdered while working on the mysterious 'Akhenaten Project' in Cairo, and Colonel Harry Paxton wants Ben to find his son's killer.Ben is unable to refuse the request from the man who once saved his life - but when Harry asks him to avenge his son's death he's in dangerous territory. Made worse by the fact that he finds himself attracted to Zara Paxton, Harry's new bride.Carving through the seedy Cairo underworld, Ben soon realises that there was more to Paxton's research than meets the eye as he is plunged into one double-cross after another. His mission leads him from Italy and Paris via the coast of Scotland to the banks of the Nile, climaxing in a tense showdown in the war-torn Sudanese desert.At the end of the trail lies the ultimate treasure, hidden away by three rebel High Priests during the reign of the 'Heretic' Pharoah Akhenaten - a collection so valuable that some will stop at nothing to possess it…A super-charged, heart-racing thriller, perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Sam Bourne and Wilbur Smith.

Review

'James Bond meets Jason Bourne meets The Da Vinci Code.' J. L. Carrell, bestselling author of The Shakespeare Secret 'Deadly conspiracies, bone-crunching action and a tormented hero with a heart ...Scott Mariani packs a real punch.' Andy McDermott, bestselling author of The Secret Vault 'Full of authentic detail and heart-stopping action -- a real thrill ride.' Ed Macy, author of the bestselling Apache. 'This is an absolute delight to read!you really won't want to put it down.' News of the World 'Smart, action-packed thriller!it's completely addictive.' Closer Magazine

About the Author

Scott Mariani is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling series of conspiracy adventure thrillers featuring ex-SAS hero and former theology scholar Ben Hope. With translation rights sold in 20 countries, the series was optioned for film in 2009 and a major star is lined up to take the leading role. 2010 saw the launch of Scott's new Vampire Federation series for Avon, writing under the name Scott G. Mariani. Scott lives in the wilds of west Wales, and when not busy writing enjoys outdoor pursuits, walking his dogs, archery and photography.

From Publishers Weekly

British author Miriani makes his U.S. debut with the second in his series featuring ex-SAS warrior Ben Hope, a fast, exciting read in The Da Vinci Code tradition. Ben is on his way home from a mission when he receives a message from Leigh Llewellyn, an old flame and international opera star, saying she needs his help. Leigh is the sister of Ben's late friend, Oliver, who was at work on a book on Mozart when he died under mysterious circumstances. When Ben takes Leigh to the English countryside to guard her, deadly thugs attempt to kill them both. A lost Mozart letter, written in 1791 shortly before the composer's death and first discovered by Leigh's father, implicates a shadowy European group known as the Order of Ra, which remains a powerful secret force in Europe today. None of this matters much to either Ben or the reader as he singlehandedly kills his way to the top of the evil cabal. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

First-time author Mariani channels Dan Brown on steroids in this exciting (and violent) historical puzzle thriller that postulates a link between the secret order of Freemasons and the mysterious death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Former British SAS officer Ben Hope travels the globe as a crisis-response consultant (aka 'a hero for hire') performing good deeds like rescuing kidnapped children from pedophiles and protecting famous politicos from assassins. Fifteen years after Hope dumped her, ex-flame (and now famous opera star) Leigh Llwewllyn calls him out of the blue and asks for his help. Her brother, Oliver, who had been in Austria researching the death of Mozart, recently died under mysterious circumstances, and now she fears for her own life. The reunited couple attempt to complete Oliver's research but find they have aroused the malevolent interest of a sinister group of power brokers whose origins date back to the eighteenth century. Persistently under attack by murderous agents of the cabal as they get closer to solving the riddle of Mozart's death, Ben uses every weapon at his disposal to dispatch his assailants, including an iron skillet, a nail gun, a pool cue, and even his bare hands. Racing along at breakneck speed and promising more in a series, this action read will excite fans of Brown, James Rollins, and Robert Ludlum. --Michael Gannon

EDITORIAL REVIEW: Only one man can foil a plot set to change the course of history! The latest heart-stopping novel from the rising star of the conspiracy thriller genre. Ex-SAS soldier Ben Hope is enjoying life at Le Val, the facility in Northern France where he trains others in the dangerous art of hostage rescue, until a chance incident forces him to take on the role of bodyguard to the Swiss billionaire Maximilian Steiner. The victim of a recent abduction attempt, Steiner believes that a neo-Nazi terror group are bent on seizing a prized document from his personal collection - one that could support claims that the Holocaust never happened. But what initially seemed like a straightforward VIP protection job is turned upside-down by the appearance of a mystery woman from Ben's past. Could he be right about her, or is he losing his edge? On a quest across Europe, Ben finds himself embroiled in a deadly kidnap intrigue and a sinister project that has lain dormant since 1944. The stakes are global - and this time Ben is also fighting to protect the people closest to him!

A new war is dawning! The Three Laws of the Vampire Federation: 1. A vampire must never harm a human 2. A vampire must never turn a human 3. A vampire must never love a human DI Joel Solomon has a secret: he believes in vampires. But a ritual murder in the Oxfordshire countryside is just the first incident in a horrifying chain of events drawing the Detective Inspector into his worst nightmare. Are vampires really claiming fresh victims? Alex Bishop is an agent of the Vampire Intelligence Agency (VIA), tasked with enforcing the laws of the global Vampire Federation and hunting down rogue members of her race. But when the Federation comes under attack from an uprising led by the traditionalist vampire Gabriel Stone, Alex finds herself fighting for survival. From the streets of London and Oxford to the canals of Venice and the mountains of Transylvania, Joel and Alex are plunged into a deadly game of cat and mouse as the war between the Trads and the Feds threatens to destroy them — and everything they believe in!

When an ancient cross is discovered in Eastern Europe it becomes a powerful weapon in the war between the trads and the Vampire Federation – but soon, the world is threatened by its discovery…The cross of Ardaich, feared by vampires, was believed to have been destroyed during the bloody war between the Vampire Federation and the Trads. But its accidental rediscovery could be catastrophic.Detective Joel Solomon can’t forgive VF agent Alex Bishop for making him a vampire. Yet when Federation arch-enemy Gabriel Stone enlists a vicious killer to retrieve the cross, the couple and their human allies become the only defence against pure evil.If the cross is used to gain power by the Übervampyr, the sadistic and primeval race of elite vampires, it isn’t just ordinary vampires like Alex and Joel who will be in danger. Things could be about to turn very nasty for the human race…A high-octane, action-packed adventure that will thrill fans of Charlaine Harris, Blade and The Passage.

Sometimes trouble just follows a man! An electrifying and utterly gripping must-read for fans of Dan Brown, Sam Bourne and Ludlum's Bourne series.

When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope decided to give up his life rescuing kidnap victims and return to the Theology studies he abandoned years before, he should have known that fate would decide differently. When his old professor begs him to find his missing daughter, the wild and wayward biblical archaeologist Zoe Bradbury, Ben soon finds himself saddled with his most dangerous mission yet. What is the ancient biblical secret that Zoe uncovered? And who will stop at nothing to protect it? As his quest leads Ben from the Greek islands to the American Deep South and the holy city of Jerusalem, he comes to realise that it's not just his and Zoe's lives on the line, but those of millions. The stakes are unimaginably high as he finds himself racing to prevent a terrible disaster that could kick-start nothing less than the End Times foretold by the Book of Revelation…

Ben Hope was an elite soldier before his troubles forced him to quit the army. Now he's using his skills to rescue kidnapped children. But when Ben is approached by a millionaire businessman to trace an ancient lost manuscript whose secret could save a dying girl, he finds himself embarking on the strangest mission of his life. With fiendish codes to crack and dangerous enemies in hot pursuit, Ben teams up with Roberta Ryder, a beautiful American scientist. The trail leads them from Paris to the ancient Cathar strongholds of the Languedoc. There lies an astonishing secret which has been hidden through the ages.

An ancient fortune has lain hidden for thousands of years, one so powerful that men will kill to protect it. And only one man can unearth it…

Ex-SAS operative Ben Hope is living a peaceful life in rural France – until a phone call from an old army comrade turns his world upside down. Eminent Egyptologist Morgan Paxton has been brutally murdered while working on the mysterious 'Akhenaten Project' in Cairo, and Colonel Harry Paxton wants Ben to find his son's killer. Ben is unable to refuse the request from the man who once saved his life – but when Harry asks him to avenge his son's death he's in dangerous territory. Made worse by the fact that he finds himself attracted to Zara Paxton, Harry's new bride. Carving through the seedy Cairo underworld, Ben soon realises that there was more to Paxton's research than meets the eye as he is plunged into one double-cross after another. His mission leads him from Italy and Paris via the coast of Scotland to the banks of the Nile, climaxing in a tense showdown in the war-torn Sudanese desert. At the end of the trail lies the ultimate treasure, hidden away by three rebel High Priests during the reign of the 'Heretic' Pharoah Akhenaten – a collection so valuable that some will stop at nothing to possess it!

A super-charged, heart-racing thriller, perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Sam Bourne and Wilbur Smith.

An ancient murder! A clandestine society! A conspiracy that will end in death…Former SAS operative Ben Hope is running for his life. Enlisted by the beautiful Leigh Llewellyn – world famous opera star and Ben's first love – to investigate her brother's mysterious death, Ben finds himself caught up in a centuries-old puzzle. The official line states that Oliver died whilst investigating Mozart's death, but the facts don't add up. Oliver's research reveals that Mozart, a notable freemason, may have been killed by a shadowy and powerful splinter group of the cult. The only clues lie in an ancient letter, believed to have been written by Mozart himself. When Leigh and Ben receive video evidence of a ritual sacrifice being performed by hooded men, they realise that the sect is still in existence today!and will stop at nothing to remain a secret. From the dreaming spires of Oxford to Venice's labyrinthine canals, the majestic architecture of Vienna and Slovenia's snowy mountains, Ben and Leigh must forget the past and race across Europe to uncover the truth behind THE MOZART CONSPIRACY!An electrifying and utterly gripping must read for fans of Dan Brown, Sam Bourne and Ludlum's Bourne series.

But will he be too late to find Brooke alive?

Una emocionante búsqueda del tesoro dotada de un ritmo vertiginoso que cautivará a los seguidores de Dan Brown, Kate Mosse y la serie de 'Bourne'.Ben Hope, un antiguo miembro de élite de las fuerzas aéreas británicas, se siente atormentado por una tragedia de su pasado y ahora dedica su vida a rescatar a niños secuestrados. Pero cuando lo contratan para hallar un antiguo manuscrito que podría salvarle la vida a una niña moribunda, se embarca en la búsqueda más letal de su carrera. El manuscrito contiene la fórmula del elixir de la vida que el brillante alquimista Fulcanelli descubrió hace décadas. Enseguida se pone de manifiesto que hay otros que ambicionan ese tesoro tan preciado con fines mucho más perversos…Uniendo fuerzas con la doctora Roberta Ryder, el rastro los conduce desde París hasta las fortalezas ancestrales de los cátaros en Languedoc, donde un asombroso secreto ha permanecido oculto durante siglos…