The Babylon Idol

By: Scott Mariani

Narrated by: Colin Mace

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

When a sniper leaves Ben Hope's friend fighting for his life, the former SAS major declares war on the men responsible. But what begins as a straightforward revenge mission gets complicated when a mysterious letter reveals Ben to be the real target.

And his isn't the only name on a crazed killer's list.

Professor Anna Manzini has no idea she's in grave danger from a man she'd thought dead. She's on the cusp of a major discovery: the location of the lost Babylon idol, a golden statue of immeasurable value.

But when word of Anna's work reaches her enemies, it sets off a cat-and-mouse chase that will lead Ben and Anna halfway across Europe and into the heart of war-torn Syria.

To reach the precious idol first, Ben must keep one step ahead of a powerful maniac. If he fails, it won't be just Ben and Anna's lives in danger but the world.

Ben Hope is one of the most celebrated action adventure heroes in British fiction, and Scott Mariani is the author of numerous best sellers. Join the ever-growing legion of fans who get breathless with anticipation when the countdown to the new Ben Hope thriller begins....

©2017 Scott Mariani (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"Slick, serpentine and very, very entertaining.... If you've got a pulse, you'll love Scott Mariani; if you haven't, then maybe you crossed Ben Hope." (Simon Toyne)
"Scott Mariani is an awesome writer." (Chris Kuzneski)
"Deadly conspiracies, bone-crunching action and a tormented hero with a heart.... Scott Mariani packs a real punch." (Andy McDermott)
"A romp of a read, each page like a tasty treat. Enjoy." (Steve Berry)

Getting predictable

I suppose it's inevitable when a writer has a limited subject matter but it is getting very formulaic- mad greedy bad guy with army of mercenaries- intellectual damsel in distress- Ben Hopes SAS training beats all comers - wins in the end. But this time it was all very predictable. I'm a big fan but I got bored in the middle there when he had to use too much narrative to explain the plot.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Babylon Idol

As gripping as its predecessors in the series, this story sees Ben Hope chasing from Europe to the Middle East in search of an antique relic which of course has others seeking it as well ... I’d love to encourage Audible to edit out Colin Mace’s swallowing after every few sentences, though!

Not as Good.

I've read all of the previous Ben Hope books and this one is very weak in comparison. It was not a gripping story and did not appear to have any substance. I hope book 16 will be back on form.

Here we go again!!

Being in severe heart failure with a defibrillator in my chest, I’m constantly afraid it will discharge !! These books of Mr Mariani should come with a government health warning.

The story was composed brilliantly.

Loved listening to this book. it always kept me at the end of my seat. it should be made into a film :-)

ben hope

I'm a big fan of this series its griping and intresting well wrote at parts emosnal
ben hope x

Not quite as good as usual.

Hope & crew are disbanded by circumstances early on in the book, this is quite impactful particularly following the two African based adventures.
I was expecting a romping action/adventure again & whilst it is interesting it is not as compelling as the above mentioned.
The ending sounds very much as though the author wanted to dispatch it quickly too!

Great book

Great book, full of the usual Ben Hope dynamism and interest. Extremely well read.
Keep them coming Scott