Scott Mariani

Mariani was born in St Andrews in Scotland and studied Modern Languages and Film Studies at Oxford University. He now resides in west Wales, where he first got the idea for the character Ben Hope when out walking. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he worked in various jobs, including as a translator, professional musician and freelance journalist. He has cited his interests outside of writing to be shooting, archery, photography and astronomy; he is a supporter of the Woodland Trust and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

The Ben Hope novels have been described as "James Bond meets Jason Bourne, with a historical twist". The series starts with the lead character (who has left the SAS to become a freelance "consultant" in searching and rescuing children who are kidnap victims) being recruited to try to find Fulcanelli, or at the very least his manuscript, in order to try to save the life of a child. The manuscript in question is purported to contain the secret of the elixir of life. The use of ancient history, significant historical events, conspiracy theories and myths such as the elixir of life has become a standard theme running through the books, with others revolving around subjects such as the death of Mozart (The Mozart Conspiracy), Die Glocke (The Shadow Project) and the Great Famine of Ireland (The Forgotten Holocaust). His novels have been translated into over 20 languages.

• The Alchemist's Secret (aka "The Fulcanelli Manuscript"), 2007, • The Mozart Conspiracy, 2008, • The Doomsday Prophecy (aka "The Hope Vendetta"), 2009, • The Heretic's Treasure, 2009, • The Shadow Project, 2010, • The Lost Relic, 2011, • The Sacred Sword, 2012, • The Armada Legacy, 2013, • The Nemesis Program, 2014, • The Forgotten Holocaust, 2015, • The Martyr's Curse, 2015, • The Cassandra Sanction, 2016, • Star of Africa, 2016, • The Devil's Kingdom, 2016, • The Babylon Idol, 2017, • The Bach Manuscript, 2017, • The Moscow Cipher, 2018, • The Rebel's Revenge, 2018, • Valley of Death, 2019, • House of War, 2019, • The Pretender's Gold, 2020, • The Demon Club, 2020, • The Pandemic Plot, 2021, • The Crusader's Cross, 2021, • The Silver Serpent, 2022, • Graveyard of Empires, 2022, • The White Knight, 2023, • The Tudor Deception, 2023, • The Templar Secret, 2024, • The Jericho Road, 2027, (forthcoming)

• Passenger 13, 2011, • Bring Him Back, 2013, • The Tunnel, 2015, eBook

• Uprising, 2010, • The Cross, 2011,

• The Cage, 2021

• The Pilgrim's Revenge, 2025 • The Knight's Pledge, 2025 • Die for a King, 2026 • The Black Eagle, 2026 (forthcoming)

• House of Malice, 2013, • Decoy, 2014, eBook

• How to Write a Thriller, 2007,