Page 22 - Reader's House Magazine Issue 49

Continued from page 14
STAR INTERVIEW
around, I was the one in his room reading about the crusades or the Napoleonic wars, or any of the other areas for which I had a romantic fascination, and still do. Later, I studied medieval literature as part of my degree at Oxford, and that passion for history was still with me by the time the first Ben Hope novel was born. Having incorporated a historical background mystery to that one, it seemed a natural progression to continue the same trend with subse- quent books. It’s allowed me to explore all kinds of different areas of history. The research process is no different from any other historical research, using
whatever resources are available. Though I’ve always preferred not to use the internet too much, and rely instead on books.
In The Golden Library, Ben Hope finds himself in China, uncovering secrets related to the Terracotta Army. What inspired you to set this adventure in China, and how did you approach writing about such a unique and historical setting?
Can you talk about the development of Ben Hope
as a character and how his background as an ex-SAS soldier influences his actions and decisions throughout the series?
Scott Mariani’s The Silver Serpent is a masterful addition to the Ben Hope series, blending historical intrigue with relentless action. Packed with twists, danger, and vivid settings, this thriller keeps readers on edge from start to finish. Mari- ani’s storytelling brilliance and Ben Hope’s charisma make this a must- read for fans!
It took a lot of blood, sweat
and tears to overcome that very difficult start, and I’m very proud of the success it’s had. As for Ben himself, there are lots of ex-SAS heroes out there in the thriller fiction world, and from the start I was determined that mine would have to be a little different. For example, one feature of Ben Hope is his background in theology. But of course it was his prowess as a modern-day warrior that enabled him, after quitting the military, to start a new career as a rescuer of kidnapped children. That’s what kicked off the whole sequence of the series.
influenced your writing, and do any particular experiences stand out as having shaped your approach to storytelling?
Maybe some authors utilise their specific life experiences more than others. Personally,
I don’t think that my previous incarnations really had much direct bearing on the books, certainly not in any autobio- graphical way. But all writers necessarily draw on what’s inside them, and my general areas of experience such as music, which was always a big part of my life, are reflected throughout the series and especially in books like The Mozart Conspiracy and The Bach Manuscript. And of course, there was always that dominant interest in history, going back to my earliest years. I suppose I haven’t changed much since then!
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Ancient China is one of my particular areas of historical interest. I’ve studied Tai Chi sword fighting, spent some time in Taiwan, and am also fascinated by Chinese medicine. This story – Book 29 in the series – was a slight departure from Ben Hope’s usually more European settings; he’d never been to China before and it was an interesting journey for both of us! Thanks to my pre-existing curiosity about the subject I was fortunate to have done a lot of reading in the
Your novels often feature high- stakes scenarios and complex conspiracies. How do you craft these intricate plots while maintaining a balance between action, suspense, and character development?
It’s really a very organic pro- cess for me. Behind the various intrigues Ben Hope gets drawn into is the running theme of his own personal journey as he goes through life. The interesting chal- lenge, as a storyteller, was always how to integrate the two: how does Ben get involved, what are the personal stakes for him? Over a thirty-book series it’s vital not
to become repetitive and to keep things fresh and varied. I think I’ve succeeded reasonably well at it. Then once you have the basic set-up of the story, the action and suspense stuff grows naturally out of the structure. There’s always someone trying to prevent Ben Hope from coming out on top . . . but we know who invariably does!
Before becoming a full-time writer, you held various jobs, including teaching and running a burger bar. How have your diverse life experiences
past. I also went back to my Tai Chi sword master for some of the specialist Chinese martial arts stuff in the novel. A more contemporary theme of the story is the terrible plight of the Falun Gong practitioners, heavily per- secuted in modern-day China.
The Alchemist’s Secret introduced Ben Hope and became an instant bestseller.
It’s funny to think of it as an instant bestseller. Thanks to the awful literary agent I had then, the novel almost ended its life as a small-run library-only book.
“I’ve always had a deep interest in
history, from childhood.”
- Scott Mariani