The Demon Club

Back for another tale in the Ben Hope series, Scott Mariani has again succeeded in keeping the momentum going. This series, which always seems to have something new to add, provides thrills and entertainment, as well as a few twists to keep the story sharp. Who doesn’t love a demonic cult of rich men? Sure to impress series fans and those looking for a well-paced thriller.<br /><br />Jaden Wolf’s been given a mission to exterminate a man with a sizeable bank account that accompanies his stellar reputation. Wolf’s scouted him out and follows the prominent fellow to a rural part of England, only to stumble upon some sort of ritualistic event that ends in the sacrificial offering of a young woman. He’s got it on video, but only realises after the fact that his presence has also been caught on film, forcing him to flee.<br /><br />After returning from a romantic weekend, Ben Hope is eager to see if this new belle might be someone worth keeping around. However, his thought processes are interrupted when someone approaches him on one of his flights back to France with a mission, find and kill Jaden Wolf. Otherwise, a certain ‘lady friend’ will be killed. Hope knows that he cannot risk the life of an innocent woman, so he reluctantly agrees.<br /><br />Hope traces Wolf to the outskirts of a Spanish village, remembering how they served together in the SAS. Wolf was a sly soldier and so Hope will have to use all his wits, if it means getting this done quickly and without making any waves. However, once Hope and Wolf come head to head, the truth is revealed about what the latter witnessed, forcing Hope to reconsider his extermination contract.<br /><br />All the while, Hope’s two associates learn what’s been going on and go into full protection mode, travelling to Scotland to aid a lass from being murdered. This, in turn, takes much of the pressure off Hope and leaves him able to focus on the task at hand, learning more about this ritualistic group. It turns out, its members are all important figures in the British social community and one has penned a tell-all book, but not before being killed himself. <br /><br />It will be up to Wolf and Hope to learn more about The Pandemonium Club—as they call themselves—and the rules of their game. This could be the only way to truly end the demonic acts these men perform, masked and robed in the dead of night. However, it will be no walk in the park, but more a stroll through the depths of Hell!<br /><br />Scott Mariani has never failed to keep me entertained with one of his Ben Hope novels. Mixing the thrill of the hunt with some educational aspects of lesser-known groups, the reader is always treated to something well worth their while. While the series is well-established, this being the 22nd novel, things have never waned to the point of overdoing it, as can be said for some series that stretch well past their best-before date.<br /><br />Ben Hope returns for more protagonist fun. He’s always eager to show off his brains and brawn, though does toss in a little character development on occasion as well. Eager to take on a mission that will leave him vulnerable, Hope knows what it means to stand up against the forces of evil, no matter whose hiding in the shadows. Still, he is less reckless than one might expect, but makes up for it with a great deal of grit.<br /><br />With a mix of recurring characters and those who are new to the Hope sphere, Mariani uses his supporting characters effectively. The story rests on interactions and narrative momentum that is fuelled by well-established secondary characters. One learns a great deal about Hope’s past, as well as his determination, though the actions of those who grace the pages of the book. Mariani keeps the banter and jokes coming with them, but also injects the needed evil aspects to keep the plot from going stale.<br /><br />The story itself was entertaining, even if it might not have been entirely unique. A demonic cult of wealthy men with a core sentiment driving them has a way of grabbing the reader’s interest. While Ben Hope is an acquired taste for some, I have come to like the stories, eager when I hear that a new one is on the way. With a mix of short and longer chapters, I can rely on being pulled into the middle of a worthwhile plot and kept wondering until all is revealed. The attentive reader will also see great connections to other books in the series, without rehashing everything at the beginning of each novel. Highly entertaining and perfect for this time of year, which has proven to be very hectic for me.<br /><br />Kudos, Mr. Mariani, for another winner. I am happy to find that you can still lure me in with your ideas. <br /><br />Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: <br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/">http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br />A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons">https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...</a><br />

My usual genre is crime fiction or psychological thrillers, but every now and again I enjoy picking up action adventure books, for a break. The Ben Hope series is pretty much guaranteed a good read, this is book 22, and all but 2 have been highly rated.<br /><br />Once again Ben Hope delivers bucket loads of thrills, a little bit of history all set in the remote beautiful Scottish Highlands. A captivating story with intriguing characters, as usual loads of blood and gore. Action packed, pretty much all the way through. The combination of short and long chapters, helps to keep the pace and bullet speed, and means it is difficult to put down. Looking forward to seeing where Ben goes with his relationship. Is it finally time for a bit of happiness?<br /><br />If I am being picky the climax of the book was so intense, it felt as if the book slammed the brakes on. Personally, it needed an epilogue, to wind down and wrap up a couple of loose ends.<br />

Excellent, one of my favourite Ben Hope books.

This is definitely one of the best and best written Ben Hope books I've read and I've read them all this point.<br />Ben is given a very touch decision when is coerced into hunting down a former colleague by a secret society (think something akin to a Hellfire club), the tables are turned, new friendships are formed and the book is fast paced, getting even intense towards the end. <br />The body count is higher than usual, but it's all written in well.<br /><br />My only criticism is that, with the intensity of the climax, the ending is quite sudden, a little wind-down or epilogue would have fitted in, especially with the one or two loose ends that are left open.

Ben Hope at his inventive best, violence and revenge as he is forced to act against his will. Narrative never lets up the pace.

The Demon Club is book #22 of the <b>action adventure series</b> which star Ex-SAS officer <b>Ben Hope.</b><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1624201918ra/31520776.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Although I am a fan of the Ben Hope series in general, this book didn’t grip me like others that I have read. The subject matter of human sacrifice was rather dark for me, but it was the action around it which just felt a bit same as- same as and predictable. Even the grand finale didn’t really hold any great surprises and was all a little too convenient for me. <b>Mariani can write better than this!</b><br>

Ahhhh....there is nothing like returning to an old friend and loving every minute of it. Ben Hope is in my top five favorite characters. Always. <br /><br />Demon Club is INTENSE. Fast-paced, and Jeff and Tuesday are integral to the plot! Here's hoping Jaden Wolf appears in future books (hint, hint, Mr. Mariani).<br /><br />Mr. Mariani writes great characters, great plots, and the action just never stops. I can only say I am so blessed to have found his books several years ago and have had the privilege to read all 22 of them. Viva Ben Hope!

I read this on Audible and absolutely loved it. I’ve read the whole series and as always can’t wait for the next one. I love the humour between the characters and the loyalty to each other. Thought provoking at times, these guys are trained killers but Jayden notes that there’s still hope for him. I just loved the dynamics between Ben and Jayden and Jeff and Tuesday. Scott Mariani is fabulous at drawing characters so we feel like we know them. There’s nothing better than a good old battle between good and evil and this definitely fits the bill.

Without doubt, Ben is my favourite action hero and he is in fine form in The Demon Club, which is one of the very best of this fantastic series. I've read these books for years and they never disappoint. When Ben finds evil at the very heart of the British establishment, he will stop at nothing to bring it down. Full of action, tense, thrilling and extremely well-written, I hung on to every word. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.

this is another book that i realised was part of a series only after getting into it, but it didn't seem to matter. it makes sense that it's part of a series, as on it's own there's nothing really very unique about it.<br /><br />regardless, i really liked it. i do find ben hope as a protagonist very boring, he seems to have little to no charisma, nor anything particularly interesting about his character besides being cool and badass. most of the time his dialogue is just the set up for someone else's one-liner. but thankfully, the one-liners save him, so he wasn't super unbearable.<br /><br />i love jaden wolf, probably more than hope. he's funny, witty and yet also kind of dorky, as well as being a genius killing-machine also, of course. mariani keeps the tone light, even when things seem hopeless (ha-ha), through wolf. it made me disheartened to see that wolf is not in any of the previous ben hope books in the series, as i wonder what the mood is like without him.<br /><br />like i said, there's not a lot that's unique about it, and that refers to the story. it's a little cliche and predictable, but you sort of go into it knowing what to expect and in that sense it doesn't let you down. where mariani's writing really shines is through the interactions between characters. jeff and tuesday are a great comedic duo, despite the severity of the situation they get themselves into, and ben and wolf's back and forth is super fun.<br /><br />it's only because i found ben hope boring and the plot too predictable at times that i don't give it 5 stars, as it definitely was fun. i'll have to look into some other books in the series, just to see if i can take it without wolf's cute quips there to console me.