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  • The Sacred Sword

  • Ben Hope, Book 7
  • By: Scott Mariani
  • Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
  • Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (309 ratings)
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The Sacred Sword cover art

The Sacred Sword

By: Scott Mariani
Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
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Summary

In the seventh best-selling Ben Hope conspiracy thriller, the action shoots back in time to the days of Jesus Christ, where a buried secret has staggering implications for the world as we know it…. 

Returning to the UK to try to sort out his stormy personal life, Ben runs into two old friends. Simeon and Michaela were once his fellow students at Oxford; now they are the Reverend and Mrs Arundel. Ben senses that Simeon is deeply troubled and frightened, but before the truth can emerge about his secretive research project concerning a mysterious, ancient "sacred sword", both he and Michaela are wiped out in a devastating road crash. 

Convinced that his friends’ deaths were no accident, Ben is propelled on a global quest from the UK to France, the Holy Land, and America to unlock the enigma of the sacred sword. At every step, he is pursued by ruthless agents of the sinister organisation that will stop at nothing to acquire it. In the course of his investigations, Ben will discover an incredible secret, not just about the history of Christianity but about his own past.

©2012 Scott Mariani (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"Deadly conspiracies, bone-crunching action and a tormented hero with a heart...Scott Mariani packs a real punch." (Andy McDermott, best-selling author of Empire of Gold)

"James Bond meets Jason Bourne meets The Da Vinci Code." (J. L. Carrell, best-selling author of The Shakespeare Secret)

"Full of authentic detail and heart-stopping action - a real thrill ride." (Ed Macy, author of the best-selling Apache)

What listeners say about The Sacred Sword

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • AB
  • 02-02-19

The Sacred Sword..

Another globetrotting action adventure with Ben Hope. This time hes present when some old friends are killed in a car accident. It soon becomes apparent that they were murdered, and Ben soon finds himself on the hunt for a secret that his friend has helped keep hidden, and one that a secret organisation are hellbent on getting their hands on. Some interesting twists to the developing back story too.
I'm really enjoying the Ben Hope series, and can't wait for the next instalment.
Good narration from Jack Hawkins.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good story narrator very mono tone

I found the sacred sword quite intriguing and gripping in places however I found the narrator hard to follow and found myself having to rewind a number of times

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

great action scenes

If you could sum up The Sacred Sword in three words, what would they be?

fast action packed

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sacred Sword?

i think it was the last chapter when ben hope finally kills the bad guy

What three words best describe Jack Hawkins’s voice?

ok but a little easy to drift off and lose concetration

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

I've liked Scott Mariani and have loved following the adventures of our hero Ben Hope since I found The Alchemist's Secret in a local bookshop in 2009 (I think)! A really good read. Cannot wait for more...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good book but...

The narrator - stick with Colin Mace! The narrator is understandable enough but for me it sounds like a teenage boy. He's a good narrator alright but not a good fit for this kind of book, especially given the fact that Colin Mace narrated all the books up till now.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great from start to finish

Really well written and well read. Gripping and fast paced with a dash of humour. Perfect holiday listening

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An entertaining read

Very well thought out with a surprising twist mid way through.
Would make an excellent movie.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Ben Hope returns on another ripping tale

I've got used to Colin Mace as Ben Hope's narrator so the change in this reading was a little disconcerting. No matter it's still a good book although Ben's formerly gruff voice is now a little too polished.
I liked the story although Wes Holland's hidey hole was far too obvious right from the start of the book. Much less of an aha moment and more of a 'I told you so'.
I think this needed a final chapter or am epilogue to tie up some loose ends or for Ben to reconnect with people close to him. Maybe that happens at the start of book 8, which will be next up.
Hopefully future plots will be less obvious as this one was too easy to foretell throughout... Maybe I've just read too much of Mariani's Ben Hope series.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another gripping tale of Ben Hope

Mariani yet again blends historical intrigue with an up to the minute action plot and well developed characters. Another great listen.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Cracking good yard

Another thoroughly enjoyable boys own adventure. On with the next one. Dog walking always enlivened by Major Hope!

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1 person found this helpful