The Best Things In Life Are Free … Books

Consider us well and truly rocked, Amadeus. The good folk at AVON, out of HarperCollins, are this week’s generous souls offering you – yes, YOU! – free books, the tome in question being THE MOZART CONSPIRACY, Scott Mariani’s follow-up to THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET. First, the blurb elves:

Former SAS operative Ben Hope is running for his life. Enlisted by beautiful Welsh opera star Leigh Llewellyn to investigate her brother’s mysterious death, Ben finds himself caught up in a centuries-old puzzle. The official line states that Oliver died in an accident whilst investigating Mozart’s death, but the facts don’t add up. Oliver’s research reveals that Mozart, a notable freemason, may have been killed by a shadowy and powerful splinter group of the cult. The only clues lie in an ancient letter, believed to have been written by Mozart himself. When Leigh and Ben receive video evidence of a ritual sacrifice being performed by hooded men, they realise that the sect is still in existence today…and will stop at nothing to remain a secret. Whilst researching this novel, Scott Mariani became increasingly convinced that political forces could potentially have been involved in Mozart’s death. This stunning new theory makes THE MOZART CONSPIRACY as controversial and provocative as THE DA VINCI CODE …

Lovely. To be in with a chance of winning a copy of THE MOZART CONSPIRACY, just answer the following question.

Is Scott Mariani:
(a) a great Scott?
(b) a great Scot?
(c) the next Dan Brown?
(d) the man who finally put the ‘art’ into Mozart?
(e) all of the above.

Answers via the comment box, please, leaving a contact email address (using ‘at’ rather than @ to confound the spam-munchkins) before noon on Tuesday, August 5. Et bon chance, mes amis …

And For His Next Trick …

Great Scott, etc. Formerly known as THE FULCANELLI MANUSCRIPT, Scott Mariani’s (right) thriller has been magically transformed into THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET for its paperback incarnation. Quoth the blurb elves:

Where there’s Hope there’s trouble! Ben Hope lives on the edge. A former elite member of the SAS, Ben is tortured by a tragedy from his past and now devotes his life to finding kidnapped children. But when Ben is recruited to locate an ancient manuscript which could save a dying child, he embarks on the deadliest quest of his life. The document is alleged to contain the formula for the elixir of life, discovered by the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli decades before. But it soon becomes apparent that others are hunting this most precious of treasures – for far more evil ends. When the secrets of alchemy hidden within the pages remain impenetrable, Ben teams up with beautiful American scientist Dr Roberta Ryder to crack the code. It seems that everyone – from the Nazis during WW2 and powerful Catholic organisation Gladius Domini – wants to unearth the secrets of immortality. The trail leads Ben and Roberta from Paris to the ancient Cathar strongholds of the Languedoc, where an astonishing secret has lain hidden for centuries …

Yes, yes, but is it any good?

‘Scott Mariani brings it all to the table in this fast-paced thriller that rockets off the first page and never slows down. THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET is packed with dark intrigue, danger around every corner, bullets flying, sexual tension, and an endless assault of nasty villains bent on stopping ex-SAS Ben Hope from finding the secret to an ancient manuscript. It’s everything a thriller should be and more.’ – Joe Moore, international bestselling co-author of THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY

‘THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET establishes Scott Mariani as an author to watch.’ – M.J. Rose, international bestselling author of THE VENUS FIX, THE HALO EFFECT and THE REINCARNATIONIST

‘What a ride! THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET is a non-stop thrill … Scott Mariani is surely the UK’s answer to Steve Berry.’ - Elaine Flinn, author of TAGGED FOR MURDER (Barry Award)

‘An amazing book, by an amazing author. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished the last line.’ - Peter Brendt, author of THE HUNT FOR THE HOLY GRAIL

‘Fans of mystery thrillers like THE DA VINCI CODE will find THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET an even more breathless and exciting read.’ – In Focus Magazine

‘THE ALCHEMIST’S SECRET is a gripping, fast-moving mystery thriller that has been described as ‘like THE DA VINCI CODE, only better’. Filled with suspense, fascinating historical intrigue, endless twists and turns, vivid characters and stunning locations, this is a book everyone agrees is hard to put down. As well as a thriller roller-coaster ride, it is a highly literate and intelligent novel. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to readers.’ – Waterstone’s Bookseller

So there you have it – Scott Mariani and the worst-kept SECRET in town. Ain’t magic wonderful?