HOUSE OF WAR
Scott Mariani
Published by AVON
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2019
Copyright © Scott Mariani 2019
Cover design by Henry Steadman © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Cover photographs: Human-headed winged bulls guarding a door in Dur-Sharrukin © Poulpy; Figure © Henry Steadman
Scott Mariani asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008235987
Ebook Edition © October 2019 ISBN: 9780008235994
Version: 2020-03-09
Discover the series you can’t put down …
‘If you like your conspiracies twisty, your action bone-jarring, and your heroes impossibly dashing, then look no farther – the Ben Hope series is exactly what you need’
Mark Dawson
‘Deadly conspiracies, bone-crunching action and a tormented hero with a heart … Scott Mariani packs a real punch’
Andy McDermott
‘James Bond meets Jason Bourne meets The Da Vinci Code’
J. L. Carrell
‘Non-stop action – this book delivers’
Steve Berry
‘Full of authentic detail and heart-stopping action – a real thrill ride’
Ed Macy
‘Scott Mariani is an awesome writer’
Chris Kuzneski
‘Packed with dark intrigue, danger around every corner, bullets flying, sexual tension, and an endless assault of nasty villains … everything a thriller should be and more’
Joe Moore
‘If you’ve got a pulse, you’ll love Scott Mariani; if you haven’t, then maybe you crossed Ben Hope’
Simon Toyne
‘The action comes thick and fast and is choreographed with Mariani’s trademark skill and authenticity. The modern master of mayhem’
Shots Magazine
‘Fans of Dan Brown will love this’
Closer
‘Edge-of-the-seat excitement … I am hooked on this series’
5* Reader Review
‘Gripping adventure, superbly written’
5* Reader Review
‘Cinematic style, fast pace and, above all, fabulous characters’
5* Reader Review
Contents
Copyright
Discover the series you can’t put down …
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter