The Hope Vendetta

British author Mariani’s third thriller featuring ex-SAS operative Ben Hope, the second to be published in the U.S. after 2011’s The Mozart Conspiracy, offers plenty of religious intrigue but comes off mostly as a confusing kill fest. Hope, who’s been contemplating suicide, decides instead to study theology at Oxford, where he winds up agreeing to help one of his professors, Tom Bradbury, locate the professor’s missing 26-year-old archeologist daughter, Zoë. The trail to party girl Zoë, who was involved in some sort of religious artifact find, leads Ben to ambitious televangelist Clayton Cleaver, who claims that John the Apostle has spoken to him about the upcoming End Times. The predictable plot wanders back and forth from one predictable character to another while Hope shoots his way through a cabal of bad guys. One of Mariani’s lesser efforts, this will appeal mainly to series fans who can’t get enough of Ben Hope. Agent: Noah Lukeman, Lukeman Literary. (Mar.)