In Scott Mariani's THE FULCANELLI MANUSCRIPT, Benedict Hope was an elite soldier before his troubles forced him to quit the army. Now he's using his skills to rescue kidnapped children. But when Ben is approached by a millionaire businessman to trace an ancient lost manuscript whose secret could save a dying girl, he finds himself embarking on the strangest mission of his life.

With fiendish codes to crack and dangerous enemies in hot pursuit, Ben teams up with Roberta Ryder, a beautiful scientist. The trail leads them from Paris to the ancient Cathar strongholds of the Languedoc. There lies an astonishing secret that has been hidden through the ages.

A heady cocktail of history, mystery and culture make The Fulcanelli Manuscript a roller-coaster ride.

Scott Mariani was born in St Andrews, Scotland, of mixed Irish, American and Egyptian descent. Having lived in various countries over the years he finally found his writer's haven in a country house in the wilds of west Wales.

Scott read Modern Languages at Christ Church, Oxford and later took a Diploma in Film Studies. He has worked as a translator, a professional musician with a touring Irish band, a pistol shooting instructor and a freelance journalist. He has written several non-fiction books over the years, but always wanted to write thrillers. He draws inspiration from film as much as literature, influenced among others by Hitchcock, Tony Scott and Dario Argento.

Scott's interests include travelling - nearly getting lost in a Saharan sandstorm being the most interesting' experience of all - as well as astronomy, wine, jazz, archery, golf and American motorcycles.

His debut thriller, The Fulcanelli Manuscript, is out in March 2007 with Robert Hale.