Ben Abbott Books In Order

Publication Order of Ben Abbott Mysteries Books

Ben Abbot is a series of detective novels written by Justin Scott, an American Author.

+The Story

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that the Ben Abbot Mystery series is about a character called Ben Abbot. The financial expert takes the lead in Justin Scott’s novels. A real estate agent by trade, Ben is continuously thrown into situations that force him to don a detective hat and take on the nefarious elements of his home in Newbury, Connecticut.

It isn’t uncommon for detective novels to throw untrained individuals into the role of detective and have them solve cases that might have eluded even the abilities of local law enforcement agents.

In the case of the Ben Abbot series, the protagonist’s role as a real estate agent is as distant from the ideal of a detective as any other profession. As such, Ben is truly stepping out of his comfort zone every time he investigates a crime, and that adds a something new to this detective series.

Ben, it should be noted, isn’t so completely clueless when it comes to matters of law enforcement. Justin introduces Ben to readers following his departure from prison. In a previous life, Ben was a financial professional who fell afoul of securities laws and went to prison for his actions.

When he goes home to Connecticut, life is hardly ideal for Ben, who must now work for his father’s real estate firm to make ends meet. Ben’s love life is even more complicated, what with the position of his politically ambitious girlfriend.

In certain circles, Ben, as a felon, tends to attract disdain, and that only makes his efforts as an investigator difficult, especially when it comes to working with law enforcement. Because Ben’s mother comes from the wrong side of the tracks, the real estate agent can hardly shake the scurrilous family members that find it necessary to invade his space.

Luckily for Ben, the opportunities availed him to play the role of a private detective add some meaning to his life and give him purpose, though he isn’t always prepared for the situations that come his way and the individuals that seek his help.

Even with his past, Ben is a sympathetic hero. You feel for his struggles in his new home. You also appreciate the standards of integrity he now adheres to.

Most readers have commended Justin for his strong prose, the sense of place which he creates and the odd characters that permeate his stories. There is no real originality in this books but Justin can be trusted to reliably entertain.

+The Author

Justin Scott is an American Author that was born in Manhattan, New York. Justin has written novels under names like J.S. Blazer and Paul Garrison. As Justin Scott, he is best known for the Ben Abbot series.

Justin has collaborated with Clive Cussler to write the Isaac Bell series.

+Hardscape

There is a little bit of disgrace to Ben Abbot when he goes home to Connecticut. That is more or less what he expected after completing his sentence at Leavenworth. With his sins as a wall street trader behind him, Ben begins forging a way forward by working as a Private Investigator.

He starts off spying on a cheating wife. Then the case evolves into murder.

The first book in the Ben Abbot series came out in 1994. The mystery thriller series follows a real estate agent with a difficult past. Ben Abbot wants to forget about his trading days.

Working for his father’s company is the only viable option available to him. Ben tries to do his new job the best way possible; only to be solicited to play Private Detective. It all begins with a videotape that Ben eventually destroys when he meets the unfaithful wife a rich weekender hired him to investigate.

And, having fallen for her, he quickly rushes to her aid when her lover dies and she is suspected of the crime. Fans of the mystery genre won’t be particularly impressed by the mystery in this book.

In fact, the killer is a little obvious even before the novel starts winding down. However, that doesn’t actually make the book boring as some people might suspect. Naturally, Justin Scott drags things along for a few more pages, but he makes the journey entertaining.

The subplots, in particular, keep the book interesting. Ben has some disreputable cousins who complicate his life and investigation. The biggest strength of this book is Ben Abbot himself.

He is such a likable hero. Clearly, he has a magnetic charm because the women all seem to love him, and he has no problem stringing so many of them along. However, he is still sympathetic, trying to make the best of his strange situation.

Justin Scott does a great job of painting a vivid picture of Connecticut, creating a strong sense of place. Readers won’t be left scratching their heads about this mystery, but they will enjoy every step that Ben takes to reveal the truth.

+Stonedust

Reg Hopkins’ body is discovered following a sleepover of sorts called The Frisk’s Weekend party. Reg died an impossible death, and it looks like he probably spent some time at the Frisk party.

Ben knew Reg. They used to play backyard baseball together. In fact, he knows all the guests at the party. He tries to unravel the mystery of Reg’s death in the midst of a whole host of drama and comedic occurrences.

The first sequel in the Ben Abbot series finds Ben Abbot working to solve another murder. When his friend dies, Ben’s investigation begins to unearth secrets that could ruin the lives of his friends and family.

Ben has a conundrum. He wants to get justice for Reg, but he doesn’t know if the cost of that justice is worth it. There are a few confusing threads that run through the book and which Justin Scott partially succeeds at bringing together and closing.

This isn’t the best sequel in the world. It definitely doesn’t live up to the expectations of its predecessor. However, Ben Abbot is still interesting enough of a protagonist to make the book mildly entertaining.