Scott Mariani's "The Mozart Conspiracy"

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Scott Mariani grew up in St. Andrews, Scotland. He studied Modern Languages at Oxford and went on to work as a translator, a professional musician, a pistol shooting instructor and a freelance journalist before becoming a full-time writer. After spending several years in Italy and France, Mariani discovered his secluded writer's haven in the wilds of west Wales, an 1830s country house complete with rambling woodland and a secret passage. When he isn't writing, Mariani enjoys jazz, movies, classic motorcycles and astronomy.

Here he shares some suggestions for casting an adaptation of his new novel, The Mozart Conspiracy;

Especially now that my Ben Hope series has been optioned for film, lots of readers ask me who I see playing the lead role and come up with their own suggestions, ranging from Clive Owen to Jason Statham. I don’t have any particular actor in mind while writing Ben, although I can think of a few with the right qualities – it would have to be someone with the depth to bring out Ben’s more vulnerable and sensitive side, while maintaining his toughness and strength. Paul Bettany could do it very well, so could Ewan McGregor. Among the US talent, Leo DiCaprio would make an excellent Ben Hope, and I also like the idea of Timothy Olyphant in the role.

As for the character of Leigh Llewellyn, international opera star and Ben’s first true love, my vision of her has always been clear: she’s beautiful, she’s a singer, she’s Welsh... she’s Catherine Zeta-Jones.

If I was casting freely for the parts of the other characters in the book, I’d pick Jude Law for the part of Ben’s deceased buddy, Leigh’s brother, Oliver Llewellyn. The rest of my dream cast would include:

The gruff, wily former East German detective Markus Kinski: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Kinski’s young daughter, Clara: Dakota Fanning, as she appeared in War of the Worlds

Arch-villain Werner Kroll: Patrick Stewart

The scatty but brilliant Professor Arno: Max Von Sydow

Kroll’s entrapped mistress, the mysterious femme fatale Eve: Radha Mitchell

Kroll’s vicious, sadistic henchman: top choice would be a muscly version of Gary Busey, as he appeared in Under Siege – you can’t beat that wicked, sick leer he does!

Learn more about the book and author at the official The Mozart Conspiracy website.

The Page 69 Test: The Mozart Conspiracy.

--Marshal Zeringue