With Harrison Ford back as Indiana Jones, the time is certainly right for Oxford-educated author Scott Mariani.

Mariani, 39, who studied modern languages at Christ Church back in the 1980s, has created a series of mystery/history thrillers that is starting to gather an international following.

In the books - Mariani is planning four - Ben Hope, who specialises in rescuing kidnap victims, embarks on an intriguing quest.

Instead of tracing a missing person, Hope is asked to find a missing manuscript, created by the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli, in a bid to save the life of a dying child.

It sounds a little bit far-fetched, but Mariani does a great job of balancing the historical stuff with the basic plot to keep the pages turning.

Readers seem to appreciate his efforts, and the paperback featured highly in the Heatseekers chart of industry bible Bookseller last month.

The Mozart Conspiracy, the second Ben Hope adventure, is out this summer, and quite a few foreign publishers have told HarperCollins they are interested.

"The publishers have told me that they see Ben Hope as an action hero in the style of Jason Bourne or James Bond," Mariani told The Guide, from his secluded home in West Wales.

"There is a globetrotting quality to the books which means I have to research the locations quite carefully, but Ben also has an intellectual side because he started out as a theology student in Oxford.

"He is highly educated and has an interesting back story.

"He has never found true happiness in his own life and tries to deal with this by helping others.

"In many ways he is quite a tortured, unhappy character and he can overdo it with the whisky if he's not careful."

Scott and his partner Gael met at Kellogg College in Oxford while the author was completing a film studies course, and the couple liked the area so much they keep a holiday home near Witney.

But the tranquillity of West Wales is perfect, Scott says, for losing himself in Ben Hope's adventures.

The Alchemist's Secret starts in Oxford with Hope meeting up with his old tutor and the city will also feature as a location in the second story, with a chase scene in St Clement's and the High Street.

In the third book, Hope heads for Savannah, Georgia, in the United States, which means a research trip for the author.

"It's every writer's dream to have a character you can see developing across a series of books and the feedback I'm getting from readers is very positive," says Mariani.

"I had an email from a reader the other day in Italy inviting me for lunch and it's nice to know your work is appreciated."

The Alchemist's Secret by Scott Mariani is published by HarperCollins.