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The Serpent Club
by Tom CoffeyTom Coffey delivers a gut-wrenching debut, a sensational thriller that could be torn from today's headlines. Plunging deep into the morality of a city renowned for sin -- Los Angeles -- this edgy, piercing novel will carve its way into your psyche. Her name is Megan Wright. Pretty. Thirteen. Nice house. Private school. When she is raped and murdered, it's a story, and Ted Lowe is the one to report it. He's been a reporter for many years, but this is the first time he actually sees a body. Megan was indeed pretty. The crime scene is anything but. As Ted smoothly uncovers the facts surrounding Megan's death, he finds that the glittery facade of her perfect life was just that -- a thin veneer easily wiped away with the answers to a few well-placed questions. The suspects slowly accumulate: the cold-as-ice mother, the deadbeat surfer father, the friends, the boyfriend who happens to be the son of one of the richest men in California. It could be any one of them. For any reason. As the spun-out decay of an entire city closes in around Ted, he realizes there are people who do not want this case solved. And if the life of a thirteen-year-old girl was worth taking, so is the life of a reporter who has seen too much.
The Serpent Papers (The Serpent Papers Trilogy)
by Jessica Cornwell**Ebook edition featuring exclusive extra reading material** Barcelona, Summer 2003.Three women are sacrificed to an unknown purpose, skin carved with a cryptic alphabet, tongues cut from their mouths. Sent beautiful, sinister letters - clues, or confessions? - Inspector Fabregat cannot decipher the warnings within. As Barcelona explodes in revelry on the Festival of St Joan, Natalia Hernandez, flower of the National Theatre and Catalan idol, lies broken on the steps of the Cathedral. The city bays for blood, Fabregat chases a shadow-like suspect and signs that whisper of secrets beyond his grasp. Barcelona, Winter 2014.Anna Verco - academic, book thief, savant - unearths letters hidden for centuries from a lightning-struck chapel in Mallorca. What they reveal compels her and Fabregat to reignite the Hernandez investigation. Every page she turns conceals a coded message; every street she treads leads her deeper into the labyrinth. As Fabregat baits her with suspects, and threats darken her steps, Anna hunts her own prey - the book that began it all, a medieval revelation written in the language of witches and alchemists: The Serpent Papers. Anna believes this book will unlock the mystery.She does not yet know she is the key.
The Serpent Pool: A Lake District Mystery (Lake District Mysteries #4)
by Martin Edwards"An unusual and challenging puzzle mystery that will keep [you] guessing until the final pages. Wow!" —Library Journal STARRED reviewSeven years ago, Bethany Friend was found drowned in mere inches of water in the lonely Serpent Pool in England's Lake District. Was it suicide or murder? Now, determined to win justice for Bethany's dying mother, DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Cold Case Squad re-opens the case.But Hannah has problems of her own: a new sergeant with a reputation for causing trouble, a new house close to the Serpent Pool, and new cause to doubt her partner, second-hand bookseller Marc Amos. Worried by dwindling finances and the horrific death of one of his best customers, Marc finds himself drawn to the lovely and enigmatic Cassie Weston, who works in his shop.Then Hannah meets Louise Kind, sister of historian Daniel Kind. Louise has been living with book collector and lawyer Stuart Wagg, and has just confessed to her brother that she struck Wagg with a knife. Searching for the supposed victim, Hannah and Daniel—who is writing a book about the brilliant but opium-addicted 19th-century English writer Thomas De Quincey—encounter dark secrets and strange obsessions that oddly echo De Quincey's drug-fueled writings.
The Serpent Society (Marvel Avengers)
by Pat ShandWhen the Avengers assemble to defeat a horrible monster that appears in the skies over Brooklyn, they quickly learn that the creature was seemingly drawn there by a young woman with the ability to open portals to other realms. The mysterious woman escapes, but Tony Stark and the team track her down, only to find she is one of a team of unknown, super-powered individuals . . . who are decidedly not interested in answering the Avengers' questions. As the battle rages, it becomes clear these young villains are not the ones controlling their powers; but if they are not the villains, then who is? Earth's Mightiest Heroes soon discover that the puppet masters are the newly reorganized Serpent Society, headed by Black Mamba. The Society are using this new team to bring down all who stand in the way of their most nefarious plot to date, and if the Avengers can't protect their own and defeat this new threat, the Serpent Society will reign victorious. Avengers: The Serpent Society, written by veteran comic book and fantasy writer Pat Shand, will take the iconic team of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye on a heart-pounding adventure to protect not just the Earth but the very fabric of reality.
The Serpent and the Scorpion
by Clare Langley-HawthorneA gripping mystery of scandal and intrigue starring a spirited and beautiful Edwardian heiress It's the end of 1911 and Ursula Marlow, struggling to maintain control over her father's textile empire, finds her business trip to Egypt interrupted by two violent deaths. The first victim is her new friend, Katya?the mysterious wife of a wealthy Russian financier. Then when a young woman dies in a fire in one of Ursula's factories just days later, she returns to investigate and discovers the woman was already dead before the fire started. Driven by her need for justice, the headstrong Ursula is determined to unravel the possible connection between the two deaths, the return of her Bolshevik ex-lover, and disturbing events in the Middle East. "The Serpent and the Scorpion" is a tale of romance, betrayal, and murder that will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Peters, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Jacqueline Winspear.
The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose #4)
by Charlaine Harris#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her &“gripping, twisty&” (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her) alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.Felicia, Lizbeth Rose&’s half-sister and a student at the Grigori Rasputin school in San Diego—capital of the Holy Russian Empire—is caught between her own secrets and powerful family struggles. As a granddaughter of Rasputin, she provides an essential service to the hemophiliac Tsar Alexei, providing him the blood transfusions that keep him alive. Felicia is treated like nonentity at the bedside of the tsar, and at the school she&’s seen as a charity case with no magical ability. But when Felicia is snatched outside the school, the facts of her heritage begin to surface. Felicia turns out to be far more than the Russian Mexican Lizbeth rescued. As Felicia&’s history unravels and her true abilities become known, she becomes under attack from all directions. Only her courage will keep her alive.
The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose)
by Charlaine Harris'Immersive, involving, suspenseful, and intriguing, with a main character you'll love' LEE CHILDNo.1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.Felicia, Lizbeth Rose's younger half-sister and student at the Grigori school within the capital of the New Holy Russian Empire in San Diego, is caught between secrets and powerful family struggles. As a distant relative to the Tsar, she provides an essential service to him by providing blood transfusions for his hemophilia, and she is thus given rare access and dismissed as if cattle. At the Grigori school she is seen as a charity case, a poor orphan with no prospects and no sign of magical prowess-the latter which Felicia keeps purposefully hidden. And yet, when a kidnapping attempt is made upon Felicia her past and her future crash together in violent ways.Continuing immediately after The Russian Cage, this fantastical fourth book takes a side step, exploring the Holy Russian Empire while also showcasing the dynamic depths of magic within Harris's alternate North America in curious mysteries. Felicia, it turns out, is far more than the Russian-Mexican waif Lizbeth rescued, and the journey of discovery she is on is filled with magical assassins and desperation, but above it all is her courage to never give in to the limitations imposed upon her.Love The Walking Dead, Westworld or True Blood? You will ADORE this gritty and wildly entertaining tale, set in a parallel reality of the United States where magic is an outlawed power.__________Praise for Charlaine Harris'A gripping, twisty-turny, thrill-ride of a read' Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author'Harris has a remarkable talent for world building' Booklist'Will leave readers enthralled. [A] fascinating setting and a heroine who's sure to be a new fan favourite' Publishers Weekly (starred review)'A master of her craft . . . dazzling' Seanan McGuire, NYT Bestselling author'A gritty, action-filled story with a touch of magic' Anne Bishop
The Serpent in Heaven (Gunnie Rose)
by Charlaine Harris'Immersive, involving, suspenseful, and intriguing, with a main character you'll love' LEE CHILDNo.1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.Felicia, Lizbeth Rose's younger half-sister and student at the Grigori school within the capital of the New Holy Russian Empire in San Diego, is caught between secrets and powerful family struggles. As a distant relative to the Tsar, she provides an essential service to him by providing blood transfusions for his hemophilia, and she is thus given rare access and dismissed as if cattle. At the Grigori school she is seen as a charity case, a poor orphan with no prospects and no sign of magical prowess-the latter which Felicia keeps purposefully hidden. And yet, when a kidnapping attempt is made upon Felicia her past and her future crash together in violent ways.Continuing immediately after The Russian Cage, this fantastical fourth book takes a side step, exploring the Holy Russian Empire while also showcasing the dynamic depths of magic within Harris's alternate North America in curious mysteries. Felicia, it turns out, is far more than the Russian-Mexican waif Lizbeth rescued, and the journey of discovery she is on is filled with magical assassins and desperation, but above it all is her courage to never give in to the limitations imposed upon her.Love The Walking Dead, Westworld or True Blood? You will ADORE this gritty and wildly entertaining tale, set in a parallel reality of the United States where magic is an outlawed power.__________Praise for Charlaine Harris'A gripping, twisty-turny, thrill-ride of a read' Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author'Harris has a remarkable talent for world building' Booklist'Will leave readers enthralled. [A] fascinating setting and a heroine who's sure to be a new fan favourite' Publishers Weekly (starred review)'A master of her craft . . . dazzling' Seanan McGuire, NYT Bestselling author'A gritty, action-filled story with a touch of magic' Anne Bishop
The Serpent of Venice: A Novel
by Christopher MooreVenice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy from the Queen of Britain: the rascal-Fool Pocket.This trio of cunning plotters--the merchant, Antonio; the senator, Montressor Brabantio; and the naval officer, Iago--have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising an evening of sprits and debauchery with a rare Amontillado sherry and Brabantio's beautiful daughter, Portia.But their invitation is, of course, bogus. The wine is drugged. The girl isn't even in the city limits. Desperate to rid themselves once and for all of the man who has consistently foiled their grand quest for power and wealth, they have lured him to his death. (How can such a small man, be such a huge obstacle?). But this Fool is no fool . . . and he's got more than a few tricks (and hand gestures) up his sleeve.Greed, revenge, deception, lust, and a giant (but lovable) sea monster combine to create another hilarious and bawdy tale from modern comic genius, Christopher Moore.
The Serpent on the Crown (Amelia Peabody #17)
by Elizabeth PetersAutumn 1921. The Peabody-Emerson clan are enjoying a fruitful period of excavation in Egypt. But when they hear the alarming tale of a man's mysterious death their digging turns to detecting. His widow is convinced her husband was the victim of a curse and implores the Emersons to find and return the small 'deadly' statue that killed him to the tomb from which it was stolen -- before it claims another life. From bitter experience the Emersons know it would be a serious mistake to start chasing tomb robbers. But Amelia and family soon start to find the curse may be more real than ever imagined...
The Serpent on the Crown (Amelia Peabody Series #17)
by Elizabeth PetersThe Emersons are given a valuable statue because its owner believes it is cursed. Can Amelia uncover the truth about the statue's origin?
The Serpent's Bite
by Warren AdlerIn an attempt to reconnect with his two alienated adult children, George Temple replicates the memorable horse trek through the forbidding Yellowstone wilderness they had enjoyed twenty years earlier. But his callous children, Courtney and Scott, accompany him only to persuade him to restore the financial support he has withdrawn. As they are led by a drunken guide and a venal horse wrangler over potentially lethal terrain, their bonding experience quickly disintegrates.Nostalgia is corrupted into a nightmare of lust, betrayal, and entrapment as the children's disturbing motives are revealed and dark family secrets are exposed. Courtney's appetite for selfish and violent pursuits establishes her as one of the most evil women in fiction, alongside the likes of Lady Macbeth. Through her, Warren Adler explores how an obsession for celebrity and blind ambition can distort familial love and turn a beloved child into a grotesque monster. As he did in the iconic The War of the Roses, Adler paints a frightening picture of the American family, only more sinister.
The Serpent's Daughter
by Suzanne ArrudaEmbark on a "rollicking tale of adventure and suspense"(Library Journal) through 1920s Morocco-third in the acclaimed series, now in paperback. Joining her mother for a holiday in the ancient port city of Tangier, American adventuress Jade del Cameron expects their trip will be far less dangerous than her safaris in East Africa. But soon after their introduction to a group of European tourists, Doña del Cameron goes missing-victim of an apparent kidnapping-and, shockingly, the French authorities seek to arrest Jade for the murder of a man whose body she discovered in a series of ancient tunnels. Now, Jade must call upon her friends to help find her mother and expose the true villains, who have every intention of bringing about her own destruction.
The Serpent's Daughter: Number 3 in series (Jade del Cameron #3)
by Suzanne ArrudaJade travels to the ancient port city of Tangier in Morocco to meet with her mother, Inez - but the reunion is cut short when Inez is kidnapped and her guide murdered. Join Jade as she traverses haunted underground tunnels, dangerous souks, and the wild and majestic Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
The Serpent's Mark
by Robert L. DuncanIn Las Vegas a serial killer is on the loose. Bodies have been found, crosses cut into the palms of their left hands and outlined with orange lipstick. The killer known as "D", is obsessed with ex-Detective Peter Stein - who must try and unmask the killer
The Serpent's Mark: Perfect For Fans Of Rory Clements And S G Maclean (The Jackdaw Mysteries #2)
by S. W. PerryLondon, 1591: Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy, returns to his old haunts on London's lawless Bankside. But, when spymaster Robert Cecil asks him to investigate the dubious practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland, Nicholas is soon embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens not just the life of an innocent young patient, but the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth herself. With fellow healer and mistress of the Jackdaw tavern, Bianca Merton, again at his side, Nicholas is drawn into a sinister world of zealots, charlatans, and dangerous fanatics.
The Serpent's Tale (Mistress Of The Art Of Death Ser.)
by Ariana FranklinThe follow-up to Mistress of the Art of Death- in the national bestselling series hailed as "the medieval answer to Kay Scarpetta and the CSI detectives." When King Henry II's mistress is found poisoned, suspicion falls on his estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. The king orders Adelia Aguilar, expert in the science of death, to investigate-and hopefully stave off civil war. A reluctant Adelia finds herself once again in the company of Rowley Picot, the new Bishop of St. Albans...and her baby's father. Their discoveries into the crime are shocking- and omens of greater danger to come.
The Serpent's Tooth Mystery (Hardy Boys Mystery Stories #93)
by Franklin W. DixonAll the clues point to Phil Cohen, a friend of the Hardys, when a rare, deadly snake is discovered missing from the Bayport Zoo.
The Serpent: Gameshouse Novella 1 (Gameshouse #1)
by Claire NorthIn 17th Century Venice exists a mysterious establishment known only as the Gameshouse. There, fortunes are made and fortunes are broken over games of chess, backgammon and every other game under the sun. But those whom fortune favours may be invited to compete in the higher league . . . a league where the games played are of politics and empires, of economics and kings. It is a league where Capture the Castle involves real castles, where hide and seek takes place on a scale as big as the British Isles. Not everyone proves worthy of competing in the higher league. But one woman, who is about to play, may just exceed everyone's expectations. Though she must always remember: the higher the stakes, the more deadly the rules . . .
The Serpentine Road (Col Vaughn De Vries Ser. #2)
by Paul MendelsonEven after the release of Nelson Mandela and the promise of free elections, extremist groups terrorized South Africa, bombing churches, opening fire in bars and restaurants. Nearly twenty-five years ago, as a young Captain, Vaughn de Vries finds himself in pursuit of the suspects of a fatal bombing in his precinct, under the command of one of the most feared white police officers of the time: Major Kobus Nel. Out of radio communication and without clear evidence, the SAPS barge into a township and set off a chain of events which will resonate for a quarter of a century. In Cape Town in 2015, the heiress of an Apartheid-era industrialist is found murdered, her body posed to suggest a racial hate crime. But, as Colonel Vaughn De Vries investigates, possible motives for her death abound: a highly controversial art exhibition, her sexual preferences, her relationship - as yet unknown by the press - with the son of one of the heroes of The Struggle. And, moving South down through the country, North to South, five men are murdered, each with a connection to a point in history De Vries would sooner forget. When the link is made, De Vries must re-live the traumatic event to uncover the perpetrator. Old wounds, hidden in history, are exposed, and a mysterious killer approaches, whom no one seems able to stop. Praise for The First Rule of Survival: An excellent, uncompromising crime thriller made even better by its setting ... the story is two journeys in one, and I'm glad I took both. (Lee Child) A jaw-droppingly brilliant crime thriller. Imagine The Killing moved to Cape Town and into the landscape of the hot and dusty African veld. (Philip Glenister) The First Rule of Survival is an incredibly atmospheric, complex and dazzling debut from a thrilling and authentic new voice in crime fiction. (Brian McGilloway) An impressive debut (The Times)
The Serpentine Road (Col Vaughn de Vries #2)
by Paul MendelsonEven after the release of Nelson Mandela and the promise of free elections, extremist groups terrorized South Africa, bombing churches, opening fire in bars and restaurants. Nearly twenty-five years ago, as a young Captain, Vaughn de Vries finds himself in pursuit of the suspects of a fatal bombing in his precinct, under the command of one of the most feared white police officers of the time: Major Kobus Nel. Out of radio communication and without clear evidence, the SAPS barge into a township and set off a chain of events which will resonate for a quarter of a century. In Cape Town in 2015, the heiress of an Apartheid-era industrialist is found murdered, her body posed to suggest a racial hate crime. But, as Colonel Vaughn De Vries investigates, possible motives for her death abound: a highly controversial art exhibition, her sexual preferences, her relationship - as yet unknown by the press - with the son of one of the heroes of The Struggle. And, moving South down through the country, five men are murdered, each with a connection to a point in history De Vries would sooner forget. When the link is made, De Vries must re-live the traumatic event to uncover the perpetrator. Old wounds, hidden in history, are exposed, and a mysterious killer approaches, whom no one seems able to stop.Longlisted for the 2015 Crime Writer's Association Golden Dagger (Crime Novel of the Year)Praise for Paul Mendelson:'Authoritative and unblinkered fare' Financial Times'Once more, South Africa is brought vividly to life in a fine crimer which delivers a warm change from the regular diet of Scandinavian angst' Weekend Sport 'The Serpentine Road has been my discovery of the year. Paul Mendelson has the makings of a literary superstar' Jenny Crwys Williams, Radio 702/Cape Talk 567 'In another superb slice of South African noir, Mendelson illuminates the corruption and criminality that plagues a country still haunted by apartheid. A taut thriller which evokes a unique political and geographic landscape' Cath Staincliffe 'An excellent, uncompromising crime thriller made even better by its setting ... the story is two journeys in one, and I'm glad I took both' Lee Child'A jaw-droppingly brilliant crime thriller. Imagine The Killing moved to Cape Town and into the landscape of the hot and dusty African veld' Philip Glenister'The First Rule of Survival is an incredibly atmospheric, complex and dazzling debut from a thrilling and authentic new voice in crime fiction' Brian McGilloway'An impressive debut' The Times
The Serpents Trail (Maxie and Stretch #1)
by Sue HenryAt sixty-three, Maxie McNabb is cruising down the Alaska Highway in her brand-new Winnebago. With her mini-dachshund at her side and the open road ahead, she's never been happier. <P><P>But before her exploration of the Lower Forty-eight gets underway, Maxie needs to figure out who burgled her friend's Colorado home-and why. And the closer Maxie gets to solving the puzzle, the more it becomes chillingly clear that her friend's life isn't the only one on the line.
The Servant's Tale (A Dame Frevisse Mystery #2)
by Margaret FrazerAt Christmastime, the sisters of St. Frideswide cannot turn away a motley drama troupe, nor the grievously wounded husband of the cloister's scullery maid. When two dead bodies turn up, Sister Frevisse must find out if one of the actors is a murderer in masquerade. In the tradition of Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael, Sister Frevisse is sinfully good at discerning the mysteries of the soul--and solving the crimes of the human heart.
The Servants
by Michael Marshall Smith“A hefty lot for any author to manage, but Smith does it both subtly and charmingly.” — Santa Fe New Mexican on THE SERVANTS
The Servants of Twilight
by Dean KoontzA wretched hag who is head of a crackpot religious cult targets Christine's six-year-old son, Joey, as the anti-Christ. Every member of the cult then sets out to destroy the boy and the only person Christine can find to really help her is a private detective. Grace (the cult leader) seems to be able to locate them with her psychic powers no matter what they do or where they go. Lots of violence and a little explicit sex. Excellent supernatural thriller from a master storyteller.