The Serpent's Bite (Hardcover) newly tagged "photography"

''How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child'' --King Lear, William Shakespeare

This famed quote by William Shakespeare finds its modern meaning in this taut, fast-paced, remarkable novel by renowned author Warren Adler. The Serpent's Bite will take you on a frightening horse trek through the far reaches of the Yellowstone wilderness that turns a father s quest to deal with parental guilt and reunite with his two adult children into a nightmare of lust, betrayal, entrapment, and death. Beyond the revelations of dark family secrets, readers will discover how an obsession for celebrity and blind ambition can distort familial love and turn a beloved child into a grotesque monster. Courtney Temple is sure to be judged as one of those most evil women in fiction, alongside the likes of Lady Macbeth, Medea, and the Wicked Witch of the West. Adler's latest novel takes its place next to the iconic The War of the Roses, in which the author exposed the true nature of marital dysfunction.

Warren Adler reaches deep into the dark secrets of his protagonists. The adventure takes off right away, on horseback into the wilderness. And as we're on the way, Adler wastes no time introducing some true characters of our times; the grown up children with unsuccessful lives, eagerly awaiting a family fortune; the wealthy father eagerly anticipating renewed family bonding for reasons of his own. It's a story true to our times because it has money standing right between people. They're stuck in the middle with it. In spite of our current economy we now live in the age of millionaires (there probably are more millionaires now than ever before) and The Serpent's Bite is rubbing it in.

Adler has a talent for stripping the decorations off people and looking into the darker deeps of family life. In spite of their bouts of sentiment and nostalgia they're all in it for personal gain; be it money or forgiveness. The daughter, Courtney, is among the coldest women I've encountered as a reader; boy does she know how to push people's buttons for her own sake. This woman is relentless. I adore Adler's way of portraying characters and Courtney Temple is among his finest.

The Serpent's Bite also shows the author's talent for strong dialog. The way Adler sets up a fight through miscommunication between people is beautiful; all civilised behavior on the surface disappears as soon a few harsh words are spoken. You can feel the situation going from bad to worse - which also makes you eager to read on: what terrible turn will the Temple family trip take?

Finally: rest assure that Adler cooked up some serious plot twists. I felt the classic excitement when these twists happened. And then, when you think you get the picture, comes another turn. Warren Adler certainly hasn't softened; he's presenting us with a tough story. I could not believe the way this one turned out in the end!