Book Review: The Serpent's Kiss

Reviewed By: Webspinner - RAM

The Serpent's Kiss     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Mark T. Sullivan
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Serial Killer
Atria; 2003; 375pp

San Diego homicide detective Seamus Moynihan is almost a cliche, but cliches exist because they are so often true. Seamus is: a) divorced; b) the child of an officer killed on duty; c) a father having problems with a young son; and d) looking for "love". Taking all of that into account, ‘The Serpent's Kiss' could have been a very BAD book. It wasn't.

HOWEVER - pick this book up only if you have a strong stomach. The murder scenes in a series of ritualistic sexual deaths are laid out in graphic, gory detail. If you can get past that, this is a very well written book, and should probably be a series, if anyone at Atria has any sense and if Mark Sullivan so desires.

The San Diego PD works in teams, rather than pairs, when investigating homicides. Because Moynihan is the head of one such team as its sergeant, he is the one that has to deal with publicity conscious superiors and keep an eye on the four detectives working under him. In his case, this is partly a family affair. Moynihan's brother-in-law [an Israeli-American] is one of his detectives and his sister is chief psychiatric consultant to the San Diego DA's Office. Add a serial ritual killer, biblical scholars, snakes, and San Diego Zoo herpetologists to the mix, and you have a leave-the-nightlight-on thriller. Sullivan has enough twists and turns in ‘Serpent's Kiss' to keep you guessing right up to the last chapter, and leaves enough unexplained about his main characters to make you eager for the next installment.

Webspinner - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Webspinner - RAM