The Serpent Papers
On sale
10th September 2015
Price: £7.99
Genre
I am Anna Verco.
I am no ordinary researcher.
My task is to hunt a medieval manuscript, a book of alchemy and witchcraft.
It was lost for centuries, hidden – or stolen. But I have found a clue.
In Barcelona, just ten years ago, a trail of women were muted and mutilated to keep it secret.
They have been silenced. But in a way, I hear them.
Their message is meant for me.
***With new book club questions and special features***
I am no ordinary researcher.
My task is to hunt a medieval manuscript, a book of alchemy and witchcraft.
It was lost for centuries, hidden – or stolen. But I have found a clue.
In Barcelona, just ten years ago, a trail of women were muted and mutilated to keep it secret.
They have been silenced. But in a way, I hear them.
Their message is meant for me.
***With new book club questions and special features***
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Reviews
Combines the intrigue of The Da Vinci Code with the mysticism of a Carlos Ruiz Zafon novel . . . This is a gripping tale in which every detail counts
The kind of rich, multi-layered story that demands and rewards commitment . . . A triumphant debut, by a young writer with an incredible imagination
Erudite alchemical thriller . . . Here we have an enigmatic heroine, a wonderful European city, plenty of cultural detail, a string of gruesome murders and a conspiracy that spans centuries . . . everything is relevant - so pay attention - and everything is enticing, for readers who enjoy this sort of game . . . she's an original, entertaining writer. I finished this episode wanting more
Intelligent and richly realised
A complex and ambitious literary thriller
If you're in search of a thriller, look no further than this novel by London-based Californian Jessica Cornwell. Anna Verco, the heroine, has drawn comparisons to Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander, and the book is a new take on Dan Brown's turf
The slow circling towards the killer is thrilling, but Cornwell's real skill is in her piling up of legend and history to bring the quest for the manuscript alive. This is much more complex - and significantly more worth your time - than just another Da Vinci Code spin-off
Remarkable . . . It will leave many readers impatient for the next
A breathless, mystical thriller . . . Will certainly become a cultish craze among all kinds of readers from radical feminists to modern-day mystics and especially those who love sectish puzzles and mystery
Jessica Cornwell gives women a powerful voice . . . A nail-biting page-turner with a vital female protagonist who stands out in a thriller market flooded with the male-centric books . . . A complex, non-linearly-told narrative that haunts the mind long after the last page
A feminist gothic thriller set in Barcelona, it moves back and forth between the 1300s and the present day
A supremely clever feminist murder mystery