The Serpent and the Scorpion: An Ursula Marlow Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Clare Langley-Hawthorne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008

A 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Langley-Hawthorne's absorbing second historical to feature heiress Ursula Marlow (after Consequences of Sin), Ursula is struggling to maintain control of her late father's textile empire. A business trip to Egypt is complicated by the strange death of a new friend, the mysterious wife of a wealthy Russian. Next comes word of a fire in one of her factories and the discovery of the body of a young woman killed before the fire started. Struggling to make sense of these two deaths, Ursula also faces possible financial ruin because someone appears determined to put her out of business. Meanwhile, her romance with Lord Oliver Wrotham, a lawyer, is stalled because of her unwillingness to accept the subservient role of wife that Edwardian society demands. Showing an admirable grasp of social and political history, Langley-Hawthorne closes her tightly knit tale with an unexpected twist that will leave readers impatient for the next book. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

This is the second in the Ursula Marlow series, after Consequences of Sin (2007). As with the first book, there are a number of important threads to the story, but they are presented in a somewhat disjointed manner. The exotic locale is Egypt this time. The romance could be with Ursula’s Bolshevik ex-lover, or maybe with her counselor, Lord Oliver Wrotham. There are two murders for our unconventional heroine to solve as well as plenty of action and intrigue in the years leading up to World War I. Langley-Hawthorne has once again provided an interesting plot, but she needs to continue to work on her characterizations, to smooth out transitions and tighten the focus. The action tends to be so extreme that it is almost a parody of an adventure novel. Likewise, the romantic elements are rather unbelievable, for the most part. However, the mystery is fun, and there is a great cliff-hanger enticing us to look forward to the next one in the series. For an even better suffragette detective, try to find the Nell Bray series by Gillian Linscott. --Judy Coon

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Edition edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143113399
• ISBN-13: 978-0143113393
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great heroine, December 8, 2008

By 

Suzanne M. Arruda (KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Serpent and the Scorpion: An Ursula Marlow Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Ursula Marlow is a true woman of adventure: a gorgeous suffragette with the mind of Hercule Poirot and the spunk and daring of Nelly Bly. She's the perfect match against assassins, Bolsheviks, and spies in this exciting adventure laced with mystery and intrigue. Suzanne Arruda, author of the Jade del Cameron mystery series

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for the next one!, November 20, 2008

By 

mellu (LA.) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Serpent and the Scorpion: An Ursula Marlow Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Great period mystery! Ursula reminds me of Masie Dobbs, resourceful with plenty of spunk. Read Consequences of Sin first, and then wait for the next one to come out!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Egypt-England - 1911, July 11, 2009

By 

Lyn Reese (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Serpent and the Scorpion: An Ursula Marlow Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

This second book in Langley-Hawthorne's Ursula Marlow series begins in Egypt where Ursula, in charge of her dead father's English textile mills, is visiting the source of her cotton supply. There she encounters the intrigues and worries about British control that characterized the tensions just before the outbreak of World War I. British fears of Bolshevik sabotage, of the growing strength of regional nationalism, of attempts to settle European Jews in Palestine, and of greedy British businessmen selling arms to the Ottoman Turks, or whomever else will pay for them, are key plot elements.

The Marlow character remains as interesting as ever. Ursula is subjected to the censor of her upper class world and her lover, the mysterious Lord Wrotham. But she perseveres in her quest to unravel the possible connection between the deaths of her Russian friend in Egypt and a Russian born female employee in one of her northern English mills. Ursula's brief interaction with Eugenie Mahfouz, a daughter of a wealthy French merchant who married a prominent Egyptian, is unfortunately the only glimpse Langley-Hawthorne gives us into Egyptian society. Ursula's suffrage ties and the WSPU's militant actions in Britain make a brief appearance in the latter pages of the book.