Customer Reviews

The Serpent's Kiss (The Derek Stillwater Novels)

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Well, now I've read all three of this series, and I'm wanting more.
Serpent's Kiss is the second of the series. (I read the third one first, who knew?)
I actually think this one is the best of the three, although the hero continues to get beaten, shot, cut, stabbed, and just keeps moving forward.
I read this in one day, I really couldn't put it down, although I had the ending figured out about 2/3 of the way through.
$2.99. Worth every penny. (and a few more)

Okay, Mark Terry, sharpen your pencil, I want more.
(Maybe with fewer misspelled words)

The Serpent's Kiss by Mark Terry
Trade Paperback, Midnight Ink, 2007
ISBN#978-0-7387-0882-9

***** Highly Recommended
Review by Douglas Quinn, Author of Blue Heron Marsh, etal

From the very first page I said to myself, "This author can really write," and throughout the novel I wasn't let down. I was immediately drawn in by Mark Terry's pacing and his wry sense of humor, which he weaves into his snappy dialogue and descriptive tapestry.

At first, when the main character was introduced, I was a little put off by how quickly he caved in about getting involved with the case,a serin gas attack-he had other, more important plans-but, hey, Terry is offering a fast-paced thriller here and there is no time for our unconventional hero, Derek Stillwater, to agonize.

As for Derek Stillwater, you've gotta love the guy. He's cranky and impatient and acts on impulses about which the rest of us only fantasize. His foisted-upon-him sidekick, FBI agent Jill Church, is cool, pragmatic and likeable. Jill's teen-aged son Michael is woven nicely into the story, including the exciting climax. Her politically connected boss, Matt Gray, is the perfect foil for both Church and Stillwater. Their antagonist, The Serpent, is diabolical and pure evil. There are many twists and turns and the ending has a nice little surprise that cleverly sets up the next Derek Stillwater novel.

Mark Terry baits his hook, casts it out into the world of the unsuspecting reader and, if you are one of the lucky ones who takes the bait and reads The Serpent's Kiss, you will be glad he reeled you in. Set in Detroit, the pace of The Serpent's Kiss is fast and furious. It's a Derek Thrillwater of a read.

Who would want to kill hundreds of people eating breakfast at a second rate Detroit diner or sitting in a Wayne University lecture hall? This is a fast paced thriller involving Dr. Derek Stillwater (Dept. of Homeland Security), FBI Agent Jill Church, and an inept Detroit SAC. Within 12 hours people are poisoned, others brutally murdered, homes blown up and it just keeps on going. Fabulous adventure.

This book gives new meaning to the phrase 'action-packed'! It lets up just enough for you to catch your breath before a new plot twist sends the story racing on again.

What I really loved is that there is still plenty of character development. Stillwater is fully developed and the other main character, Church, is also three dimensional. I really liked her son's sidestory and I can see him becoming his own series when he gets a little older.

Excellent book and I'll definitely be looking up more of Mark Terry's works.

The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and DHS (Department of Homeland Security) are at odds in the persons of Jill Church and Derek Stillwater. Derek always rubs everyone the wrong way. Jill is ordered to keep him in the dark and out of the way. If you've read any Derek Stillwater novels, you know that isn't going to work. Instead Jill becomes embroiled in Derek's unorthodox methods, and she finds herself on the wrong side of her boss, again. But does that matter when there's a terrorist, The Serpent, out there killing people with imprudence? And each time he strikes, its at a larger target.

The action never stops, and neither do the surprises. The reader will find a lot to like in Derek Stillwater, and a lot to dislike in those who try to keep him down.

Reviewed by Wanda C. Keesey

There's a killer in Detroit using sarin gas to kill as many people as he can. Homeland Security Agent Dr. Derek Stillwater is trying to stop him before he kills again. It's going to be a difficult task to say the least, especially with the FBI trying to babysit him.

If you like thrillers with independent tough guy agents out to get the job done, you'll like this one. I enjoyed reading it and can't wait for the sequel.