The Serpent Papers by Jessica Cornwell
Quercus, 2015. ISBN 9781848666733
(Age: 16+) In 2003, three women are brutally murdered in Barcelona.
And then, a famous Catalan actress is found dead, sparking the
interest of the nation. But before the police can piece together the
baffling clues, the killer vanishes without a trace. Ten years
later, Anna Verco, book hunter extraordinaire, discovers ancient
letters that could help solve the case. However, she is focused on
something else: a mysterious, centuries-old text known only as the
Serpent Papers. But as the plot thickens and danger begins lurking
around every corner, will she able to solve the mystery in time?
The Serpent Papers is the first in the Nightingale trilogy,
and the debut novel by author Jessica Cornwell. As the granddaughter
of legendary crime writer John Le Carre, one might expect that this
novel treads in the same footsteps, but there is little in common
with Carre's literary classics to be found here - whether that is
good or bad can be left up to the reader.
There are many good things about The Serpent Papers - it has
an intriguing setting and some excellent world building through the
use of (presumably) fabricated poetry and old texts, which adds a
sense of realism that helps ground the more fantastical aspects of
the novel.
However, the main issue is that this book is often simply too
complicated for its own good. There are too many characters to keep
track of and occasionally it's hard to figure out exactly what's
happening, simply because the writing style can be quite vague. It
jumps around to different settings and time periods, and in the end
there are a few too many plot twists and subplots introduced, to the
point where it can be downright confusing. This is unfortunate as
the novel is frequently excellent, but gradually becomes a struggle
to get through.
Ultimately, The Serpent Papers is an impressive, yet
inconsistent debut from a promising new author. Readers beware,
however - it's not for the light-hearted (or the light reader).
Rebecca Adams (university student)