Detective Jane Rieger-Franklin, her wife, Anna, and their two adopted daughters, Felicity and Khaleesi, form a loving family unit. In contrast, the Kings, headed by matriarch Emma, include four grown children whose enmity for one another and their mother—and hers for them—is the stuff of Greek tragedy.

So when Emma King turns up murdered, suspects abound. But as Jane delves into their lives, the Kings’ shared animosity tears at her psyche, bringing old fears to the surface and inciting new ones, threatening to tear the idyllic Franklin family apart. Their precocious daughters’ teenage angst, Jane’s unresolved grief over her father’s passing, and Anna’s innocent flirtation with a beautiful woman have already created cracks in the Franklin family infrastructure.

As the investigation proceeds, the fissures enlarge, and Jane finds her once untroubled home life teetering on the edge of an abyss. But, just as she discovers the disturbing truth about Emma King’s death, another murder brings to question everything the detective thought was true. And, in a tense, Agatha Christie-like climax, Jane must risk her life to bring a monster to justice—and heal her inner turmoil.

THE SERPENT’S TEETH will appeal not only to fans of classic murder mysteries (e.g., Agatha Christie) but to readers who relish mixing their mystery with complex family dynamics, as in Tana French's THE WITCH ELM. My novel, which mingles humor with pathos, will also interest those who appreciate strong female leads.