The Snake of Luvercy

Description

In the overgrown grounds of the Luvercy estate, a shadow lingers—the memory of a tragedy that defies explanation. Five years ago, Madame Laval was found dead in her bed, the victim of a single, fatal puncture wound. Her room was locked from the inside, the windows shuttered tight. The only suspect was a rare black-and-white viper brought back from Africa, which vanished from the sealed chamber as if into thin air.

For Gilberta Laval, the daughter left behind, the horror of that night has never faded. Now, she seeks a fresh start with her fiancé, the dashing Jean Mareuil. To the world, Jean is a wealthy dilettante, a collector of antique lamps and keys. But as darkness falls over Paris, a different man emerges: Charlot the Adder, a rough-edged snake charmer who commands reptiles in the smoky, dangerous cabarets of the underworld.

As Gilberta’s scheming aunt and cousin pry into Jean’s mysterious double life, hoping to shatter the engagement and seize her inheritance, they uncover a web of deception that stretches back to that fatal night.

First published in 1926, ‘The Snake of Luvercy’ is a classic tale of psychological intrigue and dual identities, where the deadliest venom is found in the heart of a trusted family.