In SERPENT’S LOOP, author Lynn Lipinski takes crime drama to a literary level. Bad choices have plagued Zane Clearwater his entire twenty-six years; some his, some his deceased parents, some that can be put down to fate. Two middle-aged drunks squaring off at the carnival where he’s working security can be attributed to the latter. But when the punch-up turns into a stabbing, an inconvenience becomes a major problem especially when the dying man recognizes Zane’s fifteen-year-old sister, Lettie, in the crowd of bystanders. Zane’s anxious Lettie is into something that could put her in danger. He’s determined to protect her, but even though he’s her legal guardian, that doesn’t mean he’s her confidant, she hardly speaks to him. Suspicion grows when he discovers expensive computer games hidden in her room. Where did she get money to buy this stuff?
As Zane attempts to uncover what Lettie’s involved in the reader is introduced to intriguing characters and glimpses of unconventional lifestyles, including the owner of a traveling carnival, the proprietor of an occult shop, a wannabe actress living in an abusive relationship, a hoarding grandmother, and a wise Indigenous elder steeped in traditional practices. Intriguing details into credit card fraud are also revealed. When Lettie disappears from Tulsa, Zane tracks her to Los Angeles where she’s hoping to start a new life with illegal digital files she’s stolen from the criminal organization she’s been freelancing for. This encoded information is worth a small fortune and her boss is determined to do whatever it takes to retrieve his property. When the FBI appears on the doorstep of the seedy motel they’re staying at it further complicates the situation. If Lettie is going to be exonerated, she’ll have to cooperate with the feds to bring down the fraudster kingpin. But to achieve this, the little sister Zane’s pledged to keep safe must be returned to the serpent’s den in Tulsa and once again take up with the criminals. Though the climax is somewhat contrived and disappointing, the narrative is tightly plotted and well-structured with rising tension that kept this reader turning the pages.
Lynn Lipinski’s SERPENT LOOP is first-rate fiction featuring crisp writing, depth of characterization, authentic dialogue and vivid settings that entertain, along with well-researched insights into credit card fraud.
~Jonah Baker for IndieReader