Serpent Girl
by Ray Garton

Steven Benedetti's work has him driving the lonely highways at night, as it so often does. But tonight he passes a carnival and decides to stop for a break. At the carnival, Benedetti meets the Serpent Girl, a woman who stirs him like no other woman has, a woman who, like Benedetti, has a secret. They hit the night roads together and begin a journey that will change Benedetti forever.

Excerpt from the story:
A garish tent at the rear of the carnival grounds caught my eye. Achubby, snaggle-toothed barker stood out front and talked into a bullhorn. Behind him, the front of the tent was colorfully painted. A girl wrapped in snakes stood on one side, with lots of writing on the other:

SEE THE SERPENT GIRL!
WATCH HER COMMUNE WITH THE SNAKES!
SEE HER TAME THE SERPENT
THAT ONCE TEMPTED MAN!

The barker shouted through the bullhorn: "She speaks with them, ladies and gentlemen! She has a psychic connection to these ancient serpents! She has stunned the audiences of Europe, and now she's here to perform for you! Come see the Serpent Girl! Another show coming up, you don't wanna miss it! The Serpent Girl, ladies and gentlemen."

I went to the booth and bought a ticket, then went through the tent's entrance. About twenty folding chairs were set up in two columns. A few men were already seated. Up front was an empty stage. There were speakers in the four corners of the tent. I went to the front row and sat on the aisle.

A few minutes later, after a couple more men had come in, the lights in the tent went low. A man's voice came over the speakers: "Now, direct from the capitals of Europe to perform for you here tonight—Elise, the Serpent Girl!"

Music came up and a spotlight lit the center of the stage. She stepped into the light and began to dance in a tiny black, bejeweled bikini. In her arms, she held an enormous snake, probably a boa constrictor. She stroked the snake as she undulated, then put it over her head and across her shoulders. The snake slowly began to coil around her as she danced.

Some of the men in the tent applauded. One of them shouted, "Take it off, honey!"

She wasn't a terribly good dancer. By the time she held two snakes, she'd gone through all her moves and was just repeating herself. But she was beautiful, and I couldn't take my eyes off her...

Reviews & Praise:
"This intense tale of real-life horror may remind some readers of Dostroyevski's Crime and Punishment... Garton speeds the violent, X-rated action to its bleak, foreordained climax."
— Publishers Weekly

"Garton aims to disturb, and hits his target squarely. That kind of thing takes skill in misdirection — or at least distraction — and Garton is up to the challenge."
— Bookgasm.com

Available in two states:
Limited Edition of 750 signed copies ($40)
Traycased Lettered Edition of 26 signed and lettered copies bound in leather with a satin ribbon page marker and extra full-color artwork ($175)

Lettered Edition Status:
The deluxe Lettered Edition of this book is currently with our hand-binder. After he completes his work, we will immediately ship a finished copy to our traycase manufacturer who will begin building the traycases. He requires a finished copy to guarantee the sizing is just right. We will update this page as the Lettered Edition progresses through production. Thank you for your patience.

Customer Reviews	Add Your Review
A dark crime novel, with a twist	06/03/2008 - by Robert B. from Salem, OR US
"Serpent Girl" was my first Ray Garton book, and I can't say that I was disappointed. I was a little surprised that it was severely slathered with very titillating sex scenes (but I think that is typical of Mr. Garton). There was more sex then I am used to in any book or magazine (except maybe Penthouse Forum). I was expecting some kind of monstrous horror (a lady who was part snake perhaps), but what I got was a type of noir crime novel without the detective. In fact, the main characters aren't your usual heroes, but they are still characters that you will care for. Overall, it is a character study of two people who meet by chance, and then they get to know each other for who they really are (and have a lot of sex). Surprisingly, the sex is integral to the plot as it helps you get more emotionally involved and see into the characters' heads. What happens when the truth comes out about who they really are or aren't(besides more sex)? Read it and find out!
Classic Garton.	04/30/2008 - by BRENT MILLER from ATHENS, TN US
Classic Garton. If you like a good suspense story lathered with sex... this one's for you.