After years of estrangement, the Temple family is trying to reconnect with a nostalgic trip to Yellowstone National Park just as they had twenty years earlier. For George Temple, he wants nothing more than his children's love. If that means supporting them in their failed careers forever, then it's a price he's willing to pay. For Scott Temple, this trip is a chance to prove to his father and himself that he isn't a failure, but he still needs a bit of financial help to get himself started. For Courtney Temple, this trip is a chance to finally get everything she feels she deserves, all the money she needs to launch her acting career and herself into stardom.

THE SERPENT'S BITE winds through memories of the past into the present, creating a harsh, unforgiving picture of the American family. Courtney is the driving force of this story and a more unlikable character you'll be hard pressed to find. Like the title suggests, Courtney is a poisonous member of the family. She's very much the type that would consume their own young if she had any. Selfish, ambitious, conceited, and destructive, Courtney plays upon her family's weakness, targeting each specifically to inflict not only the most pain but to gain the most from them.

There are numerous references to Lady Macbeth in the tale, and I can't help wondering much as I did with Lady Macbeth what exactly made Courtney the person she was. Lady Macbeth sadly didn't have much backstory to hint at her motivation, but Courtney does and it is puzzling. The Temple parents are good people. They love their children. I realistically know that sometimes people just don't turn out the way they should, or the way society thinks they should, but it's hard to look at Courtney in THE SERPENT'S BITE and find the turning point for that character, some spot where as a reader you can look back and say 'ahhh, that's what made her like this'.

The winding, tense journey through the park and through the memories of each member of the family allows all aspects of this family to be seen. I liked the multiple viewpoints because it gave added depth but also a more realistic portrayal of family life. There might have been one trip of a lifetime, but all three members of the family remembered it differently and those glimpses of differing views allows readers to find the more accurate account of what really happened.

THE SPERPENT'S BITE by Warren Adler is uncomfortable to read, but all the same very interesting. The desires portrayed are dark and twisted and the lengths to which Courtney will go to get what she wants from her family is nothing short of malevolent. This story isn't for the faint of heart or those looking for an idyllic family vacation filled with bonding, but for those who do read it, the lingering questions will haunt you.