Crown of Serpents

By: Michael J. Karpovage

Narrated by: Michael Jameson

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

With the discovery of a campaign journal from an American Revolutionary War officer who fought against the Iroquois Indians, the US Army calls in their top field historian to assess its contents. Jake Tununda, combat vet and half-Seneca Indian, is stunned when he gleans from the journal's cryptic Masonic passages clues to the location of an ancient shaman's crown once protected by the White Deer Society, a secret cult of his forefathers.

Jake soon realizes why his ancestors' history was best kept buried. And why peaceful, rural central New York's Finger Lakes region can be deadlier than any battlefield he had ever faced.

Crown of Serpents, a mystery thriller set in the former heartland of the Iroquois Empire, takes Jake on a fast-paced hunt to find the elusive crown - and protect it. He teams up with Rae Hart, an alluring state police investigator, as they snake their way across a politically turbulent landscape marked with murder, arson, lies, and deceit. Deciphering codes, digging up war loot, and fending off the henchmen of billionaire Alex Nero, a ruthless Indian casino magnate, Jake and Rae's survival skills are put to the test. The clues to the crown ultimately lead them deep within sacred Indian caves hidden under the abandoned Seneca Army Depot where the magnitude of the crown's power is revealed.

©2009 Michael Karpovage (P)2017 Michael Karpovage

Great performance and a favorite author

If you could sum up Crown of Serpents in three words, what would they be?

Very good listen

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The author is a great story teller and keeps you engaged throughout the entire book. There isn't a lot of fluff just to fill pages and the story line is very well thought out. He has done his homework and due diligence on every topic, event and artifact mentioned in the book. I also very much like that the author ties Freemasonry into the book in a very positive light and how he explains a few things without giving away any secrets. As a fellow traveling man, I can tell you that it takes the story to a whole other level. If you want to know more, find a local Lodge or someone you know to be a Mason and ask them about it.

Which character – as performed by Michael Jameson – was your favorite?

Jake Tununda without a doubt. The narrator does a great job with this book. You could tell he was actively engaged with his performance and not just reading a story. It was an actual presentation of a work that he seemed to enjoy sharing. Many other books have great stories, but fall flat with the performance by the narrator, I can assure you that is not the case with this book. I am looking forward to listening to the next book in the series as well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wouldn't call it an extreme reaction, I had previously read the print version of this book, but when I found out it was available on Audible I had to listen to it as well. I can say in all honesty that the audio performance had me seeing the story in my mind the same exact way as I did when I physically read it and it was just as enjoyable the second time around. His interpretations of the characters and their mannerisms was spot on with how I associated them during my original reading.

Any additional comments?

This is the first of two currently published books in the series and both of them are two of my favorite stories. I am very much looking forward to the next installment and hopefully more in the future.

Great Thriller

A great book to go and explore. Most definitely worth your time through and through.

A Mystery that Speaks to Freemasons

While not about Freemasonry, per se, Freemasonry certainly plays a role in this novel. Certainly any Freemason will enjoy the story for its mystery and ties to the Fraternity, but there is plenty of treasure hunting and adventure for non-Masons to enjoy as well. But it doesn't stop there - the book is also chock full of interesting historical information about various Native American Nations, their traditions and stories, and the area around the finger lakes of the State of New York.

After finishing the book, I instantly spent another credit on the 2nd and look forward to hearing the next story in the series.