Viper’s Nest of Lies: An Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mystery by Daniella Bernett no

Synopsis
Twice dead…A living nightmare
The discovery of a blood-encrusted stiletto knife in journalist Emmeline Kirby’s bag at Heathrow Airport sets in motion a chain of events that ensnares everyone she holds dear. The body of Sebastian Jardine is soon found in the boot of Superintendent Oliver Burnell’s car, leading to accusations that he and Emmeline conspired to commit murder. Desperate to clear their names, she turns to Philip Acheson of the Foreign Office for help. But when two Special Branch officers arrive to arrest him, he is forced to go on the run.
Gregory Longdon, Emmeline’s husband and a jewel thief/insurance investigator with ties to the criminal classes and MI5, is the only man Philip can trust. Gregory is on his own quest to prove her innocence in a game that makes no sense. Jardine was no stranger. His old friend was a former Interpol agent, who soured on the law and succumbed to his baser instincts. The real problem is Jardine died five years earlier. A fancy pink diamond with a murky provenance that men are willing to kill to possess holds the key to the truth. From London to Malta, Emmeline and Gregory are drawn into a web of corruption and revenge. Will they forfeit their lives for justice?

Review
Viper’s Nest of Lives is the fifth book in the Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mystery series that,I have been lucky enough to review. I have to say Daniella Bernett never disappoints with her books, they seem to go from strength to strength. In Viper’s Nest of Lies Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon have just come back from Edinburgh when Emmeline is stopped by airpoirt security at Heathrow where a bloodied knife is found in her handbag. Longdon contacts their friends and occasional work colleagues, Superintendent Burnell and Sergeant Finch to help, but matters become more complicated when a dead body is found in Burnell’s car, the body whose blood is on the knife in Emmeline’s bag. With the victim kown to Longdon, Emmeline and Gregory find themselves on the run, trying to clear their names and that of Superintendent Burnell, whilst staying one step ahead of their bitter rival and nemesis Alistaire Swanbeck, who wants Gregory dead.

Viper’s Nest of Lies is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and then never lets go until the last sentence on the last page. Daniella Bernett is a brilliant story teller who seamlessly combines a thrilling and unpredictable plot, with humour and fabulous characters, both recurring and and new. Emmeline and Gregory are now married, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped attracting trouble, in fact this is their most dangerous case yet. Emmeline is a fantastic female lead, she is intelligent, feisty and dogged in her approach to finding the truth at all costs which is why she is Features Editor of The Clarion Newspaper. She doesn’t shy away from danger, in fact putting herself in its centre when she is onto a lead. Always at her side is her now husband Gregory Longdon, ex jewel thief and now investigator at Symingtons Insurance. He is charming, charismatic, rather like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, the quintessential loveable rogue. Coming from that background he has made several enemies, his main one is Alistaire Swanbeck, whose father he killed in a previous case, and is now looking for revenge on Gregory and Emmeline. He has a sort of love hate relationship with Superintendent Burnell who doesn’t believe he is a reformed thief and doesn’t think Gregory is good enough for Emmeline, adding plenty of wit through Gregory’s sarcasm. These characters feel like friends and I love getting back together with them and see how they grow over the books.

Daniella Bernett maybe American but she brilliantly captures the British idiosyncrasies and humour; how a cup of tea cures all, the stiff upper lip, excessive politeness, always apologising and our reserved nature. This is all tongue in cheek and adds a certain humour to the proceedings. The plotting of this book is fabulous and compellingly complex, with plenty of red herrings and you are never certain of who to trust. The investigation includes Scotland Yard, MI5, the British Ambassador of Malta and most dangerously the Mafia all adding their individual talents, both good and bad, to Emmeline’s and Gregory’s quest for the truth. The pace of this book is fast with plenty of action and a huge rush of adrenaline as the book hurtles to the final stand off with repurcussions for all concerned, when that final piece of the puzzle is in place.

I absolutley love the Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon series, and Viper’s Nest of Lies did not disappoint. Packed with suspense, action, thrills and drama mixed with a touch of humour to lighten the mood this is a multi faceted and compelling read. Daniella Bernett’s writing is superb in the plotting and in her characters, whom I am growing to love and make me feel like I am with old friends. I was completely hooked from the first page until the last, and honestly couldn’t put the book down, making this a literal page turner. These books go from strength to strength and I am already looking forward to the next mystery Emmeline and Gregory find themselves in.

You can read my reviews of the other books in the series here Old Sins Never Die (An Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon Mysteries) by Daniella BernettWhen Blood Runs Cold by (An Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon Mystery) by Daniella Bernett A Checkered Past by Daniella Bernett (An Emmeline Kirby/Gregory Longdon Mystery) From Beyond The Grave by Daniella Bernett Review and Author Interview