A gripping mystery of scandal and intrigue starring a spirited and beautiful Edwardian heiressIt?s the end of 1911 and Ursula Marlow, struggling to maintain control over her father?s textile empire, finds her business trip to Egypt interrupted by two violent deaths. The first victim is her new friend, Katya?the mysterious wife of a wealthy Russian financier. Then when a young woman dies in a fire in one of Ursula?s factories just days later, she returns to investigate and discovers the woman was already dead before the fire started. Driven by her need for justice, the headstrong Ursula is determined to unravel the possible connection between the two deaths, the return of her Bolshevik ex-lover, and disturbing events in the Middle East. The Serpent and the Scorpion is a tale of romance, betrayal, and murder that will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Peters, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Jacqueline Winspear.