Season of the Snake A Novel

Years after the tragic death of her first husband, Nance Able remarries and begins a new life in the West with Ned, a school principal whose quiet charm lulls her to contentment. A scientist tracking rattlesnakes in the wilderness of Hells Canyon, Idaho, Nance courts natural dangers, believing that conquering such risk will protect her from further grief. But at home, she is unaware that her husbands secret proclivities are emerging. When Nances younger, errant sister Meredith moves to town, Ned can no longer suppress the terrifying mysteries of his past, and together the sisters must find the strength to survive his love.

Claire Davis is the author of Winter Range, winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award for Fiction in 2001. Her short fiction has been featured in The Pushcart Prize anthology and Best American Short Stories. She lives in Lewiston, Idaho, where she teaches writing at Lewis-Clark State College.

“Season of the Snake provides the elusive double whammy of an action-packed plot with literary value. . . . A gripping, gritty novel stuffed with piercing insights into the human condition.�--The Oregonian (Portland)

“A suspenseful and heartbreaking meditation on the nature of fate, family, sex, death, and our individual misuses of love. Truly a thrilling novel.�--Mark Spragg, author of An Unfinished Life

“Davis not only shows that she can beat the so-called sophomore jinx, but also branch out in new directions without jeopardizing her craft. . . . Season of the Snake is an impressive, if disturbing, work that promises more good things to come from a talented author.�--The Denver Post

“A creepy page-turner . . . I read it almost straight through; there's no denying its lurid grip on the imagination.�--The Seattle Times

“Another powerful and suspenseful tale . . . Davis isn't afraid to provoke some compelling questions about violence against women. . . . A chilling peek into the snake-charmer's pit.�--Kirkus Reviews

“Like a coiled diamondback, Claire Davis's Season of the Snake grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The only time I put it down was to get up and lock the doors.�--Judy Blunt, author of Breaking Clean

“Vivid scenery and a tangible impression of ominous menace will appeal to fans of literary psychological suspense.�--Library Journal

“Claire Davis's new novel is a psychological thriller written with an almost Proustian sense of detail. It would not surprise me if Season of the Snake turns out to be this year's Mystic River, that rare book that manages to be both a huge literary and popular success.�--Steve Yarbrough, author of Prisoners of War

“Davis develops a carefully drawn accrual of texture and detail. . . .Compelling writing on the powerful bonds that constitute family.�--Booklist

“In Claire Davis's chilling new novel, predators wear the colors of their surroundings and only the undeceived survive. A tough, smart story given in uncommonly vibrant and muscular language. Season of the Snake reconfirms her place in the first rank of voices from the American West.�--David Long, author of The Falling Boy