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Serpent: A Deep Sea Thriller
Some things are meant to remain in the past. Dr. Hugh Meyer believed he had created the ultimate miracle. Using the DNA of ancient creatures preserved in the Arctic, he had genetically engineered one of the most remarkable species of sea creature to ever Serpentem Vectem Cel—Serpent Eel. Believed to possess the cure for countless diseases, the creature holds great promise for the medical community. All goes awry when the beast escapes containment. With a rapid growth rate and remarkable physical evolution, the beast travels to the coastal town of Spiral Bay. There, the creature designed to save human life instead starts taking it. Fishing vessels are found wrecked, paddleboaters mysteriously disappear, and large whales turn up dead. Realizing his creation has become Mankind’s worst nightmare, Hugh Meyer must join forces with the local police chief, a skillful mechanic, and a rich reality show star to bring the Serpent’s rampage to a dead halt.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2021
181 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Cole
40 books121 followersMichael R. Cole is an author of creature horror and science fiction. He was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in lower Michigan. He has a profound love for monster movies and book as well as the action genre. In addition to writing, his hobbies include martial arts and fishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 17, 2021
Great story
I love the characters and the monster. The story kept a good tempo without being rushed. The characters were unique and well developed. The plot and subplots were interesting and the ending was great! Bring on the sequel Michael Cole!
I love the characters and the monster. The story kept a good tempo without being rushed. The characters were unique and well developed. The plot and subplots were interesting and the ending was great! Bring on the sequel Michael Cole!
October 25, 2024
Action packed, likable characters, killer monster... can't go wrong.
October 14, 2022
Following in the footsteps of Jurassic Park, a wealthy private organization funds questionable experimental research for medicinal purposes. Research that involves cloning something long extinct from the planet and for very good reason. Surprise surprise the creature escapes during a transport and finds his way to a nice little beachside town where the local tourist season offers up a buffet treat for the eel hybrid. It was a fun cheesy read and delivered exactly what I expected. Local small town Sheriff hooks up with her ex and a reality television crew to find and destroy the creature. Only something so old is not only a mystery better left in time, it’s a creature the earth got rid of for a reason and now anyone in or near the water will pay the price. Was a fun read and made for an exciting audiobook for October!
July 10, 2021
Fun read
This had action all the way through it. Even some romance going on. But you just knew that one of the couples most likely would not survive. Or do they?
This had action all the way through it. Even some romance going on. But you just knew that one of the couples most likely would not survive. Or do they?
July 28, 2021
Very good sea monster story.
December 29, 2021
It will keep you awake at night
You will not be able to put the story down till you finish reading the Serpent. It is about a small town on the coast. They have a lady police chief and her ex love and a fishing actor and a whole town of normal people. And lots of visitors to the beaches. Plan on a few exciting days of vacation. Love the book.
You will not be able to put the story down till you finish reading the Serpent. It is about a small town on the coast. They have a lady police chief and her ex love and a fishing actor and a whole town of normal people. And lots of visitors to the beaches. Plan on a few exciting days of vacation. Love the book.
October 24, 2021
Pretty Good
There was romance, a sea serpent and Carnage! I liked the little town, and the female police officers! The serpent seemed credible and there was definitely some suspense. I just got a little bored, stopped reading x2 and then came back to finish.
There was romance, a sea serpent and Carnage! I liked the little town, and the female police officers! The serpent seemed credible and there was definitely some suspense. I just got a little bored, stopped reading x2 and then came back to finish.
August 5, 2022
Ми петица, нямам забележки. Какви забележки да имам, чудовището е супер, екшънът е на ниво, кръвта е на макс, а и човешките герои като са добре направени от какво да се оплаче човек. Е така се пише!
Подробно и идея по-сериозно ревю има и в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/serpent/
Подробно и идея по-сериозно ревю има и в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/serpent/
January 16, 2023
I felt like I was watching a Sci-fi channel movie
First of all, this author, Michael Cole, can make a story come to life. I literally could picture what was happening as I read the book. The descriptions were great. I got the feeling I was watching a made for the Sci-fi Channel movie. I say that because there were some really slow spots that seemed to be thrown in just to add length to the story. Being science fiction, I think I did pretty well getting past the implausables. The growth rate and the overnight evolving were troubling. What wasn't troubling was the action and the author's descriptions of actions. Mr. Cole did great with that. Character relationships? Not so great, and a little hard to believe, however, I would for sure read more by this author. When there was action, this author could bring it and make it easy to visualize. Not the best book I ever read, but a good one. Take out the Ben and Sammy scene in bed and it's a four star book for me.
First of all, this author, Michael Cole, can make a story come to life. I literally could picture what was happening as I read the book. The descriptions were great. I got the feeling I was watching a made for the Sci-fi Channel movie. I say that because there were some really slow spots that seemed to be thrown in just to add length to the story. Being science fiction, I think I did pretty well getting past the implausables. The growth rate and the overnight evolving were troubling. What wasn't troubling was the action and the author's descriptions of actions. Mr. Cole did great with that. Character relationships? Not so great, and a little hard to believe, however, I would for sure read more by this author. When there was action, this author could bring it and make it easy to visualize. Not the best book I ever read, but a good one. Take out the Ben and Sammy scene in bed and it's a four star book for me.
June 6, 2021
This book could have been great. Instead we face the first half with nothing really happening. There was no build up of suspense. There were Unnecessary descriptions and characters in the book. This book had all the makings of a great novel, a monster set loose and a company that didn’t want to take responsibility! And I just fell completely flat! I absolutely cannot recommend this book!
September 20, 2021
Excellent!
From beginning to end this creature delight held my attention. The characters, the crooked company, the honorable doctor, all had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Bravo!! Anxious to read more tales from Michael Cole.🤗🎉
From beginning to end this creature delight held my attention. The characters, the crooked company, the honorable doctor, all had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Bravo!! Anxious to read more tales from Michael Cole.🤗🎉
October 5, 2021
Great Quick Read
It was a quick and fun read. I could easily see it becoming a movie. Definitely worth your time. Five stars.
It was a quick and fun read. I could easily see it becoming a movie. Definitely worth your time. Five stars.
October 27, 2021
Great sifi
I can see this being put into a movie like Jaws was made. Would make people afraid to go in the water again.
I can see this being put into a movie like Jaws was made. Would make people afraid to go in the water again.
January 11, 2022
Great!
Good old fashioned creature feature with a good slice of romance. Easy read, filled with suspense. Nice ending. Really enjoyed.
Good old fashioned creature feature with a good slice of romance. Easy read, filled with suspense. Nice ending. Really enjoyed.
December 5, 2022
Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
*Trigger warning: Animal death.
It’s no secret that I love sea creatures. Sharks may be the most popular and common sea creature out in the ocean. While I love some shark carnage action, they are not the only sea creature around. Sometimes you can find something outside the norm. Serpent definitely gives you a sea creature you don’t see nearly as much as we should. A giant eel! I really enjoyed the eel bloodbath as it just WRECKED the ocean!
While I do enjoy the eel murder machine, I do want to mention a side note real quick. Just a little warning for animal lovers, especially if you love sharks and seals. As a shark fan, there were a few spots in the story that I had to fast forward a little. Did not care for all the detailed shark deaths! D: Poor sharkies!! It didn’t last long and was easy to pass over.
Serpent is yet another fun outing from this author. Cole loves the sea creature B-movie type vibe. This one didn’t feel as violent as normal (don’t get me wrong, still pretty crazy!). Super fast paced right from the start. Great flow.
I stated entertained the whole time and this is a fun story… but I will add that this was not my favorite story from this author. That does not mean I thought it was bad though! Something just felt a little….. off? I don’t know, it is hard to pinpoint. Still a great read and a blast to listen it!
*Trigger warning: Animal death.
It’s no secret that I love sea creatures. Sharks may be the most popular and common sea creature out in the ocean. While I love some shark carnage action, they are not the only sea creature around. Sometimes you can find something outside the norm. Serpent definitely gives you a sea creature you don’t see nearly as much as we should. A giant eel! I really enjoyed the eel bloodbath as it just WRECKED the ocean!
While I do enjoy the eel murder machine, I do want to mention a side note real quick. Just a little warning for animal lovers, especially if you love sharks and seals. As a shark fan, there were a few spots in the story that I had to fast forward a little. Did not care for all the detailed shark deaths! D: Poor sharkies!! It didn’t last long and was easy to pass over.
Serpent is yet another fun outing from this author. Cole loves the sea creature B-movie type vibe. This one didn’t feel as violent as normal (don’t get me wrong, still pretty crazy!). Super fast paced right from the start. Great flow.
I stated entertained the whole time and this is a fun story… but I will add that this was not my favorite story from this author. That does not mean I thought it was bad though! Something just felt a little….. off? I don’t know, it is hard to pinpoint. Still a great read and a blast to listen it!
January 16, 2026
This is story about a bioengineered serpent escaping containment and setting its hunting ground outside of South Florida town. The local police try to solve the problem, but the serpent continues to evolve new abilities.
It's a mix of good and bad. The situations are interesting yet the serpent itself is a little ridiculous. It is basically a retread of the movie "Reptilicus" except somehow the local police think they can handle the situation even after half of them get eaten. Yet, at no point, does the military get involved. It seemed very silly to have this creature literally eating scores and scores of people and the yet it's never prioritized outside the police department.
The dialogue is rough. At times, it felt like a bad YA romance. Will Sammy, the police chief, get back together with her ex? Will Sammy's friend Jessy make it work with a reality star? And when bad things happen, all the characters all shrug it off. It's all so superficial.
At the end of the day, I'd give this a 2.5 stars. It's a guilty pleasure read. I think you have to be in the right place to enjoy it. I was, unfortunately, was not. Still, I managed to finish it and I did care for the characters by the end of the book, so the author was doing something right.
It's a mix of good and bad. The situations are interesting yet the serpent itself is a little ridiculous. It is basically a retread of the movie "Reptilicus" except somehow the local police think they can handle the situation even after half of them get eaten. Yet, at no point, does the military get involved. It seemed very silly to have this creature literally eating scores and scores of people and the yet it's never prioritized outside the police department.
The dialogue is rough. At times, it felt like a bad YA romance. Will Sammy, the police chief, get back together with her ex? Will Sammy's friend Jessy make it work with a reality star? And when bad things happen, all the characters all shrug it off. It's all so superficial.
At the end of the day, I'd give this a 2.5 stars. It's a guilty pleasure read. I think you have to be in the right place to enjoy it. I was, unfortunately, was not. Still, I managed to finish it and I did care for the characters by the end of the book, so the author was doing something right.
January 3, 2022
Don't get me wrong. The book was good, but it missed one thing: human antagonists. I've read, 'Megalodon: Bloodbath', 'Arachnoid', 'Shredders', 'Scar: A Deep Sea Thriller', and 'Helicoprion'. I loved each one of them, but the thing that attracted me the most were the human villains and not the deadly creatures. The ruthless thugs in 'Megalodon: Bloodbath', Myles, Chris and Jedlinsky in 'Arachnoid', the eco-terrorists in 'Shredders', the ruthless scientist and her mercenaries in 'Scar: A Deep Sea Thriller', and the avaricious bio-terrorists in 'Helicoprion' were the vile characters that attracted my attention the most. It's because I think human villains are the most realistic antagonists in horror books and also because I love to see villains severely pay for their crimes. This book, 'Serpent: A Deep Sea Thriller', had the potential to show human antagonists, but none showed up. I can't help but feel disappointed about that.
February 11, 2023
As in his exciting novel, Thresher, Michael Cole presents an action-packed yarn exploring what happens when a sea creature is fed growth drugs that make it evolve to many times its normal size. In this case, it is also a prehistoric creature brought back to life through a lab-cloning process. The result is non-stop action as the monster of the title eats its way through just about every living thing it can get its humongous mouth around.
To make this book even more exciting, Cole introduces a cast of very likeable characters including two newly romantic couples—all four of whom get caught up in the effort to kill the giant serpent. These sorts of books often feel like the Towering Inferno or the Poseidon Adventure as we try to figure out who’s going to survive. Adding two sets of likeable couples to the mix, really ups the ante as they try to find a way to stop a serpent that acts like it could give Godzilla a run for his money.
To make this book even more exciting, Cole introduces a cast of very likeable characters including two newly romantic couples—all four of whom get caught up in the effort to kill the giant serpent. These sorts of books often feel like the Towering Inferno or the Poseidon Adventure as we try to figure out who’s going to survive. Adding two sets of likeable couples to the mix, really ups the ante as they try to find a way to stop a serpent that acts like it could give Godzilla a run for his money.
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December 8, 2022Good
I rather like "creature features" and this one is pretty good.
OK, not a particularly original plot, and some of the characters are stereotypical, but it moves along at a decent pace and holds the interest.
My biggest bugbear was the lack of proofreading. Early on, a submersible has just entered the water but then ascends (rather than descends). The principals at one point know the creature has killed seven people but talk about "four deaths" and later refer to only "two known victims". A young whale sees the creature "coiled on the surface" (of the sea) but a moment later aims itself "downward" at the creature! There are a few other issues where it is not clear from the narrative to whom the writer is referring. Could do better!
I rather like "creature features" and this one is pretty good.
OK, not a particularly original plot, and some of the characters are stereotypical, but it moves along at a decent pace and holds the interest.
My biggest bugbear was the lack of proofreading. Early on, a submersible has just entered the water but then ascends (rather than descends). The principals at one point know the creature has killed seven people but talk about "four deaths" and later refer to only "two known victims". A young whale sees the creature "coiled on the surface" (of the sea) but a moment later aims itself "downward" at the creature! There are a few other issues where it is not clear from the narrative to whom the writer is referring. Could do better!
June 19, 2023
an excellent creature feature! it was jaws, lake placid, the relic, deep blue sea, and piranha all rolled up into one heavy-hitter of a book. the creature violence was off the charts, but at times, i did get a little bored when the character relationships were getting established. some scenes were unnecessary to me, but i understand they were needed to up the stakes a bit and make you care about the characters, which i ended up liking a lot, actually!
aside from when it lagged a little, this was a really entertaining read! jam-packed full of fun horror tropes, it read like a movie, and the serpent was straight up terrifying. i’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!
aside from when it lagged a little, this was a really entertaining read! jam-packed full of fun horror tropes, it read like a movie, and the serpent was straight up terrifying. i’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!
June 20, 2023
I'm giving this one star because there was some suspense and gore and the characters were semi-likable (although they did behave in odd ways). BUT the typos and errors in grammar and continuity made it a really hard read. One minor character had a wife named Martha, but two sentences later she was named Connie. The grammar errors were too numerous to mention. C'mon, authors, at least have a literate friend proofread your stuff!
December 12, 2022
Serpent
I’ve read many creature feature books. Some are okay in a “boy I’m glad that’s over “ to “not bad.” This story is way beyond the better ones I’ve read. Excellent character development, excellent story line and an excellent ending. I was trying to slow down so that I could savor the ending but it just wouldn’t slow. A very good book.
I’ve read many creature feature books. Some are okay in a “boy I’m glad that’s over “ to “not bad.” This story is way beyond the better ones I’ve read. Excellent character development, excellent story line and an excellent ending. I was trying to slow down so that I could savor the ending but it just wouldn’t slow. A very good book.
December 13, 2022
Having read several Michael Cole books this one is as good as the rest. A bit of Harliquinn romance and a bit of Jurassic Park. He has the unique ability to make you really care about the characters pretty quickly in the story. I typically judge books by that, do I care if they make it or not. These ones you will care about. Plus a wicked and unique monster. Enjoyed it and will read more of his.
November 6, 2024
He doesn’t do women any favors by giving them major roles in his books in general. And this title is no different. This could have been a great listen but for the romantic comedy aspect. The fast forward button and I became fast friends. I think his books would be all the better for avoiding sex, dating, and relationships altogether.
August 19, 2021
Not a bad read
The reason for the 4 stars and not five, is it gets a little wordy when it comes yo the main characters romance. The monster in the book was good but would of been better if there had been more wrote about him.
The reason for the 4 stars and not five, is it gets a little wordy when it comes yo the main characters romance. The monster in the book was good but would of been better if there had been more wrote about him.
June 7, 2023
A very nice creature feature.
Interesting monster, very well developed characters and a fast paced story makes this book an excellent read. It rubbed me the wrong way a couple of times, but I understand why the author went hat way. All in all, very much worth the read.
Interesting monster, very well developed characters and a fast paced story makes this book an excellent read. It rubbed me the wrong way a couple of times, but I understand why the author went hat way. All in all, very much worth the read.
July 17, 2023
The story felt a little too long and I would have loved to know what happened to the company that had the creature made, so it felt a little anticlimactic. After all the damage and deaths.
But it was fun to listen to Tom Beyer narrate the story.
But it was fun to listen to Tom Beyer narrate the story.
March 3, 2025
I listened to the story on Audible and I couldn't help but think if you were to have a shot of alcohol every time the word "said" was mentioned, YOU WOULD DIE!!!
The story was okay-ish, not something I'd recommend.
The story was okay-ish, not something I'd recommend.
June 26, 2021
3.5/5
December 15, 2022
Easy read fairly good plot worth a look
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews