The trail of the serpent
★3.5/5
Listen FreeFree AI audiobook with natural voice. No signup required.
About This Book
Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1837–1915), Victorian England’s bestselling woman writer, blends Dickensian humor with chilling suspense in this “exuberantly campy” ( Kirkus Reviews ) mystery. The novel features Jabez North, a manipulative orphan who becomes a ruthless killer; Valerie de Cevennes, a stunning heiress who falls into North’s diabolical trap; and Mr. Peters, a mute detective who communicates his brilliant reasoning through sign language.This edition includes a critical Afterword and endnotes by Victorian scholar Dr. Chris Willis.
Chapters (374)(click to expand)
- MISS BRADDON’S NOVELS
- THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT
- CONTENTS
- THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT
- Book the First.
- CHAPTER I. THE GOOD SCHOOLMASTER.
- CHAPTER II. GOOD FOR NOTHING.
- CHAPTER III. THE USHER WASHES HIS HANDS.
- CHAPTER IV. RICHARD MARWOOD LIGHTS HIS PIPE.
- CHAPTER V. THE HEALING WATERS.
- CHAPTER VI. TWO CORONER’S INQUESTS.
- CHAPTER VII. THE DUMB DETECTIVE A PHILANTHROPIST.
- CHAPTER VIII. SEVEN LETTERS ON THE DIRTY ALPHABET.
- CHAPTER IX. “MAD, GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY.”
- Book the Second.
- CHAPTER I. BLIND PETER.
- CHAPTER II. LIKE AND UNLIKE.
- CHAPTER III. A GOLDEN SECRET.
- CHAPTER IV. JIM LOOKS OVER THE BRINK OF THE TERRIBLE GULF.
- CHAPTER V. MIDNIGHT BY THE SLOPPERTON CLOCKS.
- CHAPTER VI. THE QUIET FIGURE ON THE HEATH.
- CHAPTER VII. THE USHER RESIGNS HIS SITUATION.
- Book the Third.
- CHAPTER I. THE VALUE OF AN OPERA-GLASS.
- CHAPTER II. WORKING IN THE DARK.
- CHAPTER III. THE WRONG FOOTSTEP.
- CHAPTER IV. OCULAR DEMONSTRATION.
- CHAPTER V. THE KING OF SPADES.
- CHAPTER VI. A GLASS OF WINE.
- CHAPTER VII. THE LAST ACT OF LUCRETIA BORGIA.
- CHAPTER VIII. BAD DREAMS AND A WORSE WAKING.
- CHAPTER IX. A MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.
- CHAPTER X. ANIMAL MAGNETISM.
- Book the Fourth.
- CHAPTER I. THE BOY FROM SLOPPERTON.
- CHAPTER II. MR. AUGUSTUS DARLEY AND MR. JOSEPH PETERS GO OUT FISHING.
- CHAPTER III. THE EMPEROR BIDS ADIEU TO ELBA.
- CHAPTER IV. JOY AND HAPPINESS FOR EVERYBODY.
- CHAPTER V. THE CHEROKEES TAKE AN OATH.
- CHAPTER VI. MR. PETERS RELATES HOW HE THOUGHT HE HAD A CLUE, AND HOW HE LOST IT.
- Book the Fifth.
- CHAPTER I. THE COUNT DE MAROLLES AT HOME.
- CHAPTER II. MR. PETERS SEES A GHOST.
- CHAPTER III. THE CHEROKEES MARK THEIR MAN.
- CHAPTER IV. THE CAPTAIN, THE CHEMIST, AND THE LASCAR.
- CHAPTER V. THE NEW MILKMAN IN PARK LANE.
- CHAPTER VI. SIGNOR MOSQUETTI RELATES AN ADVENTURE.
- CHAPTER VII. THE GOLDEN SECRET IS TOLD, AND THE GOLDEN BOWL IS BROKEN.
- CHAPTER VIII. ONE STEP FURTHER ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
- CHAPTER IX. CAPTAIN LANSDOWN OVERHEARS A CONVERSATION WHICH APPEARS TO INTEREST HIM.
- Book the Sixth.
- CHAPTER I. FATHER AND SON.
- CHAPTER II. RAYMOND DE MAROLLES SHOWS HIMSELF BETTER THAN ALL BOW STREET.
- CHAPTER III. THE LEFT-HANDED SMASHER MAKES HIS MARK.
- CHAPTER IV. WHAT THEY FIND IN THE ROOM IN WHICH THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED.
- CHAPTER V. MR. PETERS DECIDES ON A STRANGE STEP, AND ARRESTS THE DEAD.
- CHAPTER VI. THE END OF THE DARK ROAD.
- CHAPTER VII. FAREWELL TO ENGLAND.
- [Pg 5]
- [Pg 6]
- [Pg 7]
- [Pg 8]
- [Pg 9]
- [Pg 10]
- [Pg 11]
- [Pg 12]
- [Pg 13]
- [Pg 14]
- [Pg 15]
- [Pg 16]
- [Pg 17]
- [Pg 18]
- [Pg 19]
- [Pg 20]
- [Pg 21]
- [Pg 22]
- [Pg 23]
- [Pg 24]
- [Pg 25]
- [Pg 26]
- [Pg 27]
- [Pg 28]
- [Pg 29]
- [Pg 30]
- [Pg 31]
- [Pg 32]
- [Pg 33]
- [Pg 34]
- [Pg 35]
- [Pg 36]
- [Pg 37]
- [Pg 38]
- [Pg 39]
- [Pg 40]
- [Pg 41]
- [Pg 42]
- [Pg 43]
- [Pg 44]
- [Pg 45]
- [Pg 46]
- [Pg 47]
- [Pg 48]
- [Pg 49]
- [Pg 50]
- [Pg 51]
- [Pg 52]
- [Pg 53]
- [Pg 54]
- [Pg 55]
- [Pg 56]
- [Pg 57]
- [Pg 58]
- [Pg 59]
- [Pg 60]
- [Pg 61]
- [Pg 62]
- [Pg 63]
- [Pg 64]
- [Pg 65]
- [Pg 66]
- [Pg 67]
- [Pg 68]
- [Pg 69]
- [Pg 70]
- [Pg 71]
- [Pg 72]
- [Pg 73]
- [Pg 74]
- [Pg 75]
- [Pg 76]
- [Pg 77]
- [Pg 78]
- [Pg 79]
- [Pg 80]
- [Pg 81]
- [Pg 82]
- [Pg 83]
- [Pg 84]
- [Pg 85]
- [Pg 86]
- [Pg 87]
- [Pg 88]
- [Pg 89]
- [Pg 90]
- [Pg 91]
- [Pg 92]
- [Pg 93]
- [Pg 94]
- [Pg 95]
- [Pg 96]
- [Pg 97]
- [Pg 98]
- [Pg 99]
- [Pg 100]
- [Pg 101]
- [Pg 102]
- [Pg 103]
- [Pg 104]
- [Pg 105]
- [Pg 106]
- [Pg 107]
- [Pg 108]
- [Pg 109]
- [Pg 110]
- [Pg 111]
- [Pg 112]
- [Pg 113]
- [Pg 114]
- [Pg 115]
- [Pg 116]
- [Pg 117]
- [Pg 118]
- [Pg 119]
- [Pg 120]
- [Pg 121]
- [Pg 122]
- [Pg 123]
- [Pg 124]
- [Pg 125]
- [Pg 126]
- [Pg 127]
- [Pg 128]
- [Pg 129]
- [Pg 130]
- [Pg 131]
- [Pg 132]
- [Pg 133]
- [Pg 134]
- [Pg 135]
- [Pg 136]
- [Pg 137]
- [Pg 138]
- [Pg 139]
- [Pg 140]
- [Pg 141]
- [Pg 142]
- [Pg 143]
- [Pg 144]
- [Pg 145]
- [Pg 146]
- [Pg 147]
- [Pg 148]
- [Pg 149]
- [Pg 150]
- [Pg 151]
- [Pg 152]
- [Pg 153]
- [Pg 154]
- [Pg 155]
- [Pg 156]
- [Pg 157]
- [Pg 158]
- [Pg 159]
- [Pg 160]
- [Pg 161]
- [Pg 162]
- [Pg 163]
- [Pg 164]
- [Pg 165]
- [Pg 166]
- [Pg 167]
- [Pg 168]
- [Pg 169]
- [Pg 170]
- [Pg 171]
- [Pg 172]
- [Pg 173]
- [Pg 174]
- [Pg 175]
- [Pg 176]
- [Pg 177]
- [Pg 178]
- [Pg 179]
- [Pg 180]
- [Pg 181]
- [Pg 182]
- [Pg 183]
- [Pg 184]
- [Pg 185]
- [Pg 186]
- [Pg 187]
- [Pg 188]
- [Pg 189]
- [Pg 190]
- [Pg 191]
- [Pg 192]
- [Pg 193]
- [Pg 194]
- [Pg 195]
- [Pg 196]
- [Pg 197]
- [Pg 198]
- [Pg 199]
- [Pg 200]
- [Pg 201]
- [Pg 202]
- [Pg 203]
- [Pg 204]
- [Pg 205]
- [Pg 206]
- [Pg 207]
- [Pg 208]
- [Pg 209]
- [Pg 210]
- [Pg 211]
- [Pg 212]
- [Pg 213]
- [Pg 214]
- [Pg 215]
- [Pg 216]
- [Pg 217]
- [Pg 218]
- [Pg 219]
- [Pg 220]
- [Pg 221]
- [Pg 222]
- [Pg 223]
- [Pg 224]
- [Pg 225]
- [Pg 226]
- [Pg 227]
- [Pg 228]
- [Pg 229]
- [Pg 230]
- [Pg 231]
- [Pg 232]
- [Pg 233]
- [Pg 234]
- [Pg 235]
- [Pg 236]
- [Pg 237]
- [Pg 238]
- [Pg 239]
- [Pg 240]
- [Pg 241]
- [Pg 242]
- [Pg 243]
- [Pg 244]
- [Pg 245]
- [Pg 246]
- [Pg 247]
- [Pg 248]
- [Pg 249]
- [Pg 250]
- [Pg 251]
- [Pg 252]
- [Pg 253]
- [Pg 254]
- [Pg 255]
- [Pg 256]
- [Pg 257]
- [Pg 258]
- [Pg 259]
- [Pg 260]
- [Pg 261]
- [Pg 262]
- [Pg 263]
- [Pg 264]
- [Pg 265]
- [Pg 266]
- [Pg 267]
- [Pg 268]
- [Pg 269]
- [Pg 270]
- [Pg 271]
- [Pg 272]
- [Pg 273]
- [Pg 274]
- [Pg 275]
- [Pg 276]
- [Pg 277]
- [Pg 278]
- [Pg 279]
- [Pg 280]
- [Pg 281]
- [Pg 282]
- [Pg 283]
- [Pg 284]
- [Pg 285]
- [Pg 286]
- [Pg 287]
- [Pg 288]
- [Pg 289]
- [Pg 290]
- [Pg 291]
- [Pg 292]
- [Pg 293]
- [Pg 294]
- [Pg 295]
- [Pg 296]
- [Pg 297]
- [Pg 298]
- [Pg 299]
- [Pg 300]
- [Pg 301]
- [Pg 302]
- [Pg 303]
- [Pg 304]
- [Pg 305]
- [Pg 306]
- [Pg 307]
- [Pg 308]
- [Pg 309]
- [Pg 310]
- [Pg 311]
- [Pg 312]
- [Pg 313]
- [Pg 314]
- [Pg 315]
- [Pg 316]
- [Pg 317]
- [Pg 318]
- [Pg 319]
- [Pg 320]
How to Listen
- 1. Click "Listen Free" above
- 2. The book opens in CastReader's browser reader
- 3. Click the play button — AI narration starts with word highlighting
- 4. Use "Send to Phone" to continue listening on your phone
More by M. E. Braddon
You Might Also Like
FAQ
Is this audiobook really free?
Yes. "The trail of the serpent" is a public domain work from Project Gutenberg. CastReader converts it to audio using AI text-to-speech for free. No account or payment needed.
What does the AI voice sound like?
CastReader uses Kokoro TTS, a natural-sounding AI voice. It handles punctuation, names, and dialogue naturally. Most listeners forget it's AI after a few minutes.
Can I listen on my phone?
Yes. Open the book, then use "Send to Phone" to stream audio to your phone via Telegram. No app download needed.