One of the three premier releases in Intrigue's new WorldKrime series, The Viper's Kiss is a refreshing return to the hardboiled, masculine edge of detective fiction, as well as an exciting example of the international mystery. Middle-aged private eye Chrisostomos Zaras is given a break from chasing adulterers when a whiskey smuggler hires him to find a missing thief, along with a lost fortune. Leaving his native country of Greece for the tension-filled shores of Cyprus, Zaras immediately seeks out the island's criminal network. Zaras' only link to the nefarious underground operating in the town of Limassol is the beautiful and elusive Lena, secretary and mistress to the mob, whose motives, though plainly stated, he suspects are far more dubious. With the help of his taxi-driver sidekick, Nikitas, Zaras uncovers a plot involving Greek mobsters, drug trafficking, corrupt officials, and murderous Turks, with hidden agendas around every corner.