Today, I’m hosting bestselling author S.Z. Estavillo’s latest release, The Serpent Series, a thriller, romantic suspense. Be sure to read my review of book one, The Serpent’s Bridge. Check out the sale. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
“Every crime tells a story…
But not every killer is the villain.“
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Title: The Serpent’s Order
Series: The Serpent Series, Book 4
Author: S.Z. Estavillo
Genre(s): Thriller, Romantic Suspense
An assassin bound by obedience. A detective marked for death. A cartel war with no survivors.
Blurb: Von Schlange thought she’d escaped her past. Now Black Nova owns her—an elite, off-the-books task force where obedience is survival and failure means death. As their newest assassin, she’s unleashed on targets tied to Jaxon Ryker, a drug lord buried deep in the Alaskan wilds.
Her partner, Xander Holt, a former Navy SEAL with ice in his veins, lives by the same brutal code: no attachments, no lines crossed. But as missions turn bloody, the fragile boundary between partner and lover begins to blur—and desire becomes its own kind of danger.
Across the country, Detective Anaya Nazario faces a nightmare of her own. A synthetic “zombie drug,” deadlier than fentanyl and immune to Narcan, is ripping through Los Angeles. Her investigation exposes a network of dirty cops shielding Ryker’s empire—and puts a target squarely on her back.
Two women on opposite fronts. One war against corruption and cartel power. And a single truth—every betrayal leaves a body behind.
Explosive, unrelenting, and razor-sharp, The Serpent’s Order propels the Serpent Series into its most dangerous chapter yet—where justice is a myth, and survival comes at a price paid in blood.
**NEW RELEASE on February 10, 2026! PreOrder Now!**
Get the Box Set Duo for Only $2.99 for a Limited Time!
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Title: Twilight of the Serpent
Series: The Serpent Series, Book 3
Author: S.Z. Estavillo
Genre(s): Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Some predators hide in plain sight. Others hunt from the shadows.
Blurb: Merrick Winslow is a decorated Army officer, a man of discipline and honor—or so he claims. When he reports that his ex-wife, Cheonsa Soo-Min, has been stalking him, no one questions his story. He paints her as unstable, vengeful, and dangerous, a woman consumed by obsession. But when two officers are gunned down with her own weapon, the truth becomes harder to see. With the law closing in, Cheonsa vanishes, fleeing to Rio de Janeiro, where she is taken in by Von Schlange, the vigilante thought to have disappeared for good.
Von has retired her vengeful ways, leaving behind a life of bloodshed to run a quiet veterinary clinic. But when Cheonsa’s past collides with Winslow’s lies, the two women begin to unravel a deadly deception—one that turns predator into prey. By the time Von uncovers the truth, an innocent life has already been taken.
Now, there’s only one thing left to do: find the real monster and make him pay.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Detective Anaya Nazario and Supervising Special Agent Blake Huxley are adjusting to life as new parents. But after only four months of maternity leave, Nazario is pulled back into the field to investigate the murder of two officers. What should be a straightforward case quickly spirals into something far more sinister—secrets buried beneath the badge, a killer hiding behind a uniform, and a web of corruption stretching further than anyone expected.
As Nazario and Huxley chase down leads, their investigation intersects with a vigilante they once thought was dead. And this time, Von Schlange isn’t just seeking justice—she’s delivering retribution.
For fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, and Taylor Adams, Twilight of the Serpent delivers a high-stakes vigilante thriller packed with morally gray justice, relentless suspense, and a tangled web of deception. Perfect for readers who love strong female leads, intense cat-and-mouse chases, and dark psychological twists.
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Title: The Serpent Woman
Series: The Serpent Series, Book 2
Author: S.Z. Estavillo
Genre(s): Thriller, Romantic Suspense
The exciting sequel to The Serpent’s Bridge…
A serial killer is on the loose. With her insidious tattoo and venomous killer strike, they’re calling her the serpent woman.
Blurb: Two of the best in their field, LAPD Detective Anaya Nazario and FBI Supervising Special Agent Blake Huxley are forced to work together yet again, despite their strained romantic history and a baby on the way. Together on a nationwide hunt, they must find this serpent woman before she strikes again.
But, as the cat-and-mouse chase evolves, Nazario and Huxley begin to realize that their killer is on a mission of vigilante justice and they must struggle with the question of who really deserves their justice: The killer, or her victims?
This dark thriller delves into the sensitive topics of sex trafficking, child abuse, animal death, sexual assault, graphic violence, and dead bodies. Reader discretion is advised.
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Title: The Serpent’s Bridge
Series: The Serpent Series, Book 1
Author: S.Z. Estavillo
Genre(s): Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Blurb: Recovering alcoholic Detective Anaya Nazario remains haunted by her father’s murder. Lucas Nazario was the highest-ranking Puerto Rican LAPD detective, and his case has gone unsolved for twenty-four years since his murder. When Mexican immigrants are targeted by a serial killer, Nazario senses a connection and fights to keep the leadless case open. The homicide investigation centers on Sanctuary Baptist, a church composed of immigrants led by Pastor Stan and his wife. Nazario’s personal and professional worlds collide when she is compelled to collaborate with her former lover, Special Agent Blake Huxley. As their lives merge once more, the FBI and Detective Nazario stop at nothing to find a killer.
Is this the same monster who killed her father and left him for dead under a bridge?
Can she put a stop to the murders before more families lose loved ones?
Compelling dialogue, rich, gritty prose, and characters you won’t forget — if you loved The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson, or Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger, you’ll love The Serpent’s Bridge.
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I’ve been enjoying thrillers as of late. I do believe I found another fave genre. Add a touch of romance, and you’ve got a perfect recipe because this is what the author offers in her series The Serpent.
I wish I had time to review all the novels offered for the blog tour, but alas, my pile to read and review is a large one. However, I must say I truly enjoyed this book along with the characters.
The author brings to L.A. a place I have yet to experience. Don’t expect Hollywood glamour and glitz, or the fashions found on Rodeo Drive. This series takes you deep into a place tourists don’t experience, and the author paints the setting as dark and dreary, which I loved.
Let’s start with the main protagonist, Anaya Nazario, a woman who followed in her deceased father’s footsteps, working the homicide unit for the LAPD in a neighbourhood known for crime. The author made this character very real, a tough-as-nails woman, driven by her job, but who also has a tender side nobody gets to see.
Then there is Special Agent Blake Huxley of the FBI, a man from Anaya’s past, the very man she wants to avoid, but he is part of the case, and she finds herself visiting the past when paired with him. Blake is a handsome, intelligent, courageous man, what everyone wants in a hero.
But additional characters who stand out are Esperanza, a Mexican woman illegally hiding in the city to give her young,g brilliant son the opportunities she never had. She is the witness to the murder and is running scared. A Baptist couple married to the church and each other, who get sucked into the case against their own wills. A savvy and maybe sneaky ICE agent. And a rich lady who somehow doesn’t fit into the puzzle.
The author did a brilliant job plotting out this novel because you never knew what would happen next. Not only does the author bring gritty cop life to the forefront, but also its complications as Anaya hunts to find the killer.
The characters are very real. The storyline could easily be a case worked by the real LAPD. And the setting is a character, too.
Does it get a bit narrative-heavy now and then? Yes, it does, but that can easily be overlooked with the suspense and thrills the author provides.
Do yourself a favour and start the series. You won’t be disappointed.
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As a BIPOC thriller author, she previously parted amicably with her agent and, three months later, secured an eight-book deal with Oliver-Heber Books—now boasting 24,000 downloads in its first year and a BookRaid bestseller ranking in the thriller category. The Serpent Woman (Book 2) reached #1 on Amazon and topped all three of its categories.
Her background spans literary agencies and TV studios, where she contributed to greenlit screenplays that became Lifetime movies. She holds a Master’s in Television, Radio, and Film, has taught author branding workshops (L.A. Writer’s Conference, North Texas RWA), and maintains a 100K+ social media following.
Follow S.Z.: Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | Bluesky | TikTok | Bookbub | Amazon | Goodreads
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Maggie Blackbird 