"the dance of the scorpion" is a psychotic thriller that tells of one mans struggle against fantasy and the real world. It is a tormented tale of mystery, intrigue and murder, That began in the late eighties to present day taking us through such exotic locations as england, spain and australia.
throughout most of the eighties rick clarke did not visibly exist, and all we know are the stories he tells. what close friends he had, lost contact with him shortly after his mother's funeral - when he supposedly set of trekking around the world in search of adventure.
rick's story telling has become a passion to him, a deadly passion. he tells his tales with such intensity and conviction, that someone out there actually believes him.
there are threats on his life; the family home is the target of a terrorist firebomb, and there's even a thwarted attempt to kidnap jenny his two-year-old daughter.
with his family and a handful of personal possessions rick moves to rpain, but it's not long before the devils of his past catch up with him once again. a cat and mouse high-speed chase on the mediterranean has an explosive ending, and puts rick into a psychiatric hospital.
following their return to england the chaos continues, and rick is involved in an explosion that takes the life of a young girl.
rick firmly believes that his archenemy ira terrorist sean kelly has returned from his watery grave, others believe it is some deep-rooted psychotic disorder. when his handicapped mother-in-law is horrifically murdered, rick is even more convinced and he is treated for manic depression.
rick's mood swings continue until the day his old friend and ex partner mark paul comes back into his life, and convinces the family that their future lies in far off shores.
the tranquillity of a new beginning in australia doesn't last however, and rick's penchant for story telling once again becomes part of his life. a cryptic birthday card sets off a chain of murders, which recur every year on the anniversary of rick's birth. each of these horrific crime scenes have one thing in common, and that is a set of tracks. the mysterious tyre tracks convince rick that sean kelly is now bound to a wheelchair, and once again their life becomes a horror story.
