On a school trip to the plague village of Eyam, Seth is moved by the story of how villagers sacrificed their lives to the dreaded Black Death. Kim and Wes are more interested in what they see at the bottom of the wishing well - money! But when they snatch the coins they also pick up something they hadn't bargained for, and as the hideous consequences of their theft catch up with them all, Seth is forced to face a terrifying truth. Has Eyam's plague-ridden past resurfaced to seek revenge?
Malcolm Rose was born in Coventry and began his career as a research scientist. He started writing stories while studying for his DPhil degree in chemistry, as a means of escape from everyday life. He is now a full-time writer best known for his gripping science-based thrillers and forensic crime series. He has been awarded the Angus Book Award twice and the Lancashire Children's Book of the Year. His novel, Kiss of Death, was chosen for the national Booked Up reading scheme, and was shortlisted for four prizes, including the Salisbury Schools' Book Award.
Title: The Kiss of Death
Author: Malcolm Rose
ISBN: 9780746070642
Binding:
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
Publication Date: 2006-10-27
Number of Pages: 192
Weight: 0.1996 kg
An enthralling read * Books for Keeps *
Rose's excellent writing - taut, economical and evocative - successfully counters his narrative contrivance, making this historical thriller an enthralling read, while he reserves one last twist for the unwary reader. * Books for Keeps *
Loads of unexpected things happen around every corner. I couldn't put it down. I think every one who likes a bit of a chilling horror would LOVE this book! Probably 8+ sort of age range. Definitely an amazing book. * Reading Zone 5 star reader's review *
Malcolm Rose's Kiss of Death weaves a tale, which is at times suspenseful, but always interesting. It is a story of a seemingly petty crime that brings the past into a thrilling collision with the present. Past and present are neatly woven together, which as the story progresses lends a reality that allows the suspense to culminate satisfactorily. There is plenty of nice gory detail describing the symptoms of the Black Death spread throughout the book, and especially early on this is bound to grab the reader's attention. The first half of the book is fairly pedestrian, but the pace picks up later on, leading to an unexpected and shocking, but strangely satisfying climax. The subject matter of curses and disease within a modern setting has the potential to work for a wide audience. * Janet Colquhoun, School Librarian *
This children's book, based on historical facts, was interesting to me because having grown up in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire the story of Eyam village is very familiar. Eyam is one of those amazingly tragic stories of self sacrifice where human beings show their best side. For anyone not familiar with the story, the Plague or Black Death arrived in Eyam from London and rather than infect people outside the village with the dreadful disease, the village cut itself off, causing the plague to run amok among the its own population while they remained isolated. Kiss of Death is a supernatural story where the past reaches out and touches wrong doers. Wes and Kim are friends who take a fancy to the money in the wishing well on a school trip to Eyam and having grabbed it, are dogged by misfortune and illness until Seth, Kim's twin, figures out what is going on and tries to make everything right again. This is a subject that will appeal to anyone who likes the gory bits of history and enjoys a good ghost story. The idea that curses and ill-wishes retain their potency across centuries is fascinating and leaves you wondering whether there is no such thing as an accident. * Review by Chrissie on www.booklore.co.uk *
