Kiss of Death

Malcolm Rose

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

Historical facts blend with ghosts and ancient curses in the latest offering from acclaimed thriller-writer Malcolm Rose.

A school trip turns into a nightmare when Kim and Wes leave the plague-village of Eyam with more than they bargained for, and a stolen artefact wreaks revenge.

Known for his gripping scientific thrillers, Malcolm Rose is a full-time writer who during his career has twice won the Angus Book Award.

Key Stage: KS2/3 E; Age 9 +

See the following website for a brief history of Eyam village: http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/outandabout/eyam.htm

Review by Chrissi (090407) Rating (7/10)

Review by Chrissi
Rating 7/10
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 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.
Chrissi (9th April 2007)