Publisher's Weekly
The many good moments in this tale of witchery by the author of Adversary are undone by its silly, unsatisfying ending. In 1966, recently divorced California vintner Donald Clermont, in France with his teenage daughter Lisa, visits an abandoned abbey with a history of withcraft, blood oaths, succubi and incubi. On a whim, he inscribes a runic symbol on a rock with his own blood. That night, after Clermont has slept with a beautiful stranger, Lisa is apparently raped. At first Clermont puts it down as a nightmare but Lisa is pregnant; she dies giving birth to Selena, and Clermont kills himself. In 1988 Selena returns from Europe to the family winery and takes up with a pedophiliac dentist and a vicious biker, both of whom die horribly as suicides. Young doctor Gene Farrell is smitten, but Selena warns him away, opposing her satanic ''companions.'' Farrell, threatened by nightmares, bones up on sorcery and decides to resort to murder, leading to the brief, disappointing showdown and unconvincing epilogue.
Library Journal
An ancient sacrifice reenacted in France by an American tourist results in a curse that follows him to California, with tragic consequences. Twenty-one years later, Selena, half-human/half-goddess product of the curse, seduces and detroys evil men by the dark of the moon. Idealistic, naive Gene falls in love with Selena, and as he uncovers her secret he is marked as her demons' next victim. Selena is seen only through Gene, as a distant, beautiful, but rather spoiled and willful image. The reader is given no insight into her character or understanding of her powers or beliefs. As a result, what is supposed to be a tragic torment for Selena doesn't pack much emotional punch. And Gene's final desperate act, meant to illustrate his inevitable, irresistible love for Selena, is simply unbelievable. Too little character development and too much unexplained action make Gene, Selena, et al. appear not just innocent but pretty darned stupid.-- A.M.B. Amantia, Population Crisis Committee Lib., Washington, D.C.
Genre: Horror
The many good moments in this tale of witchery by the author of Adversary are undone by its silly, unsatisfying ending. In 1966, recently divorced California vintner Donald Clermont, in France with his teenage daughter Lisa, visits an abandoned abbey with a history of withcraft, blood oaths, succubi and incubi. On a whim, he inscribes a runic symbol on a rock with his own blood. That night, after Clermont has slept with a beautiful stranger, Lisa is apparently raped. At first Clermont puts it down as a nightmare but Lisa is pregnant; she dies giving birth to Selena, and Clermont kills himself. In 1988 Selena returns from Europe to the family winery and takes up with a pedophiliac dentist and a vicious biker, both of whom die horribly as suicides. Young doctor Gene Farrell is smitten, but Selena warns him away, opposing her satanic ''companions.'' Farrell, threatened by nightmares, bones up on sorcery and decides to resort to murder, leading to the brief, disappointing showdown and unconvincing epilogue.
Library Journal
An ancient sacrifice reenacted in France by an American tourist results in a curse that follows him to California, with tragic consequences. Twenty-one years later, Selena, half-human/half-goddess product of the curse, seduces and detroys evil men by the dark of the moon. Idealistic, naive Gene falls in love with Selena, and as he uncovers her secret he is marked as her demons' next victim. Selena is seen only through Gene, as a distant, beautiful, but rather spoiled and willful image. The reader is given no insight into her character or understanding of her powers or beliefs. As a result, what is supposed to be a tragic torment for Selena doesn't pack much emotional punch. And Gene's final desperate act, meant to illustrate his inevitable, irresistible love for Selena, is simply unbelievable. Too little character development and too much unexplained action make Gene, Selena, et al. appear not just innocent but pretty darned stupid.-- A.M.B. Amantia, Population Crisis Committee Lib., Washington, D.C.
Genre: Horror
Used availability for Daniel Rhodes's Kiss of Death
See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
Hardback Editions
August 1990 : Hardback
| Title: Kiss of Death Author(s): Daniel Rhodes ISBN: 0-450-51514-1 / 978-0-450-51514-9 (UK edition) Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
June 1990 : Hardback
| Title: Kiss of Death Author(s): Daniel Rhodes ISBN: 0-312-04357-0 / 978-0-312-04357-5 (USA edition) Publisher: St Martins Pr Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
Paperback Editions
September 1992 : Paperback
| Title: Kiss of Death Author(s): Daniel Rhodes ISBN: 0-8125-1711-3 / 978-0-8125-1711-8 (USA edition) Publisher: Tor Books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
November 1991 : Paperback
| Title: Kiss of Death Author(s): Daniel Rhodes ISBN: 0-450-55201-2 / 978-0-450-55201-4 (UK edition) Publisher: New English Library Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
1990 : Paperback
| Title: Kiss of Death. Author(s): Daniel. Rhodes Publisher: St Martins Pr Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
Other Editions
January 1990 : Unknown
| Title: Kiss of Death Author(s): Daniel Rhodes Publisher: St. Martin's Availability: Amazon More details... |
January 1990 : Unknown
| Title: Kiss of Death Author(s): Daniel Rhodes Publisher: St. Martin's Availability: Amazon More details... |
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