Arbieroo reviewed The kiss of death by Marcus Sedgwick
Review of 'The kiss of death' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Marko is summoned by a letter to Venice, in search of his father who has gone missing. He finds Sorrel, whose father has gone mad, and a mystery that appears hopeless to solve. He is determined to try, however and it is soon obvious that finding the one father is the only way to cure the other. But this is Venice, where a facade of elegance, sophistication and ritual tries to hide underlying decay, danger and corruption.
Venice is perfectly suited to Sedgwick's Gothic sensibilities and the city he describes in the first part of the novel, superficially mannered and beautiful but harbouring evil in its heart, is mirrored by the languid prose that is abruptly lacerated by violent events. As is usual with Sedgwick, the great strength of this novel is the evocation of atmosphere. Plotting is a more hit-and-miss affair when it comes to the Sedgwick canon. The …
Marko is summoned by a letter to Venice, in search of his father who has gone missing. He finds Sorrel, whose father has gone mad, and a mystery that appears hopeless to solve. He is determined to try, however and it is soon obvious that finding the one father is the only way to cure the other. But this is Venice, where a facade of elegance, sophistication and ritual tries to hide underlying decay, danger and corruption.
Venice is perfectly suited to Sedgwick's Gothic sensibilities and the city he describes in the first part of the novel, superficially mannered and beautiful but harbouring evil in its heart, is mirrored by the languid prose that is abruptly lacerated by violent events. As is usual with Sedgwick, the great strength of this novel is the evocation of atmosphere. Plotting is a more hit-and-miss affair when it comes to the Sedgwick canon. The Kiss of Death is, however, a palpable hit in this regard, making this one of his best novels.