Best-seller Contender

A magnificent book, full of lush prose, memorable characters, fascinating insights into what makes people's lives go awry and what rights them again. Deadly Kiss is one of those books that leaves you full as you turn the last page, but knowing you'll think about the story long into the future. Bickford is a major talent. I'll be reading his books as fast as he can deliver them. (S.R.)

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My new favorite author

One of those books you can read again and again just for the atmosphere...highly recommended. (E.S.)

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Beautifully written, engaging and timeless  

 I would love to see students comparing/contrasting this with "To Kill a Mockingbird."

(P.N.)

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Great book!

I was so pleased to see the characters and setting from Bickford's first book, Caves in the Rain, back again. The story though, was totally different but equally gripping right from the riveting opening that echoed the tragedies that helped spark the civil rights struggles of the last century. The tale is effectively told through present action and flashbacks. favourite character? Eli.   (W.)

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Five Stars

A page turner that kept me up late every time I picked it up and a surprise ending! (DS)

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Intriguing and insightful ...

  … If you can get past the disturbing events that connect the lives of this book’s main characters, you are in for a treat. A well-written and intriguing story that touches the soul. Love, hate, trust and deception all intertwine as the protagonist tries to make sense of his father’s life and death. Characters he meets along the way offer some wise comments on human nature, showing the author’s insightfulness and making me want to read more of his works. (J.)

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Great read

The story flashes back between modern times and mid century Southern USA. The switches are smooth and not confusing and tie together an interesting mystery. In the flash backs, I am reminded somewhat of books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Time to Kill that deal with the severe racial prejudice and lack of justice in the legal system of the era. The modern times segments are an engrossing mystery with interesting characters. There are some paranormal elements but they are not distracting to someone like me who doesn't usually like paranormal stories. (MSK)

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Compelling and Suspenseful

This story drew me in immediately. I felt like I was there in that hot Georgia Summer day where it all begins. It tells the story of how one seemingly innocuous event can alter people's lives forever and even the generation after. It delves into the ugly side of American history (racism) and how hatred of that nature spawned an unfortunate series of events for all who were involved, directly and indirectly. Deadly Kiss is fiction, but it could so easily have happened in the Jim Crow South and that makes it all the more palpable and shocking. Bob Bickford's style of writing is so beautifully detailed and has a way of actually making you feel like you are part of the scene - like a quiet observer in a corner of the room. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy page turners. It is well worth your time. The only problem is you will be hooked and it will leave you wanting more of this author's collection. :-)  (M.L.)

 

Unforgettable re-interpretation

An eponymous event of the Civil Rights struggles of mid 20th Century, the lynching death and open-casket funeral of 14-year-old Emmett Till is the inspiration for this sad and terrifying tale. Love, regret and revenge over 60 years of people who refuse to be forgotten, by history, or by you. Ugly story, beautifully told. (C.B.)

 

Part mystery, part romance

Bob Bickford is a fresh voice with a great command of prose who sends us on a journey inside a family history tangled in a tragic event where the paranormal gives clues. It's a faced-paced and thought-provoking story showing how reaching into the past can heal the present. Set in Canada and the U.S., Bickford does a wonderful job of setting atmosphere in time and space for his characters to inhabit.  (D.A.)

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Sleepless in Toronto...

Deadly Kiss by Bob Bickford.... Well it's been a long while since a man has kept me up most of the night... Couldn't put this down and now I'm just sad it's finished. One of the best books I ever read.... Well done Mr Bickford!   (S.B.)

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Add this new Author to your list of "must follow."

This authors ability to paint a vivid picture with simple words will grab your attention right from the first page. In 5 short paragraphs, a short story in it's own right, he gives us a full description of a child's love and trust of his father. We slide back to hot, humid Georgia of the 60's and a child's prank, a kiss. Then forward, on the wind of social upheaval and change, to present day in a small cabin on a cool Canadian island. With a ghost to guide him, Mike Latta tries to solve the mystery of his father's secret. He finds himself in the process. Author Bob Bickford tells a good story in Deadly Kiss. Can't wait for his next story.   (E.K.)

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A fantastic, can't-put-it-down book.

History, Ghosts, Murder, Romance and different Geographical locations all rolled into one, darn good, don't want it to end, but can't stop reading it type of book. The many very insightful, and thought provoking scenarios, allows the reader to feel the pain, the sorrow,the hatred and guilt that makes up these very memorable characters. I very much enjoyed this wonderful book and will eagerly await his next book. Thank you Bob Bickford for an amazing Novel, and please hurry with your next one.

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Five Stars

Bob Bickford has become a new favorite...looking forward to more...Looking for a good read ...this is it.   (M.J.)

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Thank you for such a lovely book 

I often read too fast but this was such a beautifully written book I found myself slowing down and savoring every page. The characters felt so real and nothing about the book was frightening - far more emotional. I cannot wait for more from Bickford.  (S.L.)

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A Kiss for the Ages

Love lasts as memories and ghosts move in and out of our brief time here. A surprise ending and a new life.  (Y.M.)

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A must-read from a great new writer 

Touching, exciting, and mysterious by turns, this is a splendid read by an exciting new voice. Bickford's writing is atmospheric and lyrical, and he tells a compelling story. (M.F.)

 

 

Gorgeous writing 

How can I say that when this book describes the horrors of "southern justice" and how secrets can wreck lives? Well, Bickford does it beautifully--another contradiction in terms. But his characters grab you, wrap themselves around you, and make you forget that they are fictional. I hope to meet Mike Latta again, and some of the other denizens of Hollow Lake.  (A.B.)

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Remarkably beautiful and unforgettable 

Deadly Kiss is a gem of a novel. Bob Bickford combines brilliant descriptive powers and skilful mastery of atmosphere with first-rate storytelling. He is blessed with the rare ability to engage us in the pleasures of immersive, stay-up-all-night reading. (A.L.B.)

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The past is never dead. It's not even past 

 “Deadly Kiss” propelled me the way a good novel does, with a plot that kept me wondering what was going to happen next and characters who made me care about the answer. A hard book to classify: It’s not really a murder mystery, though there are several violent deaths and a number of mysteries surrounding them, including one that is answered only in the closing minutes. There’s even a colorful detective. It’s not really a ghost story, though ghosts do keep turning up, sometimes to the benefit of the nonghosts and sometimes not. They have their own agenda. In the end it’s really a love story about a couple of not-always-easy people carrying some baggage. You’ll find yourself rooting for them. Also you’ll learn something about pie, always a worthwhile subject.  (W.W.)

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Riveting

A fabulous debut novel that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The author has carefully crafted a riveting story, rich in detail and historical ambiance, intertwined with never ending suspense and ghostly events. Couldn't put it down. (R.M.)

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Your newest favorite author 

Great read! How often do you find a book with an exciting plot, great dialogue, engaging characters and vivid descriptions!?
This is such a well crafted novel! A great read. Highly recommended! (J.L)

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Pleasure to Read

This novel is based on a real and tragic event in the recent history of America, and the author is a born story-teller with a gift for description and narration. I anticipate a second and a third novel soon to come. (A.R.)

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Delicious, suspenseful, thought provoking 

I am always searching for an author who measures up. Bob Bickford's words are elegant, his story telling is lovely. Deadly Kiss is one of those novels that you will want to savor--don't rush through this! My interest was caught in the first few sentences, and I did not want to put this down. I cannot wait until his next effort!  (W.R.)

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A Gripping Tale of Death and Discovery 

Ghosts, people who can see and interact with ghosts, and the intricate web across time of mystery and intrigue as the protagonist struggles with the discovery of past events and present conflicts with family and loved ones. Bob Bickford tells the tale through a clever use of flashbacks and ghost visitations and immerses us in a world of nature and culture on both sides of the border, from the deep south of the USA to the northern Canadian land of lakes and cottages. I cared deeply for the central characters whose lives were changed forever by one kiss. We question our own judgment and moral landscape as we flip through the pages to discover the truth. I have not finished a book so quickly in years. The beauty of "Deadly Kiss" is that you want to read it again, even though the secret has been revealed by the end of the story. Immerse yourself in the world of Bob Bickford's mesmerizing tale, "Deadly Kiss". (C.G.)

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Five Stars

Fantastic read. Couldn't put it down once I started. For all unaware of Bob Bickford and looking for an unforgettable read. This story is inspired by a real-life Civil Rights era event: the lynching and subsequent open-casket funeral of 14-year-old Emmett Till. But it is far more than that: a suspenseful ghost story you won't want to put down, but so beautifully written you want to slow it down and savour every syllable. This is the first, of what's sure to be many. (C.R.)

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EXCELLENT 

Well... the worst has happened. I finished DEADLY KISS. I didn't intend to do that... I wanted to drag it out for weeks. I wept at the end, partly because of how the story closed and partly because I had no more pages to turn. What strikes me most about DEADLY KISS -- apart from the outstanding character development, plot lines, moving seamlessly in and out of different times -- are the love and compassion with which the ghosts are created and defined. I was a little afraid that I'd be a little afraid but, instead, the writing made me want to interact with several people I know who have passed on. I'm hoping to read more of this author, and soon! (C.C.)

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Timely and engaging

Loved this novel. I was drawn to it because of the topic and the connection to the Emmett Till story, and it proved well worth the effort. Engaging, and an emotionally intense and believable story by an exciting new literary voice. (N.M.)

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Fabulous 

 purchased this debut novel directly from the publisher when it was first released. It's so well written, descriptive, full of suspense and unexpected twists. It's definitely worth the read. Perfect timing for adding it to a gift list for the upcoming holiday season. (R.M)

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Absorbing, moving and intelligent 

Deadly Kiss is a gem of a novel. Bob Bickford combines brilliant descriptive powers and skilful mastery of atmosphere with first-rate storytelling. He is blessed with the rare ability to engage us in the pleasures of immersive, stay-up-all-night reading. (A.L.B.)

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Excellent and engaging story

I loved this book, and I found it engaging and thought provoking. I am teaching a class this term in university that deals with the real world events of Emmett Till, and so Bickford's topic caught my attention. Intense storytelling and a feel for the period made this a novel worth reading. (N.M.)

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Page turner

This book is eloquently written, infused with history and full of suspense -- I couldn't put it down! (J.D.)

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Great use of an historic event

...to create a suspenseful modern novel.

Excellent story-telling based on an actual historic event. All of the elements needed for a good, suspenseful read. I can't think of a single emotion not elicited by this book at some point. (C.B.)