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Kiss: Book Review

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Imagine waking up to find that you can’t remember the last six months of your life. That’s the premise for Ted Dekker’s latest suspense novel, Kiss.

The author is known for his ability to weave compelling characters, supernatural occurrences, and thrilling plot twists together to craft a gripping story. His latest novel offers these familiar elements combined with a mystery needing to be solved.

Dekker co-wrote the novel with his long-time editor Erin Healy. Though this is her first book, Healy has plenty of experience with the genre. She is the owner of WordWright Editorial Services, a Colorado-based consulting firm specializing in fiction book development, and she has edited twelve of Dekker’s previous novels. She has also worked with many other talented novelists including James Scott Bell, Brandilyn Collins, Frank Peretti, and Robert Whitlow.

Kiss centers around Shauna McAllister who wakes from a coma following a devastating car wreck only to find that she has no memory of the last six months. Tensions run high at her home where both her estranged father, a senator embarking on a presidential campaign, and her disagreeable step-mother blame her for the accident which has left her brother, Rudy, severely brain damaged. In addition, she has no recollection of Wayne Spade, the man who claims to be her boyfriend and insists on taking care of her.

As she heals, Shauna tries to recover any memories that she can but to no avail. What she does discover, however, is that she has the unique ability to probe the minds of others and take their memories. By doing this, she learns the harrowing truth about her accident and the events that led up to it. She quickly realizes that someone is out to get her, and some of the people she thought were friends cannot be trusted.

As she unravels the mysterious circumstances behind her accident, she puts herself in even more danger. She is playing a risky game of cat and mouse with a formidable enemy, and needs to put the pieces together before it is too late.

Kiss moves along at a steady pace. The convincing characters pull the reader in, and the plot twists keep them turning pages to see what happens next. As with most Dekker novels, the spiritual themes are subtle. Readers will find no sermons here. But the story does offer a poignant look at the purpose of suffering and pain in our lives. Is it necessary to experience one (and live with the memories of it) in order to enjoy the other? The novel allows readers to decide.

Suspense fans will greatly enjoy this latest offering. And with plans for the duo to team up for future books, we can look forward to more riveting tales from Dekker and Healy.

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About The Author

Belinda
Elliott

Belinda’s passion is crafting stories that help people live better lives, whether that means offering advice to restore a crumbling marriage, giving practical ways Christians can live out their faith, or providing tips to clean and organize the kitchen pantry. There is nothing more satisfying than writing articles that teach, motivate, inspire, or uplift people. She began her writing career as a newspaper reporter. Later, she served as a senior editor/writer for CBN.com, the website of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and wrote about a variety of topics. Belinda’s greatest desire is to