November 2009 Book of the Month.

A mixture of love story and crime novel set against a beautifully evoked African backdrop. Mackenzie Ford is a talent to watch and this novel will keep you gripped from beginning to end.

Synopsis

Kenya, 1961. As a small plane carrying Nathalie Nelson lands at a remote airstrip in the Serengeti, Nathalie knows she's run just about as far as she can from home. Trained as an archaeologist, she has fought hard to be included in a team excavating ruins in Kenya, her first opportunity to escape England and the painful memories of her past. But before she can find her bearings, the dig is surrounded by controversy - and murder. In a country on the brink of crisis, nowhere and no one is safe. As a growing attraction to Jack Deacon, famed explorer, becomes a passionate, reckless affair, Nathalie is faced with a decision that will shape her life for ever ...

Reviews

Reviews for The Kissing Gates:

'Set against the panorama of the First World War, The Kissing Gates is a poignant love story, a finely woven tapestry of choice, consequence and redemption. Mackenzie Ford explores the ambiguities of the human heart with an unwavering hand, and in so doing creates a haunting and moving tale that will resonate with the reader long after he or she has finished the last page. Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of Kommandant's Girl 'This book is a joy to read. Wonderful period detail, and the atmosphere so convincing it had me looking out the window for Zeppelins. The First World War - with its no-man's land and valiant nurses - is disturbingly contrasted to the peaceful idyll of rural England. Even the touching love story, with a secret ticking away like a time-bomb at its heart, has us on a knife-edge of uncertainty. And Ford provides fascinating details of the thrills of the wartime intelligence world. I was swept up in this intimate and captivating story of conflicting loyalties. It's the kind of read that lingers in the mind'
Kate Furnivall, author of The Russian Concubine

'The Kissing Gates is a passionate, engrossing page-turner - a full-blooded epic story of love, the corroding power of secrets, and a man at war with himself'
Anthony Capella, author of The Food of Love

'Against the background of the First World War this debut tells the tale of love against all hope, with a healthy dose of revenge'
Irish Tatler

'There's an uncluttered quality to Ford's prose and he evokes his west country settings with quiet skill'
Evening Standard

'[A] well constructed World War I romance ... A gripping tale you won't want to put down' **** Now 'Ostensibly a tale of one woman, two lovers and a wartime secret, this is so much more about the sacrifices made in wartime by doomed youth. Captivating stuff'
Essential Guide

About the Author

Mackenzie Ford is a pseudonym for a writer who lives in London. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation