The Kiss

Set in 1999 on the cusp of a new millennium, Emma Fogle is back living in London. Her interview at the Hadley Gallery Covent Garden goes well and she is soon ensconced in the art world. However, betrayed by the people she had trusted, she becomes out of her depth when ruthless art dealing and the theft of ‘The Kiss’ sketch, which had been on loan for authentication from an elderly Jewish gentleman, takes her friend Alice and ultimately herself to Vienna, Austria. There is hostility and danger in a background of fine art, beautiful architecture and wonderful hospitality. Emma’s belief in her friend’s safety and a strong sense of déjà vu leads the reader on a perilous journey across the Austrian border and into Hungary. Ridden with guilt over Alice’s disappearance, Emma blames herself for agreeing initially for her to have gone. But she knew in her heart that all that had ever mattered was the obsessive love she has for ‘The Kiss’ and its safe return.

When the church bells over Vienna strike midnight to herald the year 2000, will Emma get her desired wish?

Born in London, Janice Gold is presently living in Hertfordshire where initially she had opened a small ladies wear boutique. Always interested in art and design, she designed bespoke hats and fascinators for her then clientele. For the past fifteen years she has been part of the Visitor Services team, welcoming visitors to ‘Henry Moore Studios & Gardens’, the home of sculptor Henry Moore in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. As a dedicated bibliophile, she has combined her love of literature and art to produce this, her first book.