Kiss of Death

"Let's bring these riches into the light."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Audio

Released: May 2011

Series: Monthly Adventures 147

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough

Synopsis

The TARDIS travellers take a break on the beach world of Vektris. Hot sun, cold drinks and all the time in the worlds. What could possibly go wrong?

A kidnapping, a spaceship heist and a desperate chase to a distant galaxy later, Turlough finds himself in a strange winter palace... along with a face from his past. The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa, meanwhile, fight to escape its frozen catacombs, guarded over by a vast and deadly alien, The Morass. 

But what connects Turlough to the ancient treasure hidden somewhere in the palace? And how far will he go to acquire it?

Verdict

Kiss of Death was another excellent story to continue this Monthly Adventures trilogy for the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough! I liked that after events of Heroes of Sontar, the quartet were holidaying on Vektris and the TARDIS was also having issues that required dimensional reformatting. Turlough not wanting to leave the TARDIS was intriguing and getting to learn about the Trion ploy at hand in using Turlough's childhood sweetheart Deela against him was excellent. That really set the basis and it wasn't long before he was captured by Kanch and Hoss who were working at the command of Rennol and the trio made quite the batch of enemies. Turlough was sedated whilst the public onlooking considered him drunk which was amusing, and it was nice that Deela tried to warn him off despite being hostage. The ship take off and reaching warp speed was great and I liked the threat of the back blast to the Doctor and company but they escaped in another ship and were quickly on the trail. Rennol knowing of the Turlough/Deela bubble was good and I thought it was slightly strange that he needed their kiss, but that was the key to a treasure vault after some adaptation from Turlough in the past to key their DNA to opening it. Hearing of Turlough's history was brilliant and I liked how he had a shaky relationship with Leela's father and with the pair being of the same clan, it seemed his relationship with Deela led to exile. The moment where Nyssa fell beneath the ice should have been the first cliffhanger and I liked how low gravity saved her. The history of Turlough's great-grandfather as a smuggler was terrific, as was the emergence of the Morass and essentially showing their absorption in the catacombs with cryogenics. I really enjoyed the catacomb setting and the cryogenic element added to the eery feel. The ice being used to communicate was terrific as well. Turlough trying to take the treasure for himself and Deela was admirable and he seemed to be hiding the truth of the way in. There was another circuit siphoning power from the lock because the kiss didn't initially work. Ice boiling out of the Morass was quite the description and Tegan's threat of the gravity beam was a comical moment, before the absorption cliffhanger changing directions quickly. The Morass being described as mortal clay was outstanding and I liked that the Doctor's blood was boiling around his wound which really put him out of action! The Morass speaking in the Doctor's head was great too and I enjoyed the security system getting active and having replicas attacking Hoss and co before Rennol cut ties after feigning not hearing them on the communicator. He always intended on cutting them out of the treasure anyway, but the cliffhanger to part three revealing that Deela and Rennol were together was sublime! I didn't see that coming. Turlough finding out the truth was an emotional moment with Nyssa alongside him, and they were to be married but she just seemed to be apologising after not wanting to wait too long for her dowry. The Morass being there to protect the treasure was a good basis and I loved the Junction of Worlds as a descriptor. The kiss finally working after the circuits were put in order was good and I liked that the Doctor and Tegan were below with Hoss to disrupt the feed with Leela's comms unit. The treasure being revealed and in a pulverised state really hurt Rennol but it was nice that Turlough and Leela's bubble was untouched. The bones being that of Turlough's great-grandfather was very good and it seemed that the Morass had destroyed them. The fact that Turlough and Deela were the treasure was magnificent and the aim to get off world and cause the Morass to become defunct was logical, but Rennol went another way and shot Deela dead after a taunt which was full of emotion! Turlough was devastated, and it was nice to keep continuity with Planet of Fire and not have the Doctor attain the Trion knowledge presented here. Overall, a brilliant adventure!

Rating: 9/10