Recycling the well-worn plot line of her previous novel, In the Presence of Angels, Kingsley spins a 19th-century romance that addresses issues of trust and class distinctions. Wealthy Pip Merriem is thrilled to be embarking on a trip to Egypt with her friend Isabel. But when Isabel reveals that she's pregnant and intending to deliver the child abroad, Pip is mortified. The birth is complicated, however, and Pip is forced to send for help, which comes in the form of John Henry Lovell. John Henry left England 10 years before to soothe his broken heart, and he's stunned to find Pip, the woman who rejected him, in Egypt and in trouble. John Henry manages to save Isabel's baby but not Isabel, and Pip vows to care for the infant despite the scandal it would create if she returned to England. Unwilling to abandon Pip, John Henry proposes. Pip reluctantly accepts, believing that his only desire is to advance his station in life. Unbeknownst to Pip, John Henry is now wealthy and titled, but rather than tell her, he concocts a cockeyed scheme to deceive and seduce her. Kingsley has created two truly unlovable characters here: Pip is selfish and spiteful, and John Henry is more controlling than charming. (Aug. 14)
Forecast: With its hackneyed plot and contrived ending, this floundering tale will frustrate Kingsley's fans, and won't win her many new ones.