cover image The Flight of Flamingo

The Flight of Flamingo

Elizabeth Darrell. St. Martin's Press, $19.95 (475pp) ISBN 978-0-312-03342-2

The lives of three strong-willed protagonists are intertwined in this thickly plotted romance that begins in pre-WW II England. Leone Kirkland, 13, initially is aghast when her dynamic, arrogant father, head of Kirkland Marine Aviation, announces that orphaned teenager Kit Anson, the son of an alcoholic former employee, will henceforth be part of their wealthy family. Leone instantly falls in love with the intelligent and fearless Kit, who becomes a test pilot for the firm. When Leone's malevolent brother dies, Warren Grant replaces him as the firm's chief designer, and the trio of Leone, Warren and Kit weave through a series of emotionally charged relationships that are never satisfactorily resolved because the original mystery--Why was Kit taken into the family?--becomes more pressing as time goes on. The seaplane Flamingo is the firm's stellar creation, and its potential for both military and commercial use keeps Kit, Leone and Warren in a continued skirmish of goals and ambitions. Although the chronic misunderstanding becomes exasperating and supporting characters are mere cameos, the author of And in the Morning keeps the plot humming and, with some degree of skill, does not tip her hand until the last page. (Dec.)