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Alison McLeay. Avon Books, $5.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-380-71532-9

Abandoned by her adventurous first husband, 19th-century heroine Rachel Dean earns a living in a scandalous frontier saloon before settling down with a shipping magnate whose hobby is taxidermy. ``This ambitious, rollicking debut novel scuds along under full press of sail with villains apace and romance enough for the hungriest heart,'' said PW. ``McLeay is a vivid raconteur; her wickedly skewering humor is matched by her assiduous research.'' (Oct.)

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