The ability to evoke both present-day and historical events, signaled in his praised Ferney,
is evident in Long's new novel, again a mixture of contemporary and flashback scenes. Patrick Kane, aka notorious British rock star Paddy Kane, has retreated from his former celebrity life to repent the violent excesses on which his career was based, and the harm he did his late wife, Rachel. Having totally left the music world, he's now burying himself in archeology—his first love—in a dig-for-profit run by a corporation in the tiny village of Wytchlow. Profit is much more the company's concern than archeology, so Pat and his ragtag band of volunteers must try to preserve their integrity. Moreover, inexperienced Pat is feeling insecure about leading the dig, and his grief has been reawakened by the appearance of a young woman named Bobby Redhead who reminds him of Rachel. Rachel had a nearly mute brother, Joe, who communicates only through singing. After Joe appears in Wytchlow singing a ballad about a legendary red-haired Saxon princess called the German Queen, rumored to be buried there, the team discovers what may be her grave, arousing the interest of a TV crew, whose producer has secret plans to exploit Pat's unsavory past. Pat's resistance to sharing himself with others again is melting in the warmth of his circle of diggers, and he finds himself drawn to Bobby, whose resemblance to Rachel is echoed by her similarities to the tragic Saxon princess. Long does a fine job of juxtaposing modern scientific investigation with the mysteries of ancient history, especially the heyday of the Saxon tribes in Britain. Stressing spiritual links between the past and the present, he avoids the excesses of romantic fiction while making the ancient world vividly interesting. (Mar.)
