Scarlet Angel

Billed as ``a novel of obsession,'' Palmer's debut about a thoroughly wicked woman is meant to be a study of evil, but readers may find its negative depiction of the female sex as distasteful as its amoral central character. Upper-crust Englishman George Marchant, a naive bachelor of 40, marries Camilla Vane, a woman with a shadowy past, who plans to take his wealthy family for every penny. Ensconced at the Marchant estate in the English countryside, ruthless Camilla wastes no time in seducing her brother-in-law; when George walks in on one of their trysts, he dies of a heart attack, leaving Camilla heir to his fortune. The book makes much of George's inability to ``control'' his wife, taking for granted that men are in charge and that only sinful wives second-guess their mates. Portrayed as one who ``despised her own sex,'' Camilla is a manipulative temptress, a terrible mother who barely acknowledges her prep school-age son from a previous union, and who feels relief when she miscarries George's child. Meanwhile, references to Camilla's frigidity contrast with the wanton behavior of Camilla's sister-in-law, who cheats on her husband but collapses when he demands a divorce. Despite its misogynistic tone, the narrative succeeds as a comedy of manners, adroitly plotted and recounted with dry wit and engaging cynicism. 50,000 first printing . ( Oct. )