Flower Under Ice

Set during the terrible land clearances in the 19th-century Scottish Highlands, this darkly passionate historical takes place as Scots are burned out of ancestral homes and deported to Canada so that their land can be turned into profitable sheep enclosures by the English. Catriona MacMorrin, desperate to keep her clan together, convinces war hero and spy Dominic Wyndham to help her find the boy who could be the clan chieftain's heir by fabricating a tale concerning his late wife's baby. There's a rival claimant, however, bent on undermining their efforts and backed by ruthless, powerful forces. Dominic (a secondary character in Ewing's Illusion) is a complex hero, a handsome, dissolute libertine who is beset by demons. Intrigued by Catriona's single-mindedness and fresh beauty, he attempts to seduce her; proud and defiant, Catriona proves his match. Mutual antagonism--complicated by conflicting notions of honor, truth and duty--turns to fierce passion and, ultimately, deep love. Not a mere historical bodice-ripper, this tale will surprise readers with its intelligent plot and complex themes. (Sept.)