Some Far Elusive Dawn

The Beresfords of Singapore are bound by the rigid protocols of the English-in-exile set, where teacups and tennis balls are equally important. Though their daredevil son challenges expectations and resists the idea of plying the family shipping trade, a dreamy daughter at first attempts to live up to the lofty Beresford image. Into this menage enter two who flout the rules: Alex Linwood, shell-shocked hero of recently ended WW I, and Dorothy du Lessier, an English-born adventuress and would-be novelist in search of the mysterious East. The newcomers set off sexual sparks, the Beresford siblings take note, and somewhat overheated descriptions of romantic encounters result. Alex seems held in thrall by his violent sexual drive, spurred only by the ingenuously tantalizing daughter of the house. Dorothy's vamping, Alex's concern for the natives and a revelation of the colony's dark side lead to a contrived ending. Drummond's ( The Bridge of a Hundred Dragons ) characters are lightweight, but Singapore's steamy atmosphere is evoked well. (Jan.)