My Highland Rebel

Forester revisits 14th-century Scotland in the implausible but enjoyable second Highland Trouble historical (after The Highlander’s Bride). Avid student Cormac MacLean steals scrolls from a monastery and is chased by a monk who wants them returned. Cormac’s father, warlord Red Rex, wants Cormac to kill the monk. Reluctant to do so, Cormac invents a tale claiming that the monk is the only one who knows where a treasure is located at Kinoch Abbey. Arriving at the abbey ahead of Red Rex’s men and the monk, Cormac discovers that Lady Jyne Campbell is living there with a community who survived the plague. Cormac tries to convince Jyne to leave the abbey, but she won’t leave the other residents behind. Reluctantly, Cormac leads his father’s men to the abbey, disguised as a warlord and wearing a helmet that covers his face; sans helmet, he sneaks inside and woos Jyne, promising to protect her against the “marauders.” It’s hard to believe that Jyne can’t see through Cormac’s disguise, but Forester’s attention to historical detail and the sweet, subtle romance between Jyne and Cormac keep the story moving quickly enough to maintain suspension of disbelief. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary. (Jan.)