First Fruits

In this darkly seductive follow-up to Freezing (1998), Evans positions catty Scottish schoolgirls as unknowing victims of a family's control fetish. Part Lolita-esque twist on the psychological thriller, part straight-ahead mystery, this unusual, intriguing story mystifies throughout. Kate Carr seems to have an edge over the other girls in her class. She is always the one planting the seeds for slumber parties, Greek lessons and flirting with boys; she's the kind of girl who quietly and craftily gets her way without raising a stir. Her father, Minister Keith Carr, is an irresistible sweetheart who has an almost hypnotic ability to befriend his daughter's schoolmates (who, naturally, are green with envy over Kate's enchanting dad). While it's obvious that Kate has no lack of girlfriends, her home life is certainly reclusive. She and her father live alone, save for Keith's cold, barely there mother--a homestead in stark contrast to those of Kate's classmates Lydia and Moira, whose mother and grandmother are openly affectionate and loving. With no drive than to emulate her father, Kate perfects the art of beguiling, in this case shrewdly influencing her ""friends."" Though seemingly harmless, her power over Lydia, Moira and others is reflective of her father's own power over her. Kate eventually realizes the horror of her father's need to control, and the author's talent for spinning a suspense-filled denouement quickly becomes evident. Raising questions relating to parents' love, commitment and power over others, this intelligent work both challenges and frightens. (July)