Yet another spinning of that prepubescent female fantasy in which a gift living in the shadow of some great house is drawn into its mysteries. Holt, author of more than 25 romantic suspense novels, knows this clark dream inside out by now, but still manages a fresh and steadily compelling take on it. Drusilla Delany is the cozy main character here, a Victorian rector's daughter and companion to the beautiful, egocentric Lavinia Frambling. Drusilla is captivated both by Lavinia's brother, Fabian, and by Framling Hall--""I had always sensed that extraordinary things could happen in this house,"" she ruminates. They do, to begin with, when she's called upon to help tempestuous Lavinia handle an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Lavinia shows her thanks by stealing Drusilla's one beau, Dougal Carruthers, then heading off to India, where Dougal and Fabian work for the East India Trading Company. Soon Drusilla follows to serve as governess to Lavinia's two children, landing in Dehli just as the city ignites in the Sepoy Rebellion. Lavinia's death at the hands of angry Indians is just as ugly as she deserves. Meanwhile, Drusilla manages to get the children to safety, and is rewarded back in England with a marriage proposal from Fabian, and a happily-ever-after in The Big House. The Indian half of this--with its details about Hindu assassins, venomous snakes, and exotic poisons--is especially diverting, and the book as a whole, definitely no letdown for Holt fans. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Readers will savor this sweeping coming-of-age tale that spans two continents, from Holt (The Time of Hunter's Moon), one of the pen-names used by the late Eleanor Hibbert (1906-1993). Drusilla Delany has always lived in the shadow of the Framling House, her life always intertwined with the wealthy family, whether being "kidnapped" for two weeks by son Fabian as a baby, or forced into a friendship with spoiled daughter Lavinia. After a childhood prank, Drusilla comes into possession of a family heirloom, a beautiful, bejeweled peacock fan that supposedly carries a curse that could cause her to lose everything she loves. Drusilla eventually leaves home to attend finishing school in France. Then she becomes a governess in India; though her life is marked by intrigue, danger, romance, and loss, she stubbornly refuses to believe the fan or its curse are behind any of it. Lush and exotic, this is a luxuriously told story of a girl's adventures into adulthood. At times, references are too casual, flippant, or modern for the time period, and the stock characters too predictable. But the story is well served by rich, sensual details and engrossing storylines. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The usual satisfactory romantic conclusion prevails in this excellent Holt work, which moves from Victorian England to India during the Sepoy Rebellion. Drusilla is a parson's daughter whose life is inextricably linked with the family of the great house, the Framlings. Druscilla, reluctant friend to arrogant daughter Lavinia, must frequently rescue her from the consequences of her folly (including concealing Lavinia's pregnancy and finding a home for her child). Drusilla is attracted to Fabian Framling, but suspects he wants only an illicit relationship. Summoned to India to help Lavinia with her children, Drusilla is trapped in New Delhi after the rebel takeover. Fabian saves her and the children in the end, and happy romance ensues. Recommended. Marylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, Ia. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.