From Publishers Weekly
Again demonstrating her mastery of the romance genre, the prolific Holt ( The Captive ) depicts another heroine in distress. Davina Glentyre's cozy world rapidly distintegrates when her father, a wealthy, straight-laced Edinburgh banker, marries her new governess, the previous instructor having been accused of stealing a valuable bracelet. When Glentyre dies under suspicious circumstances, Davina is arrested for murder. The jury of Scots brings in a verdict of "not proven," leaving Davina's reputation severely damaged. Though she changes her name, Davina lives in constant fear of recognition, and decides to rejoin her dismissed governess, whose innocence she never doubted. Traveling to South Africa to reopen a school in the town of Kimberley, the two women make the journey with diamond merchant Roger Lestrange and his bride. When the latter falls ill, more than Davina's reputation is in jeopardy. Although Holt's heroine possesses the usual weakness, namely a naivete that borders on a learning disability, she is appealing, and the story, mixing danger and sentiment, should please Holt's many fans. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- Love, intrigue, and adventure fill the pages of Holt's latest historical romance. Davina, a sweet 16 year old of proper Scottish lineage, finds her sheltered life out of control when a strange chain of events puts her on trial for her father's murder. After an ambiguous court verdict of "not proven," Davina tries to escape her troubled past and travels to South Africa to begin anew. However, she gets caught up in the outbreak of the Boer War, and a sequence of unnerving and mysterious events begins to threaten the normalcy of her life once again. Holt's well-drawn and varied characters add an extra dimension to the plot. Whether describing the picturesque countryside of Scotland or the beautiful cities of Cape Town and Kimberley, South Africa, Holt once again offers her fans a spellbinding tale full of beguiling characters. --Nancy Bard, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria, VACopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Deceit, betrayal and murder are interwoven in this novel of late nineteenth-century Scotland. It contains complex characters, exotic settings and various subplots. Morag Hood's strong, quiet voice narrates the story through the perspective of the main character. She reads with a mild Scottish brogue, providing a touch of authenticity to the story. Her clear pronunciation and distinctive speech provide easy listening to the story, especially the long narrative parts. Characters are defined by the narrative text rather then by separate vocal characteristics. Hood provides a consistently entertaining reading. P.A.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
Only 17, Davina Glentyre is on trial for the murder of her father. Her happy life in Edinburgh had vanished in the wake of her mother's recent death. Her father seemed strangely different, dismissing Davina's devoted governess abruptly and hiring an unlikely replacement -- the lusty Zillah Grey, who soon became the new Mrs. Glentyre. When the court returns an ambiguous verdict -- not proven -- Davina understands she has to leave her beloved Scotland. But secrets travel with her. More than her reputation is at stake...it's her life! "The unsinkable Holt strikes again -- brisk, buoyant and, as ever, carrying a tonnage of people and perplexities with ease." (Kirkus Reviews)

From the Publisher
8 1.5-hour cassettes

ANNOTATION

When Davina's father dies from arsenic poisoning, she protests her innocence in court but receives an ambiguous verdict of "Not Proven, " condemning 17-year-old Davina to a life of rumor and innuendo. She flees to the African colonies where a war brings danger--and the return of past secrets that threaten more than her reputation: her very life.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Davina Glentyre's happy young life in Edinburgh was shattered by her mother's death and made even more unbearable by her father's sudden marriage to her new governess. Her one joy was her friendship with a poor but charming student, Jamie, whom her father forbade her to wed. When her father suddenly died from arsenic poisoning, the means, motive, and opportunity all pointed to Davina herself. Alone, she escaped to the colonies in Africa. But with the Boer War came danger and the return of dark secrets from the past that threatened her reputation and her very life . . .

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Again demonstrating her mastery of the romance genre, the prolific Holt ( The Captive ) depicts another heroine in distress. Davina Glentyre's cozy world rapidly distintegrates when her father, a wealthy, straight-laced Edinburgh banker, marries her new governess, the previous instructor having been accused of stealing a valuable bracelet. When Glentyre dies under suspicious circumstances, Davina is arrested for murder. The jury of Scots brings in a verdict of ``not proven,'' leaving Davina's reputation severely damaged. Though she changes her name, Davina lives in constant fear of recognition, and decides to rejoin her dismissed governess, whose innocence she never doubted. Traveling to South Africa to reopen a school in the town of Kimberley, the two women make the journey with diamond merchant Roger Lestrange and his bride. When the latter falls ill, more than Davina's reputation is in jeopardy. Although Holt's heroine possesses the usual weakness, namely a naivete that borders on a learning disability, she is appealing, and the story, mixing danger and sentiment, should please Holt's many fans. (Sept.)

School Library Journal