Tessa, an American scholar, begins her academic career at Oxford unaware of the dangerous games she's playing with Chris, her brilliantly flawed British mentor. While at first she has the cushion of Chris's wife Diana and her lover Ben to keep them safely apart, both Ben's …more and Diana's sudden departures wreak havoc in the form of obsessed and unrequited love. For anyone ever delving into literary academia, Tessa's and Chris's story leaves the reader fascinated yet terrified. Within the background of ancient history and archeological digs, their thoroughly modern relationship will seem both familiar and odd as professor and student circle around each other, one cunning and the other innocent, only to shockingly do an about-face. Anyone intrigued with dead languages, ancient mysteries and the workings of overwrought minds will find this one of their new favorite reads. (less)