The Invader: A Novel

A circle of Oxford academics and their acquaintances is set talking when a life-size portrait of a notorious ancestress is unveiled, its resemblance to a young relative, Milly Flaxman, prompting comparisons and social speculation. The narrative follows how that likeness shapes others' expectations of Milly, attracts the attentions of Ian Stewart, and surfaces gossip about family reputation and past scandal. Personal feelings, especially Ian's growing realization of love and the later consequences of engagement and marriage, are examined alongside tensions between appearance and character, memory and judgment, as private loyalties shift within the group.