The hired man A novel

A family takes in a stranger who arouses suspicion in this tantalizing tale of Dust Bowl Colorado from Dallas (Tough Luck). The narrator, 15-year-old farmer's daughter Martha Helen Kessler, describes the harrowing dust storms that have destroyed crops and left her community in ruins. When handsome young drifter Otis Hobbs comes to town, he saves a young local boy from a storm and wins the favor of Martha Helen's mother. Her father offers him a place to stay and a job on the farm. Then Martha Helen's best friend Frankie goes missing and is found dead by Otis, who had joined the search party. The townspeople's idle speculation about Otis's origins and motives leads to accusations of murder, which the Kesslers dispute. Dallas skillfully peppers her well-crafted plot with red herrings, keeping the reader guessing at the truth about Otis and making the final revelations even more explosive. Along the way, she offers a transportive depiction of the storms, when "the earth is on the move" with a "wall of dust," the sky turns "purple-black," and the air thrums with static electricity. Readers who enjoy historical stories with a dash of mystery will race through this. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Browne & Miller. (Mar.)

Prolific historical fiction novelist Dallas (Tough Luck) delivers a Dust Bowl-era story depicting a small Colorado town trying to survive the unrelenting drought. Otis Hobbs, a handsome young nomad, finds himself at the home of the Kessler family after he rescues a young neighbor boy from a dust storm. The Kesslers are poor, but better off than most, and Ruth Kessler never turns away a person in need. Thus begins the story, told from the perspective of 15-year-old Martha Helen Kessler, about how Otis comes to work for the Kessler family. The townspeople are suspicious of strangers. Despite this, Otis gets along well with the Kesslers, who find him hard-working and charming. But when Martha Helen's friend Frankie is found murdered, Otis becomes the primary suspect, regardless of the lack of evidence. The Kessler family stands behind Otis throughout his confinement and trial. When Martha Helen questions her mother's unwavering loyalty to a man they know little about, Ruth begins to open up about her own secretive past. VERDICT Dallas skillfully captures the desperation of the era, while weaving together a compelling story of prejudice, acceptance, and the meaning of justice.--Darcy Mohr