Books to Borrow Williamsburg Public Library Recommends

Perly Dunsmore is the best thing to happen to Harlowe's people and their farmhouses since indoor plumbing. Or is he? They've got police deputies now instead of just the one policeman. Of course one was fine for the town for years, but they've got to move with the times. Crime is getting out of hand these days, what with the strangling that happened in the last year.

The town of Harlowe is growing and prospering since Perly's auctions have started. A few townspeople see the outsider as trouble. Of course some would accuse them of merely being afraid of change.

Perly is an auctioneer. He's traveled the world. He took a liking to the town when he visited before and decided it was his place to settle. After all, he's not getting any younger.

The Moore family is not interested in the new way of life the auctioneer is selling. By the time the townsfolk realize they may not agree with it either, it's too late. The town and it's people become divided. You're either with Perly or you're not. And, neither way ensures safety. If only the people knew who they could trust. The police were definitely in Perly's pockets and no one knew just how far that went. The auctioneer had a way of conning anyone into believing just about anything. His silver tongue could sell water to a drowning man and then have him thanking him for the opportunity.

He was only one man, but he wielded power to control many. The townsfolk would need to come together again. To talk and to trust. Could anyone have courage to take a stand before it's too late?

The book itself is somewhat of a phenomenon in the publishing world. Joan Samson originally published it in 1976. She never had the chance to publish another due to brain Cancer taking her too soon, but the story itself kept coming back thanks to the demand of readers. Its latest publishing in 2018 comes with an introduction from popular best-selling horror author, Grady Hendrix.