Pie Town

The residents of insular Pie Town, N.M., learn to expand their horizons in Hinton's slight latest (after Wedding Cake) when they are brought together in support of the sheriff's young grandson, Alex, stricken with spina bifida. Like many small towns, Pie Town%E2%80%94famous for its baked treats%E2%80%94does not welcome change, so when the new priest, Fr. George Morris, arrives in town with Trina, a hitchhiker he has picked up along the way, the locals are leery. However, Alex embraces them immediately, which is good enough for the townspeople, but their hospitality is soon put to the test when Trina is blamed for a tragedy. Hinton has an excellent sense of Southwestern rhythms and cadence, but not much else: her characters are flat and the indecisive plot takes forever to get to the developments readers see coming miles away. All crust, no tasty filling. (June)