The Devil You Know

Goodman continues her winning streak of tender late 19th-century Western romances with good-natured but no-nonsense heroines and lovably roguish heroes who respect them. Willa Pancake’s spunky 10-year-old sister, Annalea, goes into the woods and finds injured Israel McKenna, the roguish brother of U.S. Marshal Quill McKenna (from This Gun for Hire). He seems to have been dragged by his horse, but doesn’t remember it clearly. He convinces Willa to take him in at the Pancake family ranch to recover. Willa’s eager to evade the marriage proposals of her onetime childhood sweetheart, Eli Barber, son of a family with which the Pancakes have a long-standing land feud. This leads Willa to propose to Israel, whose answer is encouraged by her father’s shotgun. The search for clues to Israel’s con-man past yields ample scenes of Willa and Israel carefully building mutual trust, while also offering the opportunity to add detail to the setting and to let secondary characters shine. Goodman’s narrative satisfies with emotionally resonant characters, playful dialogue, and a clever but not overly complex plot. Agent: Pam Hopkins, Hopkins Literary Associates. (May)