A Dry Hate by Nancy Hicks Marshall

Set in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2010, A DRY HATE encapsulates the many forces at play when a popular sheriff arrests and accuses anyone in his crosshairs--Mexicans and brown-skinned people, activists, journalists, judges, elected officials. The climate is growing ugly as the Legislature is about to pass SB 1070--the state law that targets 'illegal aliens' on Arizona soil. Professor Ivan Wilder tries to cannot avoid scrutiny, having both students without documents and the son of the Deputy County Attorney in his summer course on "Politics and Propaganda." The university classroom is a point of departure to remind the reader how local journalists were jailed, factories were raided, and even a County Supervisor was unjustly arrested because of the sheriff's misuse of power. Twists and turns in the plot keep the reader wanting to know more. Surprises keep us alert--what next? Finally, a small statue of a Pascua Yaqui healing ceremony antelope dancer provides a clue