Vacancy is the second novel in Jann Alexander’s Dust series, set in the fictional small town of Hartless in the Texas Panhandle. It is told from multiple points of view: Charlene, a poverty-stricken young mother with a kindergarten daughter and another child on the way, whose been abandoned by her abusive ex; when he bails out, he dumps Mick, his teenaged son, on Charlene though the boy isn’t hers; Helen, a middle-aged widow with no children, who still suffering from the loss of her only child; and Jack, a veteran of the Afghanistan war who’s returned home with PTSD. All must face the devastating consequences of what may—or may not—have been a brutal accident.
You can almost hear the Texas drawl in the dialogue as Alexander does a great job capturing Texas witticisms. Hartless, like any collection of humans, is full of a wide variety of folks, flawed but relatable, some with great hearts and others whose hearts are twisted by judgement, bias, and downright cruelty, voiced even in the churchyard.
Vacancy is about found families, learning to accept oneself, and to forgive oneself. The various protagonists have good character arcs and resolve their problems with aplomb despite their trials and the outrage of the townspeople.
This book is a tie-in with the first in the series, but I would have liked the connection made earlier and stronger.
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Vacancy (Black Rose Writing, September 24, 2026) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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You can read my review of the first in Alexander’s series, Unspoken, here.
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