All Hat

“All Hat is a winner all the way.” — The Globe and Mail

Ray Dokes is fresh out of prison and fresh out of options…

He’s determined to turn his life around and stay out of trouble, but that means avoiding Sonny Stanton – the rich and violent heir of a thoroughbred dynasty

Two horses – one an arrogant creature that’ll bite you as soon as you look away, the other gentle and friendly.

But only one of them is worth more than a million dollars.

Stanton is a rich man and Ray is just an ex-convict.

But only one of them is a cruel man.

Ray soon learns that appearances can be deceptive.

When Stanton starts buying up all the local farmland, only one person is left standing in his way in a last-ditch effort to save her family farm - Etta Parr, Ray’s old flame.

However, when Stanton oversteps the mark yet again, Ray and his trusty gang have a taste for revenge.

But Ray has to be careful.

One wrong move and he’ll find himself back behind bars.

And this time, they’ll be no getting out…

Praise for Brad Smith

“Brad Smith has got the goods — he’s funny, poignant, evocative, and he tells a blistering tale. A writer to watch, a comet on the horizon.” – Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River

“For such a furiously funny writer, Smith has great reserves of tenderness, and before he delivers the big racetrack showdown between Ray and Sonny, he bides his time with heartfelt views of a country life that is slowly slipping away.” – Marilyn Stazio, The New York Times Book Review

“A story rife with energy, sharp detail and neat plot twists.” – Winnipeg Free Press

“Brad Smith makes writing seem like fun and that’s no small achievement … from the road-smart, stand-up guys like Dokes and Culpepper, to the flat-out bunglers like Sonny and Dean. It seems a shame to quit their company at book’s end.” – The Hamilton Spectator

“What a treat to read a well-told, old-fashioned story packed with colourful characters” – The Daily News (Halifax)

Brad Smith is the author of Busted Flush, All Hat, and One-Eyed Jacks, which was nominated for the Dashiell Hammett Prize and the Arthur Ellis Award. He lives in a farmhouse near Dunnville, Ontario.