All Hat

Steven Greenhalgh is the research librarian in the Department of Public
Health Sciences at the University of Alberta.

Set in a declining farm community, All Hat is a classic story of the
little guy fighting the big guy.

Having just been released from prison, Ray Dokes returns to his small
hometown in rural Ontario and does his best to stay out of trouble. He
takes a job as a roofer; moves in with Texas cowboy and old friend Pete
Culpepper; and looks up his old girlfriend, Etta Parr. Ray’s plans to
stay out of trouble seem simple enough, but they are soon threatened by
the actions of the heir to Stanton Stables, Sonny Stanton, the spoiled
rich boy who raped Ray’s sister and put Ray in jail for assault. Sonny
is buying up all the local farmland, and has his eyes set on Etta’s
family’s farm. Ray and his friends soon hatch a plan to thwart
Sonny’s greedy double-dealing by challenging him on the racetrack.

Smith effortlessly intertwines gritty dialogue and country noir with
several very humorous scenes. He also fills his story with a host of
interesting and believable characters. Aside from Ray and his friend
Pete, there is Etta Parr, who works as a nurse to support her declining
father; Chrissie, Pete’s seemingly brazen but truly sensitive horse
jockey; and Paulie, a simple yet well-intentioned hired hand.

All Hat is a poignant, well-paced novel. Readers will eagerly look
forward to Sonny Stanton’s comeuppance.