Death Wears a Big Hat

Joe Davis, Twin Cities humor blogger and low-grade celebrity, is looking forward to a night on the town. He’s accompanying his friend Carol to the grand opening of a store catering to craft beer enthusiasts like Joe. It’s the kind of event guaranteed to warm a snowy night in January. At least that was the idea. The evening takes a nasty turn when Carol is found standing over the corpse of one of the store’s owners, holding the murder weapon. Carol claims she’s innocent and Joe’s about the only who believes her. In a flash, Joe and his friends are forced to go on the run, pursued by both the cops and the actual killers. As they spend the night ducking and dodging, Joe and the gang piece together the story behind the murder. A collection of disparate characters emerge: a jilted fiancée, a comely contract killer, a band of offbeat cops and the victim’s own business partners. But just what was going on? What do the victim’s final words, with its references to a book and a big hat, have to do with it? Will Joe and his friends find the real killer before time runs out? All of this because a guy wanted a beer.