George Guidall

Twenty-five years ago, Jim Qwilleran walked into my life...huffing into his large moustache, spelling his name oddly, drinking black coffee at the Press Club bar. He was tall but seemed world-weary. His entire earthly possessions fit into two suitcases. He was a down-and-out crime reporter willing to cover any minor beat if it could get him back into newspapering. Then, almost overnight, peculiar circumstances made him the richest man in northeast...

The good people of Moose County are in a fever of excitement. Not only is the gala groundbreaking for the new Pickax bookstore about to take place, but the town of Brrr is preparing to celebrate its bicentennial, and the columnist James Qwilleran has been roped in to help with the festivities. The groundbreaking, however, is marred by the discovery of a man's body nearby--on Quill's own property, no less...