*** FINALIST for a Minnesota Book Award *** "It's the era of Capone and Dillinger, when gangsters ruled St. Paul. Two thugs, Sly and Eightball, want to move up in the ranks. They betray their boss, form an uneasy alliance, and kidnap a priest, hoping he can decipher a rare document that will lead them to riches beyond their dreams. The mob and a crooked cop are out for blood and will do everything in their power to stop them. "He's Either Dead or in St. Paul is a thrill ride that brings back the grit and suspense of the hard-boiled crime genre. Slide over, Spillane and Chandler. D. B. Moon is the new mug on the scene-and he's taking over." - David Fingerman, author of Silent Kill. ____________________________________ God must have created Sylvester Hobbs while nursing a hangover. Dangerous and ill-tempered, Sly quickly realizes that life as a gangster in 1928 Prohibition St. Paul isn't all speak easies and hot-and-cold running molls. Sometimes there's Hell to pay. After a botched snatch-and-grab, Sly finds a mysterious document on one of his deceased victims. The document, and the possible fortune it represents, grabs hold of Sly and refuses to let go. Pinned down by a ruthless Mob boss and a crooked but savvy cop, Sly is forced to kidnap Father Patrick Murphy who alludes to the fact he has prior knowledge of the document. Despite several warnings from Father Murphy to stop following the cursed piece of paper, Sly forges ahead with the frail old priest dragging behind. The truth about the document unfolds layer by layer until its true origin is discovered. Sly finds it isn't the document he needed to fear, but who it really belongs to.