The time is 1847, and the place is turbulent New Orleans during the staging of American forces for the invasion of Mexico. Timothy Wollfolk traveling to New Orleans to claim a huge inheritance, is shot and thought dead and thrown into the flooding Mississippi River by mysterious marauders. Lew Fannin, ex-Texas Ranger, believing Wollfolk has perished, slays the man’s murderers and assumes his identity. Two violent strands of dramatic conflict are set into motion.
Wollfolk is saved by a professional killer who agrees to wreak vengeance on the man who has taken Wollfolk’s name and fortune. Meanwhile Fannin discovers that his masquerade has led him into a morass of menace while defending his stolen holdings against a quartet of cutthroats. And he finds unexpected challenge of a different sort when he meets the exquisite octoroon woman which is also part of the Wollfolk legacy, and who stirs his senses while laying siege to his heart.
Against the background of troops moving to war in Mexico, and a scourge of yellow fever decimating the city, Wollfolk and Fannin must decide if they are enemies of allies. As both are caught in a noose of terror drawn ever tighter by those bent on destroying the Wollfolk dynasty. Their decision, and the shattering showdown it leads to, are charged with pulse-raising suspense and action.
For fans of historical adventure, as well as relish great story telling, this gripping tale of honor and revenge offers a fresh reason why F. M. Parker’s stirring novels are so widely acclaimed.