The year is 1866: Federal authorities suspicious of Southern intentions control Civil War-ravaged Atlanta. Allan Ramsey, a former captain in Sherman's Army, has returned to the city, a place where his past and future might intersect. Writing for Atlanta's leading newspaper, The Intelligencer, Ramsey functions as an informal liaison between the city's leaders and the U.S. Army. A body turns up on the railroad tracks-an accident? Abigail Maynard arrives in Atlanta seeking her sister, enlisting Ramsey's help in the search. As additional crimes threaten the city, conflicting motives and uncertain loyalties drive the fate of Allan Ramsey, Abigail Maynard, and a rich cast of characters, each navigating a treacherous path in a time of uncertain peace.