Kieran "Red" Maguire, a love-starved Montana newspaper reporter who solves crimes, captured national attention with his lurid coverage of the Purple Rose Murders.

Suddenly, in the winter of 1954-55, he uncovers a fresh scoop for the Butte Bugle. Men wearing children's Halloween masks demand ever-ballooning payoffs from honest business owners. Red discovers secrets behind the masks that promise even more danger for the legendary mining city of Butte.

A chilling mystery unfolds as Red and his best source for crime news, police captain Harold "Duke" Ferndale, investigate a miners' union led by a surly and suspicious giant.

Along the way, Red encounters provocative women, gun-wielding assailants, confidential informants, and an underworld teeming with troublesome characters. Under Red's byline, the Bugle prints it all, sending dozens of newsboys to street corners to shout the latest shocking headlines.

Says Red of his crime stories: "Suffering sells big in Butte."