Two young brothers, embarking on an adventure as hobos riding the rails, experience terror and death at the hands of a sadistic railroad bull, Clancy Steele. Hours later the killer is found with his throat slit and the surviving boy is blamed.

This riveting opening is just the beginning of a fast‑paced tale of murder, intrigue, and deception, woven into the historically accurate fabric of labor movements and the rapacious timber trusts in early Oregon. The book's hero, Sage Adair, is deftly portrayed as a labor union spy masquerading as the attractively shallow proprietor of an upscale Portland restaurant.

Donning the clothes and persona of an itinerant timber worker, Adair seeks to answer two seemingly disparate questions: Who really killed Clancy Steele? What is the secret deal the financiers are trying to hide? Racing against time through the drawing rooms of the wealthy, fancy bordellos, hobo jungles, Chinese laundries, timber camps, rural towns and pastoral farms, Sage Adair discovers not only the alarming answers but also learns that survival demands more than just fighting the good fight.

This boots‑on‑the ground historical adventure mystery takes the reader through an authentically‑detailed, little‑known part of the American West. The characters are so real, you can hear them breathing. You'll want to slide your feet under that posh restaurant table and watch as Sage and his co‑conspirators do battle with the economic titans controlling the West=s wealth of timber, a resource as fiercely coveted as oil.

Despite the intricate plot, rich characterizations, and authentic era, the story remains lean, mean and plainly‑spoken.