In 1961 Alaska, new railroad Special Agent Wyatt Peoples investigates a passenger's cyanide death aboard the Alaska Railroad, uncovering hidden identities, family secrets, arson, and political corruption. The environment is rugged and transitional: melting spring mud, mosquitoes, frozen rivers, long summer daylight, isolated rail yards, bush planes, mining camps, saloons, and small law-enforcement offices shape both the mystery and the methods of investigation. As attempts on Wyatt's life escalate from sniper fire to fire traps, he builds an unlikely network of allies—human and canine—to expose killers tied to money, land, and power.