First in an epic trilogy that begins in the antebellum South, where a swindler and a group of runaway slaves fight against an evil plantation owner's legacy.

1859. When his latest business venture goes bust, Durksen Hurst finds himself on the run from a mob--and in the last place he ever wanted to be: Turkle, Mississippi. In the thirty years since Hurst had been there, a lot has changed. The only plantation that has survived is the one owned by the French family. Missus Marie Brussard French runs her dominion with a strong hand and an iron will, never giving her son, Devereau, the authority and independence he so desperately craves. And now their power faces its greatest threat . . .

Hurst has pitched a new scheme to a group of runaway slaves he encountered. He'll make them freedmen and partners on the plantation he's dreamed of building. All Hurst has to do is pull two deadly swindles: get a Chickasaw chief to sign over the land, and convince a government agent to transform the document into a deed.

But the Frenches have their own secrets to hide--and don't need a rival landowner threatening their hold on the town. The appearance of a beautiful and mysterious woman only adds fuel to the fire. And as rumors of a civil war swirl throughout the South, the fight between Hurst and the Frenches turns into a battle neither can afford to lose . . .

"The action and drama are compelling from the first page to the exciting conclusion."--Historical Novel Society