In 1910 Manhattan, a police captain fights forces of corruption-on the streets and in his soul-in this powerful new thriller by the author of The Brass Starling.

Captain Tristan is a veteran of the opium wars who single-handedly ended distribution of the drug in the five boroughs by bringing the shadowy Triad leader known only as "the Demon" to justice. Though grievouslyinjured in the process, he became famous for cleaning up New York City and ending gang control of the outer boroughs. But Tristan's operation seems full of loose ends, mysteries that cannot be reconciled and even sightings of the Demon, though the Demon remains incarcerated...

As Tristan continues to investigate, he sees indications of corruption on his own force. He can't trust his own officers and finds himself increasingly isolated. To combat those who have infiltrated the police-he must appeal to an unlikely ally-the mysterious crime lord who has taken up the mantle of the Demon. But can Tristan clean up his department without losing himself to the Demon's influence?