Where there's smoke...

San Francisco, September 7, 1907

The popular but controversial restaurant known as the Cliff House has mysteriously gone up in flames, crashing into the ocean off Land's End. When rumors start flying that it was arson, the manager hires attorney Jonathan Perris to save his reputation by finding out who lit the match. Meanwhile, Jonathan's associate Oliver Bean reluctantly agrees to investigate the death of Wallace Portman, a financier who lost his fortune on a stock scheme gone bad. All signs point to suicide, but Gwen Portman insists her father was murdered.

The cases appear completely unrelated, but Jonathan and his colleagues uncover evidence that points to a possible link involving corruption, illegal drugs, and the horrors of addiction. Exposing the truth leads to violence that touches virtually every member of the firm. Will they survive to smoke out the guilty party?