Detroit 1910: When Will Anderson finds the body of John Cooper crushed in a huge hydraulic press, he panics - for good reason. The body is in his father's electric automobile factory, in the department Will manages. Worse yet, Cooper is engaged to the woman Will loves, his ex-fiancee Elizabeth Hume. He runs, eluding the police but leaving behind his cap and automobile. Under threat from a blackmailer and with the police closing in, Will discovers that Elizabeth is in terrible danger. He follows her through the Detroit underworld, trying to save her and find the killer at the same time.
As the evidence mounts, Will gets closer and closer to the secret Cooper had been desperately trying to keep - a secret that could cost Will not only his life, but also the lives of the people he loves most. This surprisingly sure-handed and accomplished debut is set against the fascinating backdrop of the burgeoning electric car industry and is filled with strong historical detail and dozens of real-life characters.