In August 1812, two months into the War of 1812, General Isaac Brock leads troops from the Lake Erie port of Dover to the Detroit River, determined to repel invading Americans. With him are his trusted advisor Robert Nichol, quartermaster general of militia for Upper Canada and Nichol’s devoted companion Wallace, a young man of mixed black and white ancestry who owes his freedom – and his very life – to Nichol. At the far western end of the province, Nichol and Wallace not only find the enemy, they also become embroiled in the investigation of a horrific murder. Their quest to find the killer threatens the very future of the province, ultimately uncovering a dark secret.