Cord Bennett staked his claim in the gold-rich Rio Oro Canyon in 1849 at the dawn of the California Gold Rush. That's when all hell broke loose. What started as a makeshift mining camp is now a full-blown boomtown—fueled by greed, plagued by grifters, and overrun by opportunists of every stripe. As town marshal, Cord has the unenviable job of keeping the peace. Which is easier said than done. Here in Rio Oro City, brawls can break out at any moment—whether it's a ruthless rivalry between competing saloons or an all-out turf war between miners and timberjacks. And when money's at stake, brawls can turn deadly real fast . . .

In other words, Cord Bennett has his work cut out for him. His new deputy, a massive Englishman named "Boom Boom" Blackstone, packs his punches with blasting powder. The new church pastor is as handy with his fists as he is with a Bible. And Kat Olmsted, the sister of Cord's sweetheart Glory, is fighting to save her saloon from a hostile takeover. But that's nothing compared to Cord's latest challenge. A mysterious cadre of gunmen have arrived in town—and they didn't come for the gold. They came for vengeance. Cold, calculating, and cutthroat, they were hired for one reason and one reason only: To kill Cord Bennett . . .