Past and present collide as Special Agent Pendergast uncovers mysterious connections between a string of 19th century bear attacks in a Colorado mining town a fabled long-lost Sherlock Holmes story and a deadly present-day arsonist.

In 1876 in a mining camp called Roaring Fork in the Colorado Rockies eleven miners were killed by a rogue grizzly bear. Corrie Swanson has arranged to examine the miners- remains. When she makes a shocking discovery town leaders try to stop her from exposing their community-s dark and bloody past.

Just as Special Agent Pendergast of the FBI arrives to rescue his protege the town comes under siege by a murderous arsonist who-with brutal precision-begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. Drawn deeper into the investigation Pendergast discovers a long-lost Sherlock Holmes story that may be the key to solving both the mystery of the long-dead miners and the modern-day killings as well.

Now with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack-and Corrie-s life suddenly in grave danger-Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames.