An unthinkable crime. A fatal conspiracy. A suspect without a trace. The heir to one of the Empire's most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in his victim's blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions. If the great detective Ana Dolabra - along with her assistant Dinios Kol - cannot save him, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, plunging the Empire into famine and chaos. But this murder is only the latest in a subtle web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal. Ana and Din have faced terrible crimes before. But as they pursue their adversary through wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, even they are not prepared for the horrifying secret behind their opponent's powers . . . Eccentric yet brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man's innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the series that began with the award-winning The Tainted Cup.