It is 2046, 20 years after the Second Civil War. A skier is killed in Telluride, Colorado, now part of the Republic of Franklin. Adam Henry, a Denver detective, investigates. His quest for the killer brings him back East where he encounters the elusive terrorist organization, the Crown of Creation. Who killed the skier, and why? And how has America changed?

The novel opens with a prologue set in 2026. Many Western and Southern states have seceded from the United States, forming the Republic of Franklin. Until now, peace has remained between the two countries. In the SAC Control Center, a US officer detects a missile fired at the US and launches a missile toward Franklin. War has begun.

It is now 2046 and the two countries are at peace, having evolved into different cultures. Much of the action pivots between the two countries, giving the reader the opportunity to compare and contrast the prosperous liberty-loving West and the downtrodden, corrupt and collectivist East.

This detective novel should appeal to readers of fiction set in the near future. The novel is also relevant to Americans concerned about the increasing polarization of the country into two distinct economic and political cultures, and the beginnings of secession thoughts in the West.