As Michael heads west with General Grant, his half-brother Joshua rides south to Atlanta with General Sherman and then turns East in the march to the sea. But Joshua's experiences in the Army are much different than Michael's. After the war ends Joshua takes a different path and stays in the army to go west with Colonel Grierson in the Tenth Cavalry. What Joshua does and the things that happen to him will affect Michael's future after the Civil War ends and that of Michael's children.

Last summer the huge black raven found a shiny gold ring and gave it to his friend Rose, the homeless girl who would give him good things to eat. That ring helped Detective Susan Strauss solve a string of murders. But then Rose was murdered. And Edgar the Raven no longer had someone to feed him tasty tidbits in exchange for shiny things. He had found a new friend. And now that friend was in trouble. He had to find the beautiful detective with the raven black hair so she could help his new friend. Susan discovers that she is not only looking for Edgar's friend, but that she is investigating...