Welcome to Chicago, 1893 — where new wonders are being unveiled . . . and a monster feeds on the unsuspecting. Tens of thousands are flocking to a bustling, wind-swept metropolis in the middle of America for the great Exposition of 1893 — to seethe future and to ride Mr. Ferris' remarkable wheel. A city of hope and hardship has caught the attention of the world—and a maniacal killer has made it his hunting ground. Inspector Alastair Ransom carries the burden of the dead on his shoulders. But a demon far worse than Ransom's own is loose—a bloodthirsty killer who preys on Chicago's most vulnerable citizens, his grisly handiwork masked by the glitter and frenzy of the World's Fair. But a haunted detective doesn't realize how desperate his search has become—for each passing hour brings the slayer closer to his next intended Alastair Ransom.

The nation and the world gaze in awe at Chicago's magnificent "White City" in this summer of 1893. But Inspector Alastair Ransom sees the rot beneath the splendor of the great Exposition—and he is consumed with an over-powering need for vengeance. "The Phantom of the Fair," a blood-thirsty fiend who nearly added Ransom to his ever-growing list of slaughtered victims, is still lurking somewhere in the shadows of Ferris' gargantuan Wheel. And to end the maniac's reign, Ransom refuses to play by the rules established by the police brass and the corrupt politicians—appointing himself judge, jury . . . and executioner. But white-hot hatred and zealous fury can blind a determined manhunter to a more terrible truth. And dangerous missteps may lead to even greater bloodshed . . .

Chicago's magnificent White City will soon be fading into memory. As the grand Exposition of 1893 reaches its final day, the metropolis is rocked by the public assassination of its popular mayor. In the chaos that ensues, another murder—the savage slaughter of a Pinkerton agent posing as a prostitute in a seedy slum alleyway—goes virtually unnoticed . . . except by police inspector Alastair Ransom. An avenging angel haunted by the ghosts and mistakes of his past, Ransom called the slain detective, Nell Hartigan, "friend"—and his unorthodox inquiries into her murder are pointing him toward a fiend who's targeting the city's most unremarkable and disposable citizens. But in a great urban slaughterhouse, where foul corruption festers in every dark corner, Ransom will find himself accused of the one crime he did not commit . . . and facing the final judgment of the hangman's noose.

This historical generational horror/suspense/science fiction novel defies genre classification as it has intrigue and terror. It is a Centenary retelling of the Titanic story to destroy all the false legends surrounding Titanic. “From a master of terror and suspense,” according to Clive Cussler, author of Raise the Titanic, herein lies a compelling reason that forces Captain Edward J. Smith to scuttle his own ship—RMS Titanic. What dark secret prompts such an action on the part of a veteran, retiring captain on a ship’s maiden voyage? What prompts men a hundred years later to pillage the wreck of the Titanic? What secret lies buried within the lost ship—a secret that could destroy all life as we know it? The answers are unveiled in April 1912 and in April 2012…and there will be blood...