The Empire Barons (Book 2)
In an escalating crusade, James MacLaren fights the syndicate bent on destruction of local mining towns. He is drawn into a battle of bribery, domination, and a scale of justice tilted against friends and neighbors. Distracted by the fate of the miners, James suffers the absence of surrogate son Justin and loses sight of Charlotte's objectionable romance. Justin lands in the path of conflict, and Charlotte's headstrong ways trigger James's contempt for the rich. Casualties of gold and greed lie strewn across the landscape of San Francisco, Sacramento, and the mining towns of Sierra Nevada. Who survives the Raid of Souls?