Minnesota, 1859: a man is executed for skimming from a silver mine to provide for his family.
Arizona, 1877: the sins of the father catch up with the son
Six weeks later: a man on horseback scales the forests of the Mogollon Rim. He is searching for Bill Hawken, a renowned gunsmith.
Vivian Culhane is far from a typical hero. Crippled by a childhood illness, he is weak, blind - yet unstoppable.
Together they will build an instrument of vengeance that will be known across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas - a revolver that produces red smoke, with a limited supply of bullets and a thirst for justice.