In 1911, the fastest trip from San Francisco to St. Louis takes four days-every one potentially deadly for two honeymooners.
In April 1911, Julia Nye McConnell has enjoyed a delayed honeymoon with her husband, William, who is reporting on the rebuilding of San Francisco five years after the Great Earthquake. As they prepare for the return trip to St. Louis, William receives a death threat. The pair searches their pasts and William's immediate reporting for possible enemies. Back in St. Louis, their friend Carl Schroeder begins his own investigation amid complicating circumstances.
Then a man high on Julia's suspect list appears onboard the Santa Fe limited as it travels through Arizona. Julia refrains from shooting him on sight as he insists he has come to help. Deciding whether to trust him is a challenge. But the most formidable challenge is to Julia and William's relationship, stressed by her desire to protect her husband at any cost.
