Following the death of his father, Edward Courance West leverages a modest inheritance to construct a sprawling, violent criminal empire during the Prohibition era. Driven by a desire to transcend his origins in the New York City slums, West retreats to the Adirondacks to orchestrate a monopoly on bootlegging and smuggling. He faces opposition from rival syndicates and the encroaching reach of law enforcement, all while battling his own internal compulsion to surpass his father's legacy. The narrative follows his ascent through a series of calculated maneuvers, utilizing murder and intimidation to secure his position as a global criminal force.

Readers and critics frequently note the author's ability to construct a cynical and fast-paced narrative that mirrors his other well-known works. Discussion often centers on the protagonist's lack of moral redemption and the clinical, detached way the text handles extreme violence. Many highlight the effective use of historical detail to ground the more extreme elements of the plot in a recognizable reality. The book is often cited for its sharp, biting prose that avoids sentimentality while examining the corrupting nature of absolute power.