Intrigue, history, and love--set against the background of China's Three Gorges Dam--as Inspector Liu Hulan and her husband investigate the murder of a young American archaeologist. When the body of an American archaeologist is found floating in the Yangtze River, Ministry of Public Security agent Liu Hulan and her husband, American attorney David Stark, are sent to investigate. As Hulan searches for the murderer, David, on behalf of the National Relics Bureau, tries to discover who has stolen an artifact from the archaeological site that may prove to the world China's claim that it is the oldest uninterrupted civilization on earth. It is an object not only of great monetary value but one that is emblematic of the very soul of China. Everyone--from the Chinese government to a religious cult to an unscrupulous American art collector--wants this relic and will kill to get it. After a personal tragedy befalls Hulan and her husband David, she must find her way back to life, while David tries desperately to break through the shell his wife has built up and save his marriage. As they wend their way through international schemes for power an