As a New York attorney and the head of the Red Ace Corporation, Stephen Drum has been very successful promoting and lobbying for Native American gambling rights. However, the task Steve is about to undertake will be unlike any ever attempted. It will literally rock the foundation of New York.

During a construction project in Manhattan, an ancient burial site is uncovered and anthropologist Paula Fox discovers a fragile document that may change the course of history. Sensing the risks involved, Paula delivers the document to Steve, who secretly begins working on verifying and authenticating the document's validity. When everything continues to point to the 300-year-old treaty being valid, Steve knows that the next steps he and his friends take must be careful and calculated. Because according to that fragile piece of paper, the Canarsu Tribe still owns 1000 acres of northern Manhattan Island.

Besides being caught up in the most important deal of his life, he's become the target of a blackmailer. Someone has discovered his secret affair with Angela Giovanni, the daughter of Don Aldo Giovanni. While Don Aldo is a former mentor to Steve, the man has made it very clear his daughter is off limits. Ignoring the blackmailer's threats, his car is bombed. This is the last thing he needs, when the future of both NYC and Native Americans are hanging in the balance.

(June, 352 pp., $23.00)

—Jill M. Smith