Welcome to Bridgetown where gold flows like a river through the streets, into the pockets of the cunning and cruel. Nine great bridges span the river, and nine powerful individuals act as masters of the river, using the power and influence that comes with their title to their own ends. At least until yesterday. Today the master of the ninth bridge is dead, his son missing and presumed eaten, and now all that power and influence are there for the taking. There isn't a resident alive who wouldn't try and claim that power for himself, and when the Mayor announces a competition to discover who will be the new Master of the Ninth Bridge, they will prove willing to climb over their neighbours to take the prize. The competitors are driven, ambitious, and have years of connections, favours, and influence within the city to exploit to take the prize. Just imagine their faces if an upstart nobody from out of town was thrown into the mix. A Winters man, a family name almost as infamous as the town itself. As I recall, the last chap with such a name was burned alive in his own factory, but I'm sure this one will do a little better. Well...He's probably going to die. I give him