When his brother is taken by a long-lost relative, Rufus Pinhook-a thirteen-year-old thief sick of his life in a desolate Mississippi River town-realizes why his grandmother has kept their family's past a secret for so long: He and his brother are heirs to a deadly evil in a mysterious world called the Oxbow. The Oxbow is a part of the river cut off long ago, a world of cutthroats and wandering spirits; of antiquated people who practice folk magic and pilot paddle boats; and a showboat with bizarre and disturbing performances. Rufus soon finds himself faced with a choice that could pit brother against brother-is blood thicker than water, or will he be able to rise above his family's notorious image?