Rose Dugan is a young and beautiful woman living in Philadelphia in the late 19th century passionate about keeping Philadelphia's water reservoir clean and healthy. But when Rose starts receiving threatening letters, warning her to convince her husband to shut down his plans for a water filtration system or else, things take a turn for the worse. A conspicuous murder and butting heads cause Rose to search for the culprit, the truth, and a way to keep the people of Philadelphia safe from contagion in more ways than one.

Joanne Dahme has first-hand knowledge about the rivers and streams in the Philadelphia area as she works for the Philadelphia Water Department as its Watersheds Programs Manager. Her mission is to restore and revitalize Philadelphia's rivers and streams. During her years with the department, Joanne obtained a Master's of Journalism and Master's in Creative Writing from Temple University. Joanne has completed a number of short stories and young adult novels. She lives with her husband and son in Philadelphia.