In an illustration of the historical validity of such a motley crew, notorious smuggler Jacques Sweet invites James Taffy (Victorian gentleman thief), Daifuku (disgraced samurai), Pete Brittle (Old West gunslinger), and Ben Foster (free Negro) to help him find the booty of doubloons a reclusive sugar baron flaunts at slave auctions. To find the treasure and untangle the macabre scheme, they’ll need to learn to trust each other and blend in with the scum of New Orleans’ port, the society of Southern plantations, fugitives safeguarded by the Underground Railroad, and a close-mouthed sect of folk religion practitioners.