Cotton Malone is asked by the Justice Department to investigate the largest and most dangerous clandestine organization in American history, The Knights of the Golden Circle. The organization is a holdover from the American Civil War and has a cache of gold many are interested in.

Even though The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry is a fictional book, there are many fascinating tidbits of information mixed into the fictional narrative

The story serves as an introduction to the character of Cassiopeia Vitt, a fascinating character featured in the Cotton Malone adventure series