When the corpse of an American archaeologist is found floating in the Yangtze river near the construction site of the Three Gorges Dam, David Stark, international attorney, and Liu Hulan, inspector for The Ministry of Public Security, are called in to investigate. Although the initial verdict is that it was an accident, Hulan and David soon discover that this is only one of many apparently work-related' deaths to have plagued archaeological sites in the area and that numerous priceless artefacts are disappearing, only to reappear outside China on the international art market.
The murder trail leads David and Hulan to the heart of the mighty three Gorges Dam project itself. China's biggest undertaking since The Great Wall 2,000 years ago the dam, when finished, will cause flooding that will displace millions of people from their homes and bury thousands of archaeological sites forever. In the resulting frenzy of archaeological activity, the area has become a target for both modern-day pirates and for a more shadowy, sinister group, possessed of seemingly ultimate power who will stop at nothing to gain their mysterious prize.
As they pick their way through the maze of international and industrial politics, David and Hulan come to realise that what is at stake is the safety of both their homelands. And as the killers focus their attention more clearly on David and Hulan, human is pitted against nature in the final battle for China's 'Dragon Bones'.