In the city of St. Louis, the Gay Nineties, as the time period is later known, have brought about major changes; a thriving metropolis where trolley cars, carriages, and even automobiles can be seen everywhere. But like many large cities, it has a dark side....

Michael Scheffel’s Storm on the Horizon offers a behind the scenes view of world politics spiraling out of control, as the first rumblings of something amiss begin to percolate through the anonymous hands of the intelligence services. From Gibraltar to Afghanistan to Plymouth, the limited...