During the Ghan trip from Darwin to Adelaide, American Patton Glassman, is found garrotted in his roomette an hour after the Ghan leaves Alice Springs. Adventurous photographer, Madison Forbes, is co-opted by Detective Roscoe to unravel connections and uncover motives. Madison probes the haunted pasts of travellers as the Great Train snakes on its two day journey against a unique back-drop of Australian deserts, shadowed by lingering phantoms of past railway men, cameleers and desert inhabitants.

A suspect must be named before the Ghan reaches Adelaide in the morning.