In the late 1890s, the discovery of gold in the Klondike region of Canada holds promises of relief for the financial uncertainty of the times. The area is just far enough away from the US West Coast to be enticing, and close enough to be tempting to those adventurous enough, or desperate enough, to seek their fortune. Many come and many leave. Some become wealthy, but most die or go bankrupt.

Ed Owens, a man of small beginnings, arrives at this wild place in 1897. He's hoping the Yukon Territory will be a safe place to hide from all his troubles. All too often he finds himself looking for a new start after some disaster or bad luck has plagued him, but between card playing and the women he meets, something always goes wrong. And eventually he commits an act that cannot be forgiven...

Desperation: Curse of the Klondike follows Ed and the Canadian Mounted Policeman sent to track him down. It is the dead of winter, the weather uncompromising and the terrain difficult, as these two men chase each other under conditions few would want to endure. Their travels result in clever maneuvers of evasion in a wild country where no man is safe.