A Murder in Santa Monica… A Seasoned Cop, a Brilliant Rookie, and a Case That’s More Than Meets the Eye.
Detective Ralph Barnes has been patrolling the sun-soaked streets of Santa Monica for nearly 30 years. He’s an old-school cop, a former surfer who prefers gut instincts over gadgets. But when a high-profile murder rocks the city, Barnes is paired with a new recruit—Anh Li, a tech-savvy, by-the-book detective fresh out of the academy.
She’s sharp, ambitious, and ready to prove herself. He’s grizzled, reluctant, and just trying to survive until retirement. Their captain hopes Li will drag Barnes into the modern age—or at least stop him from throwing his phone out the window.
But when their case takes an unexpected turn, leading them into a web of deception involving artificial intelligence, both detectives must rely on each other’s strengths to crack the mystery. As Li struggles to adapt to the unpredictable realities of the job—and Barnes faces a world where AI can be just as dangerous as any human killer—one thing becomes clear: in Santa Monica, even paradise has its shadows.
Perfect for fans of classic detective stories with a fresh, modern twist, Dead Beat is a fast-paced murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.