Newly laid-off from his high-tech job, Riley Benedict feels cast adrift in his prime. Cut off from his life. Yet strangely, at times, he is exhilarated by this new freedom. Alternating between anger and optimism, he is especially grateful for the ongoing friendship of his former colleagues Sue Romans and Andy Baker. Their magical team endures, beyond the workplace. But when unimaginable turmoil erupts at Barsden Industries, each and every one of the tightly knit group may be in jeopardy. Someone or something is dangerously out of phase. Lives may be at risk. The seeds of doubt are sown. Will trust and camaraderie become suspicion and resentment? Is someone actually a traitor? But which one? Or which ones? Detectives Peter Carrillo and Glen Toussaint are on the case, tracking the suspects with methods that are creative, if sometimes unorthodox, in a mysterious mix of tension and humor. Newport Beach to Laguna Beach, Dana Point to San Clemente, seafront to the wilderness, the suspense shimmers along California's Gold Coast.