Murder in the desert is the beginning of the story for one reporter in this crackling series debut, perfect for fans of Michael Connelly. When a young drifter is found murdered in the desert outside of Palm Springs, the police start their investigation―but it’s crime reporter Sam Perry who gets to the bottom of the story. Working her way backwards to piece together the victim’s mysterious life, Sam gets drawn into the seedier side of the glamorous resort town, a world of strip clubs, blackmail, and betrayal. All suspicions point towards former A-list actress and now mayoral candidate Ellen Konrad, a woman that Sam can’t quite figure out but is deeply intrigued by. As their mutual attraction grows, the clues begin to add up and the list of people with secrets and a motive to kill multiplies. When she finally untangles the shocking story behind the drifter's death, the revelations put Sam and those closest to her in grave danger.

Sam Perry is a crime reporter whose knack for taking readers into the mind of killers has brought her professional success and accolades. But the obsession with homicides gives her editor an ulcer: Sam blurs the lines between reporting and sleuthing. In Dead Knock a brutal murder and a cryptic message left in blood becomes more than just another grim day at the office. On a night out with friends, Sam stumbles onto a second victim. Soon she uncovers a series of similar gruesome murders that must be the handiwork of the same killer. Something, some shared injustice in these victims' pasts, connects them all and calls a sick avenging angel to exact unholy retribution for their perceived sins. Sam senses it's someone she's interviewed, and to recognize who it is, she must confront her own darkness. In between juggling a new romance with Ellen Konrad, a well-know actress and Palm Springs' new mayor-elect, and navigating resort town politics, Sam relies on modern digital research, old-fashioned doggedness, and the occasional guerrilla tactic to break her stories and track down a murderer.