The first victim, Phil Lyons, is an apparent suicide in a posh Santa Monica hotel. When a second body is discovered a few days later, Zuma sees more than a coincidental connection. Soon a trail of bodies leads Zuma from California to Las Vegas and finally to Mexico. Along the way, he crosses paths with a married woman who has two lovers, a Vegas landlord, a waitress at an upscale casino, a husband plagued by guilt, and drug dealers. Recovering from the death of his beloved wife, Detective Joe Zuma of the 25th Precinct of the Santa Monica Police Department has just come back from his much-needed annual vacation in Cape Cod. He thinks he might even be ready to start dating again-only to find himself immersed instead in a series of mysterious deaths. Oceans Apart is the exciting tale of a police detective's quest for justice as he tries to unravel a series of mysterious deaths.