Mike Malone is an amateur sleuth who undertakes the task of finding out why one of the world's best surfers was viciously attacked and left for dead. Malone starts his investigation in the small southern California town of Encinitas and while searching for those responsible for the attack, he becomes involved with powerful multinational companies and a mysterious and sinister religious cult. The case unfolds against the backdrop of professional surfing contests at exotic locations around the world and along the way, Malone earns his title of "The Surf Detective."