The AI Murders – A Detective Thriller by Paul J. Lane
When truth can be edited, what counts as evidence? In The AI Murders, a professor’s death inside a northern university exposes a hidden war over data, privacy, and power. Detective Inspector Daniel Chase hunts the human motive, while civilian analyst Tess Sinclair follows the digital wake—two investigators reading different maps of the same city.
As the case deepens, algorithms turn into alibis, memory becomes mutable, and every witness leaves a trail they didn’t intend. The further Chase and Sinclair dig, the more they find that the most dangerous weapon isn’t a gun—it’s information.
Read Chapter One: A Death in the Dataset
Meet the Characters of The AI Murders
Detective Inspector Daniel Chase
Quiet. Precise. Impossible to fool.
Daniel Chase has spent more than two decades reading the motives behind people’s eyes. A seasoned detective with the Major Crimes Unit, he’s the one they call when a case needs patience rather than pressure.
Originally from a small Midlands town he rarely mentions, Chase keeps his past—and emotions—tightly sealed. Away from the job, home life is quiet: a small terrace house, the steady rhythm of routine, and a seventeen-year-old cat named Singe who rules the place with effortless authority.
Behind the calm exterior is a man chasing order in a world that refuses to stay tidy. He still writes notes with a fountain pen, still brews his tea strong and simple, and still believes that truth, however well hidden, always leaves a trace.
Working alongside digital-forensics analyst Tess Sinclair, Chase brings intuition, restraint, and old-school detective grit to a city where data itself can kill.
Singe (the Cat)
A cross Bengal–Tabby, around 17 years old, with mottled grey-brown fur, faint rosettes along the flanks, and pale striping on the tail. Rescued years ago after boys threw fireworks—its whiskers were singed, the name stuck—Singe became Chase’s quiet shadow.
Intelligent, observant, and affectionate only on its own terms, Singe mirrors Chase’s temperament: cautious, scarred, but steady. Often present in the room when the thinking really happens.
Tess Sinclair
Brilliant. Impatient. Wired for patterns.
Tess Sinclair can trace a digital footprint through a city faster than most people can find their car keys. A civilian digital-forensics analyst working alongside the Major Crimes Unit, she translates data into insight—spotting the links that others miss and finding meaning in the noise.
Born in Sheffield to a Jamaican mother and Scottish father, Tess grew up between two cultures and learned early how to read people as easily as she reads code. Sharp-witted and direct, she has little time for office politics but plenty for puzzles. Her humour is quick, her loyalty hard-earned, and her determination absolute.
Detective Superintendent Eleanor Harris
Head of Major Crimes and Chase’s superior officer. Intelligent, controlled, and politically astute, Harris balances public pressure with institutional survival. She backs results—but demands discretion.
Rogan – Technical Field Operative
Grounded. Loyal. Quietly brilliant.
Rogan keeps the machinery alive while philosophers argue. A working-class technician with the instincts of a soldier and the patience of a craftsman, he provides the story’s realism—the engineer’s view of miracles.
More intelligent than he admits, Rogan sees patterns others ignore. He acts when others hesitate, fixing problems the instant theory fails. His calm defiance and unspoken courage make him one of the few who can bridge the gap between human expertise and machine logic.
When systems falter and morality becomes another code to debug, Rogan reminds the team that survival still depends on human hands. A small act of courage at the right moment may yet make him the man they call back when technology forgets who it serves.
About the Author
Paul J. Lane is a British crime author whose work blends human instinct with the ethics and edge cases of modern technology. Learn more about the author.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The AI Murders about?
A detective thriller set in a university city where a professor’s murder exposes how data—edited, leaked, weaponised—can overturn the meaning of evidence. DI Daniel Chase pursues motive; analyst Tess Sinclair follows the digital trail.
Who are the main characters?
Detective Inspector Daniel Chase, digital-forensics analyst Tess Sinclair, Detective Superintendent Eleanor Harris—and Rogan, the field engineer whose practical insight grounds the investigation—plus Singe, the cross Bengal–Tabby who shadows Chase’s quiet moments.
Where can I read a sample?
You can read Chapter One here: A Death in the Dataset.
Watch the Official Trailer for The AI Murders
See the story come to life in the official trailer for The AI Murders — the debut techno-thriller by Paul J. Lane.