It was just another Tuesday morning when she walked into the office—except that we didn’t take walks-ins, or even appointments. After all, I take my orders from Ada—and why would an independent supercomputer need to find jobs from average clients?

And who am I? I’m Ray, the world’s last robot, famed and feared in equal measure, which suits me just fine—after all, the last place you’d expect to find Hollywood’s best hit man is in the plain light of day.

Ray was the perfect detective—tireless, logical, and efficient, with a knack for wry one-liners. But as good as he ever may have been as a real private investigator, Ray is much better at engaging with the cold, clear directives in his new position. He’s also the last robot working after the United States Department of Robot Labor canceled the program—turns out people just don’t like robots, even if they like the idea of them.

As the lone employee of the Electromatic Detective Agency—except for Ada, office gal and super-computer; the constant voice in Ray’s inner ear—Ray prefers to sat out of sight. So when a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency wanting to hire Ray to find a missing actor, he’s inclined to tell her to take a hike. But she had the cold hard gold, and Ray was programmed to make a profit.

Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune, and secrecy, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen—and this robot is at the wrong place, at the wrong time.