Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: May 20, 2025
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Source: Library
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
Introducing Detective Stilwell: a cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina Island.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.
Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.
Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.
Nightshade is the first installment in author Michael Connelly's Catalina series, which is set in the same world as the author's Harry Bosch series. This first book introduces readers to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Sergeant "Stil" Stilwell—a dogged, rule-bending investigator exiled to what seems like a peaceful posting but quickly reveals its own dark undercurrents. Stilwell, reassigned to Catalina Island after clashing with department politics on the mainland, handles routine calls in the tourist haven of Avalon.
His quiet routine shatters when a young woman's body—wrapped in plastic and anchored in the harbor—is discovered. Nicknamed "Nightshade" for her distinctive purple-streaked hair (echoing the poisonous flower native to the island), the victim draws Stilwell into a complex murder investigation. Simultaneously, a bizarre poaching incident involving one of the island's protected buffalo herds escalates into something far more sinister. Stilwell pursues both cases relentlessly, crossing jurisdictional lines and reigniting old feuds with a former colleague from the mainland.
The stories intertwine, exposing corruption, hidden island secrets, and the tension between tourism's facade and deeper realities. The dual investigations build steadily to tense, explosive climaxes. Dialogue is sharp and realistic, and police work feels grounded without overwhelming jargon. Stilwell echoes Bosch's relentless pursuit of justice ("everybody counts or nobody counts") but with his own troubled edge. His relationship with local harbormaster Natasha adds personal stakes, hinting at growth in future books.
Stilwell is less compelling than Bosch—more philosophical than deeply backstory-rich in this debut. Supporting characters, including his girlfriend, occasionally feel underdeveloped or clichéd. As I stated, the author glosses over the event that led to Stilwell's exile to the city of Avalon, and it almost seemed as though history was repeating itself at one point in this book. I am not a person who thinks we should defund all cops.
I am someone who thinks there are some really remarkable cops, and some who should probably be doing anything else but police work. Even though this is fiction, one of the cops involved in this case seems to have gotten away with making the same mistake that sent Stilwell to Catalina Island. I am not saying this is the best that Connelly has written, nor am I saying it's the worst. It is somewhere in the middle, which is why I rated this story like I did. Also, I intend to read the sequel to see if the author addresses the issues with this book.
