Format: 336 pages, Hardcover
Release Date: May 19, 2026
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.
Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated—by twenty-two miles of ocean—from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped, and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway, and the plane flies off.
An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and he begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.
While under orders to remain at the sheriff’s substation, he finds a valuable backpack in the lost and found that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.
Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.
Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated—by twenty-two miles of ocean—from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped, and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway, and the plane flies off.
An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and he begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.
While under orders to remain at the sheriff’s substation, he finds a valuable backpack in the lost and found that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.
Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.
Ironwood is the second installment in author Michael Connelly's Catalina series featuring Detective Sergeant Stillwell, with a crossover appearance from Detective Renee Ballard. Detective Sergeant Stilwell (often called “Stil”) returns as the lead investigator on Catalina Island, a scenic but not-quite-paradise outpost 22 miles off the Los Angeles coast. Exiled there after past troubles on the mainland, Stilwell has embraced his role protecting the island’s residents and tourists.
The book opens with a high-stakes night operation at the remote Airport in the Sky: a tip about a small plane leads to a botched drug bust. Shots ring out, one deputy is killed, another critically wounded, and the plane escapes, leaving behind a duffel of narcotics. Stilwell, diverted from chasing a suspect on an ATV, finds himself sidelined by an internal inquiry. Benched and ordered to handle mundane substation duties (including cleaning the lost-and-found), Stilwell discovers an unclaimed backpack belonging to Angela Metier, a hiker who vanished four years earlier.
This cold case pulls him across the channel to LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and the formidable Detective Renée Ballard. Their collaboration uncovers bones buried under an ironwood tree—symbolizing deep, unyielding roots that tie into the story’s themes of hidden corruption and steadfast justice. Stilwell is a compelling protagonist—principled, rule-bending when necessary, and deeply invested in his adopted community. His frustration at being sidelined feels authentic, and his interactions with Ballard (plus a brief Harry Bosch cameo) reward longtime Connelly fans without alienating newcomers.
As expected from Connelly, the investigations feel realistic and layered. He balances high-stakes plotting with everyday policing details, building suspense through careful clue-dropping and procedural hurdles rather than cheap thrills. Connelly masterfully weaves multiple threads: the active drug-related shooting, the cold-case murder, smaller island incidents (graffiti, missing golf carts, vandalism), and mounting pressure from superiors who seem oddly protective of certain suspects. Stilwell’s dogged pursuit risks his career and life, culminating in an intense, sniper-filled climax that leaves room for future installments.
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