The Bottom Line: Connelly proves once again why he is the king of the modern detective thriller.
Michael Connelly’s Nightshade introduces readers to a new detective while delivering the hallmarks that have made his Bosch and Ballard series so addictive.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” from his homicide desk on the mainland to the quieter beat of Catalina Island. His new post is supposed to be routine—petty thefts, rowdy tourists, the occasional scuffle. But when a Jane Doe with a streak of purple in her hair is found literally anchored at the bottom of the harbor, and a buffalo poaching complaint case spirals into something much larger, Stilwell realizes Catalina is hiding a trove of dark secrets.
As Connelly fans will recognize, this first Stillwell novel delivers on a familiar framework:
- The detective’s relentless drive to seek justice for murder victims makes him both admirable and self-destructive.
- His empathy for the dead draws him deeper into danger, even when those closest to him may pay the price.
- Like Bosch and Ballard, anyone remotely close to Stilwell (dating, related by blood or otherwise) will be in mortal danger.
- His refusal to play by the rules marks him as a rogue operator, constantly at odds with colleagues and authority.
In short, while Stilwell has a different backstory from Bosch or Ballard, he is cut from the same cloth. Were it not for the decapitated buffalo, Nightshade could easily have been set in Los Angeles and starred either of his two prior detectives. But by placing Stilwell on Catalina Island, Connelly refreshes the formula with a new landscape full of isolation, corruption, and menace.
That’s not a criticism. Quite the opposite. Connelly’s ability to craft compelling detectives who carry the weight of justice on their shoulders is what keeps readers coming back. Fans may quickly become as invested in Stilwell as they were in Bosch and Ballard.
The only thing missing? A cameo from Mickey Haller. Catalina Island has been a past escape for the Lincoln Lawyer, and it’s easy to imagine him crossing paths with Stilwell in a future installment. Here’s hoping Connelly finds a way to make that happen.
