Reviewed by Ian Lipke
Detective Sergeant Stilwell has been bounced off the county homicide squad and rusticized to Catalina Island, a district as infested as the rest of the Los Angeles police precinct. Here, the exclusive Black Marlin Club won’t admit even the long-serving Avalon Mayor Doug Allen to full membership. Yet in the community, the most serious infraction seems to be the killing and cutting up of a buffalo. This is presumably done by Henry Gaston, who operates Island Mystery Tours when he’s not threatening endangered species.
All that changes with the discovery of a body sunk in the surrounding waters. The corpse, most recognizable by its streak of purple hair, is that of Leigh-Anne Moss, a Black Marlin server recently fired for fraternizing with members and guests she sees as potential sugar daddies. Stilwell is sufficiently invested in her murder to compete vigorously over jurisdiction with Rex Ahearn, the LA County homicide detective who kept his job when Stilwell lost his. Their rivalry, fuelled by mutual contempt, is only the first hint that Stilwell will end up fighting his counterparts in law enforcement and local government. Stilwell is heavily involved in countering the effects of crooks like hit man Merris Spivak and Oscar “Baby Head” Terranova, who comes under sharper scrutiny when Henry Gaston disappears.
Connelly handles well his hero’s obligatory romance with assistant harbour-master Tash Dano and his increasingly wary alliance with assistant D.A. Monika Juarez.
As the prosecutor sadly observes: “All this because of a dead buffalo.”
Connelly’s treatment of his characters is at his usual high standard. This is shown in the relationship between his former colleague, County detective Ahearn, and Stilwell himself. While Ahern can offer only hate, and fail to recognise significant clues in the evidence, Stilwell wears the abuse to analyse the evidence more thoroughly and reach the correct solution. However, they are both forced to work together as a payback situation by their superior.
Minor characters in the story are given full development. The mayor, for example, is introduced as standing with his hands on his hips and staring defiantly at Stilwell. He demands that the fact that a body had been found should not override the celebrations in place. When he runs into opposition, he quickly changes his attitude, insisting now that the detective be discreet. Throughout the book he leads significant opposition to the forces of law and order.
A less major character than the mayor is Buddy Callahan a worker at the Black Marlin Club. He provides Stilwell with significant information about the victim of the crime. Similarly of importance is local reporter, Lionel McKey, who by contrast with Callahan, became a pest.
Casting the minor characters into their shade were the personalities who gave the book its forward momentum. These were the roles played by Stilwell, Tash Dann, and the judge who was ever-ready to sign the search warrant and others such as Mason Colbrink, “Supposedly a big-time overtown lawyer”. Also quite prominent is the steam vessel the Emerald Sea. The little vessel’s valiant efforts to locate the body are a testament to its endurance.
Dialogue is vintage Connelly. It is rugged, manly, giving nothing towards the weaker souls amongst us. As such it is what we have come to expect from this author. By writing in this way, Connelly continues to ride the wave of best sellers that attach to his name.
The story is complicated and rugged. Although his books have not been published for some time, his style of writing is immediately recognised. It is great to see Michael Connelly on the shelves once more.
Nightshade
(2025)
by Michael Connelly
Allen & Unwin
ISBN:978-1-76147-285-5
$34.99; 352pp