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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wanted to like this more book and was excited that Michael Connelly was introducing a new detective. Unfortunately, Stillwell isn't really new, but rather a 2025 version of Bosch. He's an outsider in the police force filled with officers who are lazy, incompetent or corrupt. Clearly, we the readers are supposed to like him, be interested in his personal happiness, and see him as one of the good guys (and his is in comparison to the actual criminals) who is different than his fellow cops. I didn't like him or care about his personal happiness/the snooze of a love interest side story that was shoe-horned into the narrative and the only way I found him different than his fellow cops was that he isn't lazy. However, it's hard not to label him at least somewhat incompetent and corrupt given that neither of the cases in this book are actually resolved in such a way that would likely lead to a successful conviction in reality. Like Bosch before him, Stillwell isn't big on dogged police work and the careful accumulation of actual evidence. Rather, he relies on making side deals with criminals, railroading suspects into confessions, acting solo, and the use of excessive force all while operating either outside of his jurisdiction often while not on active duty. This is an okay beach read, but not really a good start to a new series.
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ever since picking up a copy of City of Bones at WH Smiths in Glasgow Central Station, I’ve been hooked on Michael Connelly books, and he’s one of the increasing number of writers on my Must Buy list.
Nightshade introduces us to Detective Sergeant Stilwell. Stilwell has a strong sense of Right and Wrong, and wants to see justice done. This has caused problems in a previous assignment, with partners and colleagues that would rather do what’s easy than what’s right.
And so Stilwell finds himself posted to run the show on Catalina Island. It’s been a while since Connelly has taken us there, back in the days of Terry McCaleb.
There’s a feeling that there’s more to learn about Stilwell. We don’t even learn his first name, and like a calm ocean, there may be deep and dangerous undercurrents.
If the exile posting to Catalina was supposed to be a punishment, it’s allowed Stilwell to find a level of peace. He does his job, and is in a new relationship, and may even be happy away from the mainland action. That is until a body is found, wrapped and anchored.
While the case is to be handled by mainland detectives – naturally, the ones Stilwell previously butted heads with – Stilwell finds himself unable to let go of the case when a theft report inadvertently leads him to discover who the murder victim was. While the body may have washed towards Catalina, all the clues point to the perpetrator being on the island, and in hunting down the killer, bigger crimes come to light.
It always feels strange to read a Connelly novel without Bosch, but the author excels at creating leading characters we want to follow, and I feel there’s a lot more for us to learn about Stilwell.