Michael Connelly never disappoints and Nightshade is no exception. It's a read-in-one-sitting book, like everything this master storyteller writes.

Having read the Bosch, Lincoln Lawyer and Ballard series. I was excited to see a new character with the ending of my favorite, Bosch.
The move from Bosch to Stilwell was seamless. He is easy to connect with and I'm excited to see where his story arc goes. I see why Connelly is considered the best at his craft. His knowledge in the police procedural, including the law side is fantastic. Nightshade was a great read and I can not wait for the next book in this series. Highly recommended!

3.25 Stars

When someone anchors a body to the bottom of a Catalina harbor, Detective Stilwell happily sets mundane petty misdemeanors on the back burner. Resurrecting the homicide skills he procured on the mainland before department politics resulted in his exile, he’s determined to identify the young woman and bring her killer to justice.

As he exposes the dark secrets and the evil that resides beneath the virtuous façade of those responsible, Catalina Island seems anything but a serene oasis.

I am a Michael Connelly fan…it’s even stated in my bio. Unfortunately, NIGHTSHADE didn’t resonate with me. I found the pacing incredibly slow, the dialogue often stilted, the characters one-dimensional, and the plot predictable. Am I finished with Mr. Connelly? Not on your life. Much appreciation to Little Brown and Company, Michael Connelly, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Michael Connelly's new book, Nightshade, is either a standalone or the start of a new series. If the latter, it's off to a good start. Although Nightshade starts slowly, taking its time to introduce us to its main character, Detective Stilwell, it gains momentum as it takes the reader through two serious crimes. Detective Stilwell, "Stil, " has been banished, er transferred, to Catalina, an island off the coast of Los Angeles. Forced to work with the LA detective who's actions resulted in Stil's transfer, he quickly takes charge. Connelly's signature style is evident in this novel that is almost as interesting for its descriptions of Catalina's physical environment as it is for its mystery. Connelly fans will not be disappointed.

Michael Connelly Is a one-of-a-kind Author with amazing books and character development that even throws surprises at me when I think I have it all figured out. Nightshade introduces us to a brand-new main character Detective Sergeant Stillwell of the LA Sheriff’s office. Stillwell was sent to Catalina Island due to his supposed transgressions in pursuing further a previous case. His days are usually dealing with Drunks and thefts when the island is busy. We begin with a dead Buffalo investigation. And then there is a grizzly finding of a dead body in the water that turns into a murder investigation.

Despite having to deal with some roadblocks from rich people as well as politics from his bosses and some not so nice mainland detectives Stillwell does not let that distract him from doing his job. We also get some of his personal life as we read through and find out he is dating a special lady and despite being sent to the island as punishment he does not seem to want to leave anytime soon, at least not permanently.

When I started reading this story, I will admit I thought it was going to be a slower read then it actually ended up being. However, Connelly really picked things up relatively quickly and the book pulled me in and kept me gripped wanting to read more every spare moment I had despite being a new character. You also really get a sense of the island from how things are described without really distracting from the main plot of the story. The Story had twists and turns and surprise arrests that kept things interesting. Michael Connelly hit a Home Run with Nightshade I truly hope this is the start of another amazing series to come from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley , Little, Brown and Company and Michael Connelly for this amazing opportunity to read this book in advance of its release in exchange for my honest review.

The book started out a bit slow, but it eventually picked up and finished strong, which is why I took off a star. Otherwise, I’m happy to report that Connelly has FINALLY stopped inserting his political views into his thriller novels. It’s taken a long time, but maybe he finally realizes that people on both sides of the aisle like to read good fiction.

A brand new character from Michael Connelly!! This longtime fan has been very excited about Nightshade ever since I heard about it. It has been a long time since this has happened and it was so exciting to meet Detective Stilwell and explore Catalina with him.

As always with a Connelly book, there is so much going on with multiple storylines happening. Stilwell has been exiled to. The island off the California coast after an incident on his last case. But it turns out, he quite likes it there. His usual day to day work has him dealing with thefts and drunk tourists, but now he has a body. A woman has been weighed down in the water in the harbour and has to call in the mainland cops.

I absolutely loved this book. It was dark and clever, with a touch of humor and sass . I really enjoyed the setting of Catalina, and all the challenges that came with being a cop on a small island. Stilwell is still earning the trust of the locals but really doesn’t care what people think of him. He does what he has to do to solve the case and get the right person for the crimes. Sounds familiar? yes there were times that I could see Bosch is Stilwell but he is different in so many ways as well.

I cannot wait for more from Catalina, and maybe a first name for Detective Stilwell as well. This is the first in a new series, so there is absolutely no excuses for not picking it up.

Thank you so so much to Little Brown and Company for my advanced copy of Nightshade to read. You made me very happy. Out on May 20th.

Michael Connelly has been consistently dropping a Bosch book a year since the end of the Clinton Administration, and now we get a spring novel in a new series about Detective Stilwell who is an LAPD officer who has been exiled to Catalina Island. A body washes up and Stilwell gets involved with a fancy Yacht club, as well as a grimier interaction with a crooked owner of a tour guide business. This has all of the Connelly hallmarks of dogged cops working cases, as well as a unique setting on Catalina island, and the subculture around an Island town.. Dedicated Connelly fans will find this scratches that itch, while they wait for another Bosch or Lincoln Lawyer installment.

Michael Connelly's newest book, Nightshade, is either the beginning of a new series or a standalone, with no trace of the characters from the author's other series. I was intrigued that the book is set on the island of Catalina, off the coast of Southern California--a place I visited briefly many years ago. There are no automobiles allowed on the island, and much of the activities revolve around the water--sailing, fishing, beach sunbathing, water sports, and so on.

Detective Sergeant Stilwell of the LA County Sheriff's Department (even at the end of the book, we don't know his first name) is responsible for investigating crimes that originate on Catalina--unless the LA detectives try to take over. Stil (as his friends call him) was "transferred" to this position a year ago as a punishment for alienating the management and certain members of his previous department, but he finds he greatly enjoys the new environment and has found a girlfriend in Tash, who works for the Harbormaster. When the body of a woman with a purple streak in her hair (hence the nickname Nightshade) is found tied to an anchor, it calls for the Catalina and LA detectives to put aside their bad blood and work together, At the same time, Stil needs to bring to justice the person who beheaded and absconded with the head of one of the island's protected buffaloes.

The book's immersion into Catalina local color and customs makes for an interesting read, and Connelly's signature writing style and intricate plot are in evidence. I'm hoping that if this is a series, Stil's character will be fleshed out and his romance with Tash developed.

My thanks to Little Brown, and Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

The characters are not deep or complex, but they are consistent and interesting. All characters have a purpose in the story, and most of them change in some way by the end.
The plot strikes a balance between complex and easy to follow. There are a great deal of plot twists and dead ends, but the story takes its time and allows the reader to process everything. I hope I re-read this book one day, so I am able to look for clues to the culprit that I might have missed the first time around.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Connelly's newest protagonist, Detective Stillwell, makes his debut in Nightshade. I thoroughly enjoyed this flawed, yet determined character and look forward to reading the next installment.

I love Connelly's books so knew I'd love this one with new protagonist Harry Stilwell and girlfriend, Tash. A dead body has been discovered off the coast of Catalina and Stilwell is on the case. Fortunately she has a streak of purple in her hair which makes it easier to identify her so Stilwell is off and running! Like Connelly's other novels, this one is just dicey enough to keep you engrossed until the bitter end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Michael Connolly introduces a new hero for our times with a plethora of twists and turns in a riveting narrative. Nightshade is the type of police procedural that embraces the taut pacing that comes with being a bit rogue

I am a big fan of Michael Connelly and have read every book that he has written. From Harry Bosch to Lincoln Lawyer to Renee Ballard, I am always amazed that the author continues to put out wonderful suspenseful novels. In this book, we meet a new character, Detective Stilwell, who has been relocated to Catalina Island as a result of a homicide decision that he was involved with. Not to give away too much of the plot, the reader meets this dectective and other new characters who are involved in a murder set on this California island. Well written ( as all his books are). I look forward to reading more books involving Detective Stillwell. Wouldn't it be great to have all the other characters from previous books come together to solve another murder mystery!

Another great novel from one of if not the best writer of police procedure. Hope there are more books coming with detective stilwell and the gang on Catalina island. Enjoyed new setting and characters. Looking forward to next one. Thanks to net galley and publisher for digital arc of this great read

Michael Connelly introduces readers to a new character in his police procedurals with Detective Sergeant Stillwell of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in Nightshade, arriving on store shelves May 20. Stillwell finds himself assigned to Santa Catalina Island, 22 miles off the Southern California coast, after the politics of the homicide department have forced him off the mainland.

On Catalina, Stillwell leads the sheriff’s substation where he finds most of his workload confined to drunk and disorderly arrests and petty theft cases. He starts most days watching the folks who disembark the Catalina Express, a ferry from the mainland. Many of the tourists expect to be gambling at the Catalina Casino not realizing that it is and has always been a ballroom and a movie theatre.

Today is going to be different because a hull scraper has reported his encounter with a human body anchored down 33 feet under a private boat. Having been a recovery diver when he worked on the mainland, Stillwell suits up for the cold water and plunges into the ocean to verify the claim. Stillwell theorizes the body has been in the water for at least four days; he determines it is a woman who has dark hair with a distinct streak of purple dye.

As he surfaces, he plans the next steps in the investigation: call out the dive team, the homicide unit, and the coroner’s investigators from Los Angeles. Once he turns the murder over to the mainland team, he knows he should stand down but instead he works the case from the island side. He finds himself once again pitted against homicide cop Rex Ahearn, known by cops as A-hole or King A-hole, who wants Stillwell to back off from the case.

Stillwell knows that much investigation can be done on the island rather than from a chair in the homicide unit. Soon, he is on the trail of the woman called “Nightshade,” but once he turns that information over to Ahearn, he finds himself called on the carpet by his boss on the mainland.

When Ahearn pins the murder of Nightshade on the wrong assailant, will Stillwell accept that outcome or will he bring in the real killer himself?

Connelly has left the streets of Los Angeles behind for this island in the Pacific that was once owned by William Wrigley Jr. of chewing gum fame. Along with the change in law enforcement venue, the Nightshade novel introduces a wide-range of supporting characters as well as a few “bad guys.”

After Michael Connelly spent three years covering crime in Los Angeles, he wrote his first novel featuring Harry Bosch, The Black Echo, which he based partly on a true crime. Three of Connelly’s characters have found success on streaming platforms Amazon Prime and Netflix: Bosch, Bosch: Legacy, and The Lincoln Lawyer with a third character, Renee Ballard, promised her own series.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting March 18, 2025.

I would like to thank Little, Brown and Company, the Hatchette Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

One of my favorite writers of all time. A slow build on a new character and setting but same fast paced can't put it down style. Loved every second and can't wait to see how these characters continue to develop.... Keep up the good work.

Terrific news in the mystery novel world! Michael Connelly is writing a new series featuring a detective on the seemingly idyllic Catalina Island, off the coast of LA County. Nightshade follows LA County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell as he works the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that are his territory since being exiled by department politics to the low-key post.
Stilwell gets a report of a female body found weighed down in the harbor and a report of a buffalo beheading on the island’s preserve – so he follows the cases where they take him even though he must cross all the lines of protocol and jurisdiction. The woman becomes known as Nightshade, a poisonous flower which grows on the island. The serene island has many secrets and villainous characters though it was meant to be Stilwell’s escape from the evils of the big city. I certainly enjoyed learning about Catalina Island, where no automobiles are allowed and sailing is a way of life.
Connelly is the bestselling author of over thirty books, including twenty-five Harry Bosch novels, eight Lincoln Lawyer novels, six Renee Ballard and Bosch novels and two other series. This new series featuring Stilwell is a stark variance from his other LA novels by setting and main character who is young and has a romantic interest. Stilwell, however, like Bosch, the Lincoln Lawyer and Ballard is a misfit with values in a world with few obvious values.
While I hope to see more Ballard/Bosch novels (my particular favorite of Michael Connelly), this new series is welcome for its setting – a perfect summer read about Catalina Island – and its new lead detective, a combination of Ballard’s youthful doggedness and Bosch’s wisdom.
My rating 5 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Nightshade will be published on May 20, 2025.

Nightshade is a propulsive, engaging and suspenseful thriller by one of the absolute best crime writers in the business. Michael Connelly delivers yet another winning book featuring a hard-nosed detective involved in solving hard-hitting crimes.

LA County Sheriff's Detective Stilwell runs the station on Catalina Island, a post he’s been exiled to because of past actions and department politics. Despite the usual lack of excitement that goes with chasing petty crimes, Stilwell is making the best of the situation…until a dead body is found submerged in the harbor. Combined with an investigation into buffalo mutilation on the island, Stilwell finds himself in the middle of the action once again. At first partnering with his colleagues on the mainland, then ignoring protocol and investigating on his own, Stilwell is determined to close these cases and bring those responsible to justice. But what he doesn’t count on is the revelation of the evil that lurks on the island and the personal ramifications his crusade will cost him.

This may be the start of a new series, but it delivers the signature gritty, raw intensity that makes Connelly’s crime novels so compelling. Stilwell is a strong character with a clear moral compass, an indefatigable work ethic and the tunnel vision required to be a great investigator, even if it puts him at odds with his peers and superiors, and impacts his personal life. He also likes Jazz music. Sounds like another beloved Connelly detective, doesn’t it?

By moving the main setting to Catalina, Nightshade provides a distinctive setting, new characters and fresh storylines to pursue that differs from Connelly’s Bosch and Ballard books. It’s a great move to open this new avenue for Southern California crime exploration. Something that feels familiar to old fans but also provides an entry point for new readers. There are numerous possibilities for where this series can go, which should excite crime thriller fans. And who knows, maybe there’s potential for a Connelly universe crossover in the future.

Anyone who loves a good crime novel will seriously enjoy Nightshade. It’s a strong, intriguing, intense thriller that moves with pace and purpose. And if you happen to be a Connelly fan already, this one is sure to impress.