Nightshade

I won't rehash the plot line that has already been discussed by other reviews.I will say that even though the Harry Bosch series was far from getting stale, this is a wonderful departure and the introduction of another new police officer. The story line has interesting characters and good plot development. Even though it is a police procedural story like Bosch, it is still different, especially since it moves away form the metropolitan Los Angeles area. The descriptions of Catalina Island had be digging into Google Earth to get a better feel for the locations.I just hope he continues with this character line to see how things develop with Deputy Stillwell and and Tash. I can't imagine that Catalina is a hotbed of homicide, but I guess we will have to see what happens out there.

I was underwhelmed by the last Ballard/Bosch book Connelly put out; I kind of felt he had lost the pure magic of real detectives work in the modern world. This book and the introduction of Stilwell has proved me quite wrong! Maybe it was the change of scenery, or the new cast of characters but I couldn’t put this one down. It is up to par with my favorite Bosch books, and I think Stil and Bosch would be great friends if their paths are ever to cross in the future!

I’m a big Michael Connelly fan, especially the Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller books, then more recently the stories of police officers Jenkins and Renee Ballard. So II was looking forward to reading Connelly’s newest mystery, and meeting new characters (truly, Connelly has a gift for making his characters REAL to the reader). Admittedly, it’s been awhile since I got this it but it’s been percolating in my brain for months…a good sign, right? Not necessarily…I truly enjoyed pretty much all the Connelly books I have read, but for some reason Nightshade just didn’t do it for me. I’m the first to admit it might be MY problem, nothing wrong with the story, plot, or characters. And possibly the reason I liked the others more is because this one is more plot-driven, rather than giving me a story about some old friends? (Also, the pacing was a bit slow at times).A detective named Stilwell from the LASD is the new character. I’m a Southern California native who grew up loving Catalina, so it was somewhat of a headscratcher when in this book Stilwell’s reassignment to this beautiful island is somewhat a banishment or demotion… He investigates two crimes in this one, starting with a corpse weighed down under a ship in the harbor, and the other exploring hunting (actually poaching) on a protected reserve. Both social class and departmental politics are big factors as he works the cases, and Stilwell even has time to have a romance going on.I was SO hoping that after reading this, I would be eagerly awaiting the next adventure of this new detective, but I’m afraid I’m not that invested in what happens next. I’m actually shocked, TBH, because Connelly has long been one of those authors about whom I am THRILLED to learn of a new book. I will read the next one, and try not to go into it with negativity, but I’m sad to say I can only give this one three stars. And I still don’t know Stilwell’s real backstory or even his last name!

usually enjoyable Michael Connelly book. 'Ive been following him since his first book when he introduced character who was Vietnam vet whose job was tunnel rat.going underground to find the enemy hiding in tunnels. This left PTSD issues but his character has keen insight, integrity and no use for the politics involved in his job. I've read every book since then and the only one I didnt enjoy was The Poet due the horrific violence , if my memory serves.

Another winner for Connelly. His idea to set this story up on Catalina Island was a great one. The island natives were compelling, same for the descriptions of the island itself, and the dual investigations Stilwell had on his plate were strong. Where I've got to nitpick a little is with Stilwell himself. He is basically a carbon copy of Bosch, only twenty+ years younger and minus the childhood trauma. I was surprised the words "everybody matters, or nobody matters" were never uttered by him. The job will always be #1 in his life, personal relationships and office politics be damned. Renee Ballard has some Harry in her as well, but her backstory in The Late Show was much more interesting than Stilwell's. We learn precious little about Stilwell, other than the reason he was banished to Catalina. That reason also felt overly familiar. NItpicking aside, I'll gladly dive back in for book 2, if for no other reason than to imagine myself back on that island.

This somewhat routine police procedural is not up to the usual very high Connelly quality. He is a favorite author of mine so I was somewhat disappointed. The pace is brisk, the characters well developed but the denouement seemed pushed, opportunities for interesting development were not pursued (particularly searching for the sculpture and phone rather than blowing that away with an improbable suicide) and at end, I wondered if this was a setup for a future series.

I realize that I may be incurring the wrath of some 10,000+ other reviewers. But I thought the case of Leigh Ann Moss could have been handled differently. Her story was pivotal to the overall read, perhaps as much as the Gaston segment, but it seemed to me how it ended, was less in comparison. This is not meant as a criticism of this read. I don't retell story lines in my reviews. In fact, and like that of many others who have followed Michael Connolly from the start, and I do mean in toto from the start (5 stars all along) this was a great read.I look forward to the the next Haller book coming out in October as well as the Rene'e Ballard series this July.

Another good book from Michael Connelly. I enjoyed reading it and it kept me engaged. Highly Recommend it.Like Jack McEvoy and Terry McCaleb before him, Detective Sargent Stillwell is a new and completely stand alone character. Like other Connelly hero’s, he has issues with his old chain of command, which sent him to the island of Catalina as a disciplinary action. The homicide detective Stillwell has to work with to investigate a murder on the island is also the guy that got him in trouble. But like the other Connelly books, everything works out in the end. I am giving it 4 stars. Mostly for insignificant reasons. There is a long list of new names and X-Ray isn’t activated, things like Stillwell doesn’t have a 1st name and he uses phrases like “Overtown” without explaining it. Google links Overtown to Catalina, but the Google definition doesn’t seem to fit. Still a good book.

A little slow at the start but the book picks up momentum as you go along. Great location for the story between mostly on Catalina Island off of Los Angeles and partly on the mainland. I was disappointed that the main character isn’t more fully described as to name, body description and a bit more about his history but I assume that will come in followup books. Maybe Michael Connelly is waiting for the casting of the star who will play Stilwell in the streaming series. Spoiler alert- The worst of the bad guys skates in this one and I suspect we’ll hear more about his evil doings in the next installments. I’ll certainly be ready to obtain the second installment!

I read most of Connolly's books and have been a fan of the Lincoln Lawyer and Renee Ballard books. (Haven't read all of the Bosch books.) This one is a new character, a detective assigned to the island of Catalina, and I will admit I have not read one with that setting before. Of course as with the other Connolly characters, this one gets into trouble and does things he's not supposed to, but I found him to be comparatively mild-mannered. The story is good, with several plot twists, although I found it to be fairly predictable. I read it in a day and a half. I will look forward to his next adventure.

I've read all of Michael Connelly's books and have an affinity for all of his characters--Harry Bosch, the Lincoln Lawyer, Renee Ballard--so I greeted the introduction of a new character with enthusiasm. The first book in the new series didn't disappoint. Detective Stillwell (we never learn his first name) has been exiled to Catalina Island after a dustup with another policeman in LA. Like Bosch and Ballard, he has a penchant for distrusting and tangling with superiors. Nightshade focuses on the investigation of a murder of a young woman involving a wealthy men's club, a tour operator, and a corrupt politician. It's not one of Connelly's best books--lacking the intensity and intimacy of some of his best work--and the bad guys were also more obvious than usual. Thus the four stars rather than five. But the investigation is compelling and the characters are interesting. All in all a promising beginning and I'll look forward to the next installment in the Stillwell series.,

A new novel from Michael Connelly? I don't have to think twice about a pre-order. I went into this novel knowing it was a new character, most likely, the start of a new series. The twists and turns of a Michael Connelly plot was there, as was the flawed protagonist, Stilwell. I think the setting of Catalina could present the opportunity for unique plots if this is a series as being 'insulated' on an island with a relatively small population, is very different than a novel set in L.A.However, I did not really connect with Stilwell. When I started reading the Bosch novels and later the Ballard novels, I felt an immediate connection with the characters and was 'all in'. Maybe it will just take more time for me to find my footing with this new series. I will certainly give this new series another shot when another Stilwell novel comes out because this author has never failed me in the past.

I'm a big fan of Connelly's books so was excited to hear that he had a new character coming out in his latest book: Nightshade. Having visited Catalina Island many times, I was also intrigued that the story was set in such a small town where not much seems to go on other than the coming and going of tourists on a daily basis. So how do you setup a thriller with intrigue, action and corruption in a tiny town where not much that goes on is unnoticed?All the locations are mostly accurate (streets, restaurants, island environment) so Connelly must be a regular visitor to the island or perhaps spent some time there. A couple of the locations in the book are fictitious, but if you know the island you can picture the setting and the people in that setting (like the Black Marlin Club), as there are similar places on the island.The story rolls out pretty quickly as is usual in a Connelly mystery. The main character, Stilwell, a detective sergeant who got sent to the island after having a run-in with some of his fellow officers on the mainland, efficiently patrols the island and has a quick bead on troubles that arise. But things get out of control when several crimes are committed and it becomes apparent quickly that they are related.Some people have said that Stilwell was not thoroughly developed by the writer, but I believe the character will be developed further if Connelly continues to write Stillwel books. You can pick up any Bosch book and there is not a great amount of character development in any single book. That comes as the character appears across several books and is faced with multiple crises that require him to reach back into his past for experience and problem solving. That is my experience with Bosch.This is a good one, worth the read, and hopefully we see more of Stilwell keeping the peace on Catalina Island (or elsewhere!)

Michael Connelly has done it again—Nightshade introduces Deputy Sheriff Stillwell, a worthy addition to Connelly’s iconic roster that includes Harry Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer. While Bosch remains the gold standard, Stillwell brings a fresh but familiar energy to the table. He’s less brooding, a bit more grounded, but just as dogged in his pursuit of justice.Set against the vividly rendered backdrop of Catalina Island—so detailed it practically becomes a character—Nightshade is an atmospheric procedural brimming with the sharp dialogue, layered characters, and knotty investigations that define Connelly’s best work. The bureaucracy is still frustrating, the perps still slippery, but this isn’t just Bosch-lite. Stillwell has his own rhythm, his own demons, and yes, a vintage Bronco instead of jazz records. We’ll allow it.As with every Connelly novel, it’s hard to put down and even harder to accept when it’s over. Whether you’re a diehard fan or new to his work, Nightshade proves that Connelly hasn’t lost a step. If this is the start of a new series, then bring it on—we’re already hooked.

A new cast of characters and a new venue. It’s hard to top Harry Bosch or Mickey Haller, but Michael Connelly gives it a good run here. The venue has moved from L.A. to Catalina Island, and the lead detective is named Stilwell. Like Bosch, Stilwell is a good detective whose career has been waylaid by departmental politics.In the current case, an unidentified woman is found dead underwater in a sail bag with a bashed in skull. The case follows various twists and turns involving a blue blood sailing club, a poached bison, some high level corruption and, ultimately a couple of more murders. But don’t let me spoil it. Read it and enjoy it for yourself.Recommend.

Connelly is a great writer who created an iconic character—Harry Bosch, the LA Don Quixote, tilting at the windmills of injustice and corruption. But Bosch because of his success has toiled for decades and he is only human after all. While I read the new series with Rene Ballard, she is no Bosch. Stillwell is a much more likeable character than Ballard (IMO). The island itself is a new location that Connelly can bring to reality as well as he has LA and its various environs. Right now Stillwell doesn’t seem to love jazz like Harry but he does drive a vintage Bronco when he is on the mainland. His girlfriend seems less neurotic than some of Bosch’s female characters but her addiction to Catalina has already proven problematic. Looking forward to more in this series—Connelly (unlike some other writers with very long term series) has managed to stay true to the quality his readers expect. Nightshade is case in point.

But it may grow on me. I don't No what I was expecting in Michael Connelly's new book but this was a little different than I thought it would be. I became more interested about half way through the book And found myself eager to finish reading it by the time the story was wrapping up. I'll wait and see what comes next But have to admit I did not enjoy this one as much as I have all the others. I think it's partly because I had a preconceived notion of what the book would be from reading all his other books. A good read overall. Afterall, it is Michael Connelly 😊.

As usual with Connelly, this book is well done, basically flawless.. Unlike other Connelly books, though, this one is pretty flat. The protagonist, Sheriff Stillwell, is a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy exiled to Catalina Island because of a fight with another deputy. A body is discover in the ocean and there is an animal mutilation. Stillwell investigated both - most of the book is about his investigation. My criticism is that there is nothing special here. Stillwell is a pretty standard cop - dogged, but otherwise not very interesting. The mystery is solid, but nothing special. The action scenes are competent, but very rousing. Compared to Harry Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer, I don't see Still well as a character with a future.

Catalina where the sheriff dept. is staffed with those who have been removed from their mainland jobs for various reasons. Stilwell is the one in charge, at least for now. When a woman's body is found anchored under a boat in the harbor, the mainland police dept. in Los Angeles has to be called in. The case is assigned to a pair of detectives, one who has a bad history with Stilwell. They don't think it's much worth the effort, so Stilwell does his own investigating. Things don't go very well, for any one, but after all the attacks, shootings, and kidnapping are done, the real murderer and the one who instigated everything else is arrested. I hope this continues as another good series for the author.

LOVED this! Read almost straight through.Interesting to meet a new individual who is based on a beautiful island. As usual with Mr Connelly’s police subjects, Stilwell must contend with difficult bureaucracy, barely competent police officials, sneaky perps, dishonest witnesses and an assortment of other obstacles as Stilwell searches for truth.This novel is great fun to read. It’s hard to stop reading because the reader will have trouble waiting to learn the next twist in the story.It’s was interesting to read about beautiful Catalina Island - far from the intrigues of LA - even when the reader knows that the venues on Catalina don’t really exist. They appear real, and their descriptions add to the pleasure of learning about actual happenings in the island - the dolphins following in the wake of motor and sailing watercraft.This is a delightful read - pure Connelly- and you’ll enjoy it.